This is from a recent email I sent my brother, written whilst I was still half asleep... I thought it was a cool train of thought that might not be mine entirely (goddamn you automatic writing ) As for the discrimination I've noticed a few things even on really basic levels. I've always known that America is a ghettoized nation, with an emphasis being placed on knowing your only own country/area/city/block/whatever from school age upwards, but it seems that this dogma is even imprinted on the design of office parks and street layouts - I went to a job interview yesterday, literally 15 minutes walk from my apartment, and noticed that the sidewalks (pavements) were only there inbetween the offices on that block, and that at the end of each block was some sort of barrier - a fence, a hedge, a sign that crossed the natural path etc - a subconscious level divider to discourage interaction between individual blocks. Its also there in the individual neighborhoods, always something there to block the natural flow of the chi or whatever. It doesn't totally stop people from moving from block to block, or neighborhood to neighborhood, but it impedes it and creates a psychological barrier that discourages it. This division is really evident when I come from my apartment towards the centre of town... there are no sidewalks for most of the journey, and major highways divide the area... maybe that is/was part of the plan for London... with things like the M25 and the entry toll discouraging interaction between the city and the rest of the country. Still crossable, but creating difficulties. Its even there with things like the TV news, with more emphasis being placed on agendas featuring local less-newsworthy items (think cook offs, a cat being rescued etc.) than major stories covering large scale events/disasters/etc from further afield... It seems that the American city mentality is always being reminded that the grass is greener here in this field so you'd better bloody stay here, and if you choose to cross the fence and check out other fields then you will be at a disadvantage if not punished entirely. Dreaming is encouraged, (especially the American dream) but creating a reality out of that dream is discouraged.
