Interesting read. I would expect this feature exists in other uniparty states, especially those that have locked arms with California in the environmental compact to reduce emissions (or perhaps it is to push renewables, or both?).
Dear Matthew, could you check to see if there is a subscription I have of your articles? I think I already have. But I can't check anymore. I don't know whether on Substack or the other channel. I have a son studying medicine in one of the most expensive cities in Germany and I already spend so much information money. Thank you Roberto
I only recently became aware you now have a Substack account, and I just joined. I bought your first book, Shop Craft as Soul Craft, early on. I thought, recently, I should read it again and found I had kept a copy of the review in The Atlantic that first brought your book to my attention. Thanks to your Substack account, I just listened to the recent podcast between you and Geoff Shullenberger. I was particularly interested in your discussion about Christopher Lasch and Michel Foucault, so I thought I would share with you the following:
The Culture of Narcissism was published in 1979, the same year I had my first child, and the same year said child had a permanent rash because she and I spent hours waiting in line, in a hot car, to get gas. The reason we spent hours waiting in line was because of the energy crisis of that same year, which, as yet, no one seems to fully understand why said energy crisis occurred. I lived, at that time, in Houston, Texas, maybe the energy capital of the world. If it could happen there, it could happen anywhere. While always having been a reader, in 1979 I read more than usual, and after reading The Culture of Narcissism I became a devoted Christopher Lasch fan. I later learned that same summer Lasch was invited to the White House to discuss with President Jimmy Carter issues that would become famous in his ”malaise speech, ” although I understand Lasch’s views didn’t have any influence on that speech. Flash forward to 1994 when I entered Graduate School at Northern Arizona University in Political Science. This was during the height of the culture wars, and postmodernism, of which I was not familiar, was very popular. Everyone knew Foucault, but no one knew Lasch. In the Spring Semester of 1995 I was asked to host the end-of-year party for the Political Science Department. I was happy to do so. Before that Friday night I cleaned the house, cooked lots of food, and made sure my family didn’t feel neglected. Everything went well. I woke up early the next morning and brewed coffee. The house was still clean, everyone was asleep, the weather was beautiful, and the pets were fed. One of things I was going to do that summer was to read Foucault’s History of Sexuality, Volume I. I had purchased a small used paperback, not even a trade paperback, and, with my coffee, I sat down on the couch to start reading. The first thing I saw, on the cover, was a blurb from Christopher Lasch! It was really “a road to Damascus” moment. I finally felt the universe was aligned and all was right with the world. Alas, I had no one to call at 6:00 A.M in the morning, so I am sharing this with you now.
As I followed Lasch and Foucault I learned they had both had given presentations at a lecture series at the University of Vermont in 1982. These presentations by Lasch and Foucault were published in a book titled “Technologies of the Self.” I am only pointing this out because in the podcast neither you nor Shullenberger seemed familiar with it.
I look forward to reading all your upcoming conversations and presentations on Substack.
There is plenty of corruption in places like Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia. I go there often. But I don't think it's so bad there in East Africa, as it is in the California you are describing. Congo, DRC, yeah, it's that bad. Probably worse, and for the same reason. You have to get things done, one way or the other. Like the old Soviet joke; "they pretend to pay us, we pretend to work"
Interesting read. I would expect this feature exists in other uniparty states, especially those that have locked arms with California in the environmental compact to reduce emissions (or perhaps it is to push renewables, or both?).
Dear Matthew, could you check to see if there is a subscription I have of your articles? I think I already have. But I can't check anymore. I don't know whether on Substack or the other channel. I have a son studying medicine in one of the most expensive cities in Germany and I already spend so much information money. Thank you Roberto
I only recently became aware you now have a Substack account, and I just joined. I bought your first book, Shop Craft as Soul Craft, early on. I thought, recently, I should read it again and found I had kept a copy of the review in The Atlantic that first brought your book to my attention. Thanks to your Substack account, I just listened to the recent podcast between you and Geoff Shullenberger. I was particularly interested in your discussion about Christopher Lasch and Michel Foucault, so I thought I would share with you the following:
The Culture of Narcissism was published in 1979, the same year I had my first child, and the same year said child had a permanent rash because she and I spent hours waiting in line, in a hot car, to get gas. The reason we spent hours waiting in line was because of the energy crisis of that same year, which, as yet, no one seems to fully understand why said energy crisis occurred. I lived, at that time, in Houston, Texas, maybe the energy capital of the world. If it could happen there, it could happen anywhere. While always having been a reader, in 1979 I read more than usual, and after reading The Culture of Narcissism I became a devoted Christopher Lasch fan. I later learned that same summer Lasch was invited to the White House to discuss with President Jimmy Carter issues that would become famous in his ”malaise speech, ” although I understand Lasch’s views didn’t have any influence on that speech. Flash forward to 1994 when I entered Graduate School at Northern Arizona University in Political Science. This was during the height of the culture wars, and postmodernism, of which I was not familiar, was very popular. Everyone knew Foucault, but no one knew Lasch. In the Spring Semester of 1995 I was asked to host the end-of-year party for the Political Science Department. I was happy to do so. Before that Friday night I cleaned the house, cooked lots of food, and made sure my family didn’t feel neglected. Everything went well. I woke up early the next morning and brewed coffee. The house was still clean, everyone was asleep, the weather was beautiful, and the pets were fed. One of things I was going to do that summer was to read Foucault’s History of Sexuality, Volume I. I had purchased a small used paperback, not even a trade paperback, and, with my coffee, I sat down on the couch to start reading. The first thing I saw, on the cover, was a blurb from Christopher Lasch! It was really “a road to Damascus” moment. I finally felt the universe was aligned and all was right with the world. Alas, I had no one to call at 6:00 A.M in the morning, so I am sharing this with you now.
As I followed Lasch and Foucault I learned they had both had given presentations at a lecture series at the University of Vermont in 1982. These presentations by Lasch and Foucault were published in a book titled “Technologies of the Self.” I am only pointing this out because in the podcast neither you nor Shullenberger seemed familiar with it.
I look forward to reading all your upcoming conversations and presentations on Substack.
There is plenty of corruption in places like Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia. I go there often. But I don't think it's so bad there in East Africa, as it is in the California you are describing. Congo, DRC, yeah, it's that bad. Probably worse, and for the same reason. You have to get things done, one way or the other. Like the old Soviet joke; "they pretend to pay us, we pretend to work"