Thank you for this illuminating and perceptive assessment of the deep alienation and chronic depression that has arisen in the modern US due to the worship of money, car culture, suburban sprawl, and soul-numbing isolation and mass media/internet addiction. No wonder so many of us are turning into deranged, violent sociopaths, hooked on meth or fentanyl or seduced by demented fascists like Trump or DeSantis!

The only way I see to reverse this downward spiral is locally--by growing gardens, growing community, and growing awareness; by embracing and disseminating the principles and practice of permaculture, starting in our own back yards, reaching out to involve our neighbors in garden guilds, then putting pressure on city councils to make communities more like those in Europe--pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly. See, in particular, the visionary work of Portland architect Mark Lakeman with his City Repair initiative...