The Devil Rides Shotgun

Several bloggers, including Andrew Sullivan and Bradford Plumer gave approving nods to author Mike Davis's essay, "Home-Front Ecology," which appears in the latest edition of Sierra magazine. Davis looked back at WWII-era Victory Gardens, ride-sharing efforts and the rationing of goods critical to the war effort and wonders what became of that age of sharing and noble sacrifice? As Sullivan puts it: We did it then. Why not again?

I think there are some obvious answers to that. For starters, we were at war then in a way we are not now; the Iraq War lacks the scope and moral clarity of the one we waged against the Axis powers. Still, one can't help but wonder what course the nation might have taken after September 11 if the government slogan had been, "When you drive alone, you ride with bin Laden," instead of "America: Open for Business."