Chapter 17

The discussion of rotting cultures pending collapse in chapter 17 reminded me of Batman Beyond with its ninjas trying to get Gotham to tear itself apart from the inside out, believing it to be in decline like Rome was once.

I do not know if the Ocracoke comparision is fair because well, Ocracoke residents can leave and return to the island by boat at will. Even if they drained the island, somebody passing by would get them to safety or help the fix it back up. Even if the island is manned by "summer people" that summer income can support many of them through the other seasons. Who'll run the volunteer fire department? Why not the nice men and women that works at T-shirt shop and live on the island all year? Clemson's community doesn't die when school is out, why would Ocracoke kill over when it's part time residents head out? As long as somebody livign there still wants to have a community, then I think that the community will find a way. By contrast, I think what most often makes a community die out is what's happening to my Mom's old home town in rural SW Kansas. The rail road doesn't stop there anymore, the bulk of the population is becoming elderly, and most of the teen and 20-somethings are getting degrees and moving away, but very few move back and raise thier kids there. The town is getting old and shrinking just like my great grandma. And just like her when she sees me, when they see the outside world they marvel at how big it's gotten and they don't like to think that they're just getting smaller.

Sure, you get your civil wars and your catastrophes too, but gradualism has its place too, not just in geology.