American Quote by James Howard Kunstler
“One thing that I'm predicting is that there will be a vigorous and futile defense of suburbia and all its entitlements, no matter what reality is telling us to do. And this will translate into a lot of political mischief. You can quote me: Americans will vote for cornpone Nazis before they will give up their entitlements to a McHouse and a McCar.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Geography of Nowhere, James Howard Kunstler, 1999
Predicts a strong, irrational defense of suburban comforts despite evidence, leading to political chaos.
In simple terms: People will cling to suburban perks even when they’re harmful.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and challenge entitlement narratives.
Themes
urbanism
politics
culture
entitlement
change
Mood
critical
skeptical
analytical
Type
observational
commentary
cautionary
When to use this quote
- housing policy debates
- urban planning meetings
- community activism
- media commentary
Key Concepts
suburbanism
political behavior
social inertia
Questions to Reflect On
- What entitlements keep you from embracing change?
- How does suburban nostalgia affect policy?
A Different Perspective
Such defense may ignore practical solutions and exacerbate inequality.
![“[Suburbia] represents, after all, the greatest misallocation of resources in the history of the world. We built it during our most affluent period of history, and in the decades to come we will be comparatively destitute collectively. In short, we will not have the resources to retrofit most of…” quote by James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/319/james-howard-kunstler-2886_affluent_suburbia-represents-after-all-the-greate_1095294.jpg)
![“The ideas of [ Le Corbusier ] that actually found their way into practice were deeply destructive - for instance, the tower-in-a-park, which mutated into the vertical slums of the late 20th century.” quote by James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/439/james-howard-kunstler-2886_20th-century_the-ideas-of-le-corbusier-that-actually_106405.jpg)
![“On my way out of [Atlantic City] at quarter after seven in the morning, a young pump jockey at the gas station [...] mentioned that another man had lost $20,000 at Trop World a few hours earlier and had to be dragged out of the casino kicking and screaming. I asked if this happened a lot. "Man,"…” quote by James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/601/james-howard-kunstler-2886_another-man_on-my-way-out-of-atlantic-city-at-quarte_118435.jpg)
