Did you ever wonder what that busy intersection in your town looked like 50 years ago? 200 years ago?
What will it look like in the future?
Artist Robert Crumb shows us how a beautiful countryside slowly fades away as population increases and consumerism stamps out the living nature.
What have we done to our land? Will we ever learn? Here is a sad story of America and how humans and progress can’t help but to destroy beauty.
A Short History of America by Robert Crumb
At first man co-exists with nature. Larger families make farm living easier but population escalates as children have children and nature get in the way.
Consumerism then rules our lives. Then like Noah and the great flood. It’s time for a cleansing and there is beauty and hope again. But probably for only a short time. Man will not learn for his mistakes.
This is similar to old houses and neighborhoods. Changes happen so slowly. First it’s the aluminum storm door, then siding, then . . .
You don’t even notice any difference until later all these changes add up and you have something quite different that you began with. You could only see the difference by looking at an old photo or revisiting a location after being away for many years.
Robert Crumb is an American Cartoonist. His work displays a nostalgia for American folk culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and sharp satire of contemporary American culture. Here is his website: www.rcrumb.com
Most all of this happened in the 1960s during the “Urban Renewal” projects started under LBJ. Many historically black communities were totally obliterated and the many of the residents moved to concrete towers. Many areas could have been saved and improved, but instead were destroyed. Also urban blight has occurred because industries have moved overseas, so for example, Detroit, one of the most vital cities with one of the highest per capita incomes, was decimated. A continuing effort to keep industry and jobs in our county will save and revitalize areas, not ruin them. Good city and regional planning with tax benefits to encourage companies to stay or come help too. Magic Johnson is involved in some of that type of work, too.