The funny thing with trends is that they're so extreme. I've found, in my many years of wisdom, that extremes are almost always wrong, in one way or another. There's something to be said for walking a road of moderation. Seems like the Bible even says something about that...

So this article from David Sirota wasn't really a surprise, just a confirmation of what I've long suspected: our trend toward "a global economy" has created a backlash, and we are beginning to experience it in our local worlds.

Sirota doesn't actually discuss globalism, per say; he talks about the homogenization of American culture:

"The nationwide journey has been a blur — and not because I’ve been under-rested and overcaffeinated, but because America’s newly homogenized culture has made everything seem the same.

Indeed, in making anywhere into everywhere, homogenization has swallowed up not only our downtowns, restaurants and radio stations, but even our understanding of American democracy. The essence is that our culture has lost sight of the importance of local."

Here. My backyard. We all got so excited about the immense possibilities opened up by the internet and other technologies that we decided hometown stuff was just, well, kind of boring.

I can flip on the radio and hear twenty commentaries about the Middle East, the trouble on Wall Street, or the latest presidential campaigning. I can find news about politics in Zimbabwe, Myanmar, and China. I can listen to live radio from Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Uruguay. But do I know the name of my aldermen? Have I been to a city meeting lately? What do I know about the people running for county assessor?

Hmm. Time for the trend to swing back the other way. Watch for hyper-interest in all things local, coming soon to your very own backyard.

Image Credit: woodleywonderworks at flickr.