[Sir Taliesin]

Originally posted by Yorick: More areas of land left for food and restoration to original habitat. (I can't wait for us to run out of oil, and have to rely on solar and wind energy.) With a greater even distribution of wealth, there is less need for a large family to "work the farm" or "take care of the aged". [/B]

Boy I couldn't disagree with this statement more! Go back in time and think about why farmers always had such big families. Back then there were no gas/disel tractors. A farmer needed a large family to help him work the land.
They didn't have big families, just to have big families. There was a need that had to be filled and that was the only way to do it. After the gas/disel tractor was introduced, large families weren't needed anymore. Farm work became more efficient. Where, before a farmer needed several sons and mules to plow the lower south forty (acres) in a day; now he could do it by himself, with a tractor, in the same amount of time.

Now suppose we do away with fossil fuels. How do we farm efficiently? There is only one way. Have big families again. Here in the US large families are out of style now. One or two children is now the norm, where as fifty years ago, 3 or more was probably the norm. My father was raised on a farm and he had 2 brothers and 4 sisters. His father didn't buy his first tractor until all the boys had left home. BTW, I'm an only child and I have two children.

I also disagree with your assumption that everyone always wants to live on the most expensive land and that land is found in downtowns. I think most people in the US do NOT want to live in the cities. Most people I know wouldn't move to New York City over East Tennessee. I live in the city for one reason only. My daughter goes to a really good public school. My son will go there too. If that school wasn't there, I'd move out into the country in a heart beat (Or if I could find a school as good out in the country!). I think most people work in the big cities because economic reasons.

In Knoxville, hardly anyone lives downtown. There are some, but it is the least populated sector in the city. Downtown is alive during the daytime, but dies at night. Most people live in surrounding communities and commute into work. They perfer that.

Heck, even our baseball team moved out of Knoxville to one of the bedroom communities, thanks to our Mayor. They wanted a new staduim, but the city didn't want to build it. They would rather build a convention center instead. So the Knoxville Smokies up and moved to Sevierville (which built them a new staduim). They have more fans show up for their games there, than when they were in Knoxville.

I think, at least for the smaller cities downtowns are a wasteland anymore.

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Sir Taliesin



If they take my gun can I still use my Axe?