Creating is more fun than consuming. - Paul Glover

All of America's institutions have become too big to change. Like sumo wrestlers in a basketball game, they move too slow. Big Government, Big Oil, Big Insurance, Big Finance, Big Agriculture, Big Highway, Big Education, Big Military, Big Prison, Big Police, Big Poverty-- these feed on disaster and control. They no longer exist primarily to fix problems, but to grow.

As usual, the future will be different. Philadelphia's responses to global warming and market cooling, high fuel and food prices, health unsurance, mortgages, student debt and war will decide whether our future here becomes vastly better or vastly worse. Whether we're the Next Great City or Next Great Medieval Village.

The era of road widening in our narrow valley will end. The era of trollies, buses, bicycles, pedicabs, cargo bikes and pedestrian amenity will accelerate. Center city will become home for thousands of humans rather than cars, to the benefit of local businesses. The era of worrying about paying for health care will be replaced by free and at-cost care through mutual aid clinics. The era of discarding the young, particularly kids of color, will be replaced by skills and work that give them pride and power. Likewise senior citizens will find here lifelong appreciation for their capabilities. The era of police respect for civil liberties will expand respect for police. The development of creative work for all will reduce crime.