Age of Utopias

A few weeks ago I was sent an email that included the de-industrialization of America as a national crisis. In it were facts of the United States becoming the first “post-industrial” nation on the globe. All great economic empires eventually become fat and lazy and squander the great wealth that their forefathers have left them, but the pace at which America is accomplishing this is amazing. It was America that was at the forefront of the industrial revolution. And it will be the heavily mortgaged America that doesn't produce anything – other than garbage that will not have any kind of viable economic future.

One thing I saw time and again this past year was the obliteration of photographs. Having been shown this holiday season a photograph of my maternal grandfather from 1917, as a young man, I quickly asked to make copies, before the process is wiped out. Many of our possessions that we used to own are still in our lives, but we may not actually own them in the future. Today our computer has a hard drive where we store our pictures. But even that is changing.

Photo labs no longer process Kodachrome, they have stopped developing the iconic film forever. Most people believe that this is “progress.” It seems we are losing touch with everyone and everything that constitutes History and Art.

When I was a kid, I marveled at the thought that I would be able to command a robot to take on menial tasks, but now I see the advent of robots will come with a high price- this ever increasing amount of automation comes with an end to human contact for what may turn into many hours in a day or perhaps several days, or weeks at a time, and that comes with the psychological impact of social isolation.