Comments on: “The Highway to Play a Vital Role in the Progress of Civilization” http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/12/01/%e2%80%9cthe-highway-to-play-a-vital-role-in-the-progress-of-civilization%e2%80%9d/ Covering Los Angeles's livable streets movement Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:06:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dan Wentzel http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/12/01/%e2%80%9cthe-highway-to-play-a-vital-role-in-the-progress-of-civilization%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-55631 Dan Wentzel Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:07:34 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=22761#comment-55631 It did say there would be decentralization and you've got to love these wide open highways with no traffic. This is almost satire. It did say there would be decentralization and you’ve got to love these wide open highways with no traffic.

This is almost satire.

]]> By: Eric http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/12/01/%e2%80%9cthe-highway-to-play-a-vital-role-in-the-progress-of-civilization%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-54681 Eric Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:30:34 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=22761#comment-54681 I lol'd at the cargo rockets... and if window shopping could be any more effortless than it already is?? I love Walt Disney.. such a fascinating mastermind. I lol’d at the cargo rockets… and if window shopping could be any more effortless than it already is??

I love Walt Disney.. such a fascinating mastermind.

]]> By: Spokker http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/12/01/%e2%80%9cthe-highway-to-play-a-vital-role-in-the-progress-of-civilization%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-54341 Spokker Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:40:09 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=22761#comment-54341 I would have liked to meet Leni Riefenstahl too. Hell of a filmmaker. I would have liked to meet Leni Riefenstahl too. Hell of a filmmaker.

]]> By: Erik G. http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/12/01/%e2%80%9cthe-highway-to-play-a-vital-role-in-the-progress-of-civilization%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-53841 Erik G. Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:52:25 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=22761#comment-53841 Hitler invented the super-highway (well, actually, he "enthusiastically embraced an ambitious autobahn construction project"): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobahn#Germany http://www.hitler.org/artifacts/autobahn/ http://german.about.com/library/blgermyth08.htm http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/reichs.cfm Which inspired Eisenhower to build a similar system/perform a similar feat of social engineering in the USA: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/interstate/brainiacs/eisenhowerinterstate.htm Disney admired Hitler for this sort of thing and because Hitler was an anti-communist: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood%27s_dark_prince http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1623/was-walt-disney-a-fascist http://www.rainbo.net/pages/fbi.htm The only entertainment industry leader to greet and host Leni Riefenstahl during her visit to Hollywood just after Kristallnacht/Reichspogromnacht was one Walter Elias Disney: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/lriefenstahl.html But hey, I guess there was a mutual admiration: http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Norwegian_museum_claims_Adolf_Hitler_drew_Disney_cartoons_on_painting http://boingboing.net/2008/02/23/adolf-hitler-disney.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1579629/Did-Adolf-Hitler-draw-Disney-characters.html http://bigrab.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/walt-disney-the-hitler-connection/ Godwinned 'nuff? Hitler invented the super-highway (well, actually, he “enthusiastically embraced an ambitious autobahn construction project”):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobahn#Germany
http://www.hitler.org/artifacts/autobahn/
http://german.about.com/library/blgermyth08.htm
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/reichs.cfm

Which inspired Eisenhower to build a similar system/perform a similar feat of social engineering in the USA:

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/interstate/brainiacs/eisenhowerinterstate.htm

Disney admired Hitler for this sort of thing and because Hitler was an anti-communist:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood%27s_dark_prince
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1623/was-walt-disney-a-fascist
http://www.rainbo.net/pages/fbi.htm

The only entertainment industry leader to greet and host Leni Riefenstahl during her visit to Hollywood just after Kristallnacht/Reichspogromnacht was one Walter Elias Disney:

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/lriefenstahl.html

But hey, I guess there was a mutual admiration:

http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Norwegian_museum_claims_Adolf_Hitler_drew_Disney_cartoons_on_painting
http://boingboing.net/2008/02/23/adolf-hitler-disney.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1579629/Did-Adolf-Hitler-draw-Disney-characters.html
http://bigrab.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/walt-disney-the-hitler-connection/

Godwinned ’nuff?

]]> By: Erik G. http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/12/01/%e2%80%9cthe-highway-to-play-a-vital-role-in-the-progress-of-civilization%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-53731 Erik G. Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:02:45 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=22761#comment-53731 Notice how freight transport is separated from passenger vehicles? Oops, I guess we forgot to do that one. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_train Notice how freight transport is separated from passenger vehicles? Oops, I guess we forgot to do that one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_train

]]> By: Erik G. http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/12/01/%e2%80%9cthe-highway-to-play-a-vital-role-in-the-progress-of-civilization%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-53691 Erik G. Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:42:38 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=22761#comment-53691 Just to be fair to Walter Elias, before I skewer him, Ward Kimble was not the only Disney employee fascinated with trains. The head mouse himself had a garden railway at his home called the Carolwood Pacific Railroad at his house in Holmby Hills which he built with the help of Mr. Kimble: http://www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/Carolwood-Pacific-Railroad http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney#Carolwood_Pacific_Railroad Disney was also a member of L.A. Steamers and his Carolwood Pacific Railroad workshop-barn is now moved to and open to visit on the third Sunday of the month: http://www.carolwood.com/WaltsBarn/ http://www.lals.org/index2.html Just to be fair to Walter Elias, before I skewer him, Ward Kimble was not the only Disney employee fascinated with trains. The head mouse himself had a garden railway at his home called the Carolwood Pacific Railroad at his house in Holmby Hills which he built with the help of Mr. Kimble:

http://www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/Carolwood-Pacific-Railroad
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney#Carolwood_Pacific_Railroad

Disney was also a member of L.A. Steamers and his Carolwood Pacific Railroad workshop-barn is now moved to and open to visit on the third Sunday of the month:

http://www.carolwood.com/WaltsBarn/
http://www.lals.org/index2.html

]]> By: Erik G. http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/12/01/%e2%80%9cthe-highway-to-play-a-vital-role-in-the-progress-of-civilization%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-53651 Erik G. Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:28:51 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=22761#comment-53651 You know who else used punch cards to arrange things? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_and_the_Holocaust (I have only just begun to Godwin this thread!) P.S. Why are the people in India, shown at the end, still riding on carriages and elephants below the elevated highway-of-tomorrow? You know who else used punch cards to arrange things?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_and_the_Holocaust

(I have only just begun to Godwin this thread!)

P.S. Why are the people in India, shown at the end, still riding on carriages and elephants below the elevated highway-of-tomorrow?

]]> By: Dana Gabbard http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/12/01/%e2%80%9cthe-highway-to-play-a-vital-role-in-the-progress-of-civilization%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-53281 Dana Gabbard Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:38:41 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=22761#comment-53281 Sopokker, what struck me when I first saw the EPCOT presentation by Disney is how much time he spends on transportation and his impact. You can quibble about the technology he touts (people movers, monorail) but you can see he understood the key challenges of modern urban societies. What a shame six months after making this he was dead of lung cancer after a lifetime of smoking... Sopokker, what struck me when I first saw the EPCOT presentation by Disney is how much time he spends on transportation and his impact. You can quibble about the technology he touts (people movers, monorail) but you can see he understood the key challenges of modern urban societies. What a shame six months after making this he was dead of lung cancer after a lifetime of smoking…

]]> By: angle http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/12/01/%e2%80%9cthe-highway-to-play-a-vital-role-in-the-progress-of-civilization%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-53231 angle Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:35:58 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=22761#comment-53231 I was planning to post about this film on my blog at some point, but you scooped me. The big takeaway from this, in my opinion, is that it is impossible to make a reliable prediction about the future based on the trajectory of events in the present. At the time this was made, I'm sure that these fantastic technological advancements seemed very plausible, if not inevitable. That said, and despite the misguided biases of Kimbal and Disney, I still have an appreciation for the incredible art and visionary thinking that went into this work. We could use more visionaries these days. Hm—maybe I'll save the rest of my thoughts for my blog... I was planning to post about this film on my blog at some point, but you scooped me.

The big takeaway from this, in my opinion, is that it is impossible to make a reliable prediction about the future based on the trajectory of events in the present. At the time this was made, I’m sure that these fantastic technological advancements seemed very plausible, if not inevitable.

That said, and despite the misguided biases of Kimbal and Disney, I still have an appreciation for the incredible art and visionary thinking that went into this work. We could use more visionaries these days.

Hm—maybe I’ll save the rest of my thoughts for my blog…

]]> By: Bobby http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/12/01/%e2%80%9cthe-highway-to-play-a-vital-role-in-the-progress-of-civilization%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-53151 Bobby Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:42:52 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=22761#comment-53151 I think it's funny/weird that just a minute and a half into their super high-tech-ice-melting safe highway spiel there is a bloody, flaming car crash. Even in their fantasies of technology they were resigned to a human death toll in the transportation system. I think it’s funny/weird that just a minute and a half into their super high-tech-ice-melting safe highway spiel there is a bloody, flaming car crash. Even in their fantasies of technology they were resigned to a human death toll in the transportation system.

]]> By: ramonchu http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/12/01/%e2%80%9cthe-highway-to-play-a-vital-role-in-the-progress-of-civilization%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-53091 ramonchu Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:08:07 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=22761#comment-53091 Holy god did you see the Highway Making Monster Machine! This crap is always in cartoon form, so they can erase the toxic wastelands in between and draw smiles on the pod people...man people were dumb. Holy god did you see the Highway Making Monster Machine! This crap is always in cartoon form, so they can erase the toxic wastelands in between and draw smiles on the pod people…man people were dumb.

]]> By: DJB http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/12/01/%e2%80%9cthe-highway-to-play-a-vital-role-in-the-progress-of-civilization%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-52881 DJB Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:20:08 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=22761#comment-52881 Wait, you're against underwater freeways?! I don't know if I can trust your judgment anymore :) Wait, you’re against underwater freeways?! I don’t know if I can trust your judgment anymore :)

]]> By: Spokker http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/12/01/%e2%80%9cthe-highway-to-play-a-vital-role-in-the-progress-of-civilization%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-52861 Spokker Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:18:12 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=22761#comment-52861 It should be noted that later on Walt Disney and his Imagineers designed EPCOT to be an experimental city of the future. In the TV special describing it they called it a city "where the pedestrian is king" and all automobile traffic was underground (I wonder about the ventilation problems). To get around within EPCOT there were electric trains and people movers. See the presentation here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxC_a7qnGi8 The transportation stuff starts at around 7:20. When Disney died the idea died with him. It should be noted that later on Walt Disney and his Imagineers designed EPCOT to be an experimental city of the future. In the TV special describing it they called it a city “where the pedestrian is king” and all automobile traffic was underground (I wonder about the ventilation problems). To get around within EPCOT there were electric trains and people movers.

See the presentation here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxC_a7qnGi8

The transportation stuff starts at around 7:20. When Disney died the idea died with him.

]]> By: ubrayj02 http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/12/01/%e2%80%9cthe-highway-to-play-a-vital-role-in-the-progress-of-civilization%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-52761 ubrayj02 Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:19:12 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=22761#comment-52761 The film "The End of Suburbia" features this little gem. It also has some stuff from an advertising agency of the era that is unbelievably nightmarish to watch. The film “The End of Suburbia” features this little gem. It also has some stuff from an advertising agency of the era that is unbelievably nightmarish to watch.

]]> By: Will Campbell http://la.streetsblog.org/2009/12/01/%e2%80%9cthe-highway-to-play-a-vital-role-in-the-progress-of-civilization%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-52751 Will Campbell Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:56:54 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=22761#comment-52751 O.M.G. That was the best most jaw-droppingly awesomest Worst Thing Ever. O.M.G. That was the best most jaw-droppingly awesomest Worst Thing Ever.

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