Groveton travels a lot, observes a lot and offers a number of good perspectives.
On 6:09 PM 6 March in a comment on Jim Bacon’s post “Virginia’s Nuclear Power Cluster Just got Bigger, Groveton noted:
“4. In the early part of America’s history Virginia was the most populous colony / state. It was an economic, political and intellectual center in the US. However, after peaking in about 1790, Virginia started a steady decline in power and importance. None of that decline had anything to do with the location of Washington, DC. It was simple sloth and neglect combined with Jefferson’s misbelief that cities were evil places that should be avoided and discouraged. He didn’t get many wrong – but he sure got that one wrong.”
Some may not understand how important this reality is to Virginia’s chance of achieving a sustainable economic, social and physical trajectory.
One manifestation of the historical context Groveton articulates is that Virginia has always ended up favoring individual freedom over community responsibilities. Sustainability requires a Balance between the two in an urban, much less Global, society. The last nonurban society disappeared in New Guinea years ago – or was the last one in Brazil?
The second manifestation of Groveton’s observation is that there has been and continues to be an anti-urban bias build into the Commonwealth’s Constitution, governance structure, legislation and especially the infrastructure.
I recall a dinner in Richmond where members of several of Main Street’s leading families – and thus Richmond’s leading families as this was 25 years ago – each identified themselves by the plantation / hamlet in the Countryside with which their family (or their spouse) was associated before the Civil War.
In an urban society a nonurban orientation is not springboard for success.
Something to think about on a rainy weekend.
EMR