Paul Theroux

I listened to this podcast the other day -- Paul Theroux on the Leonard Lopate show. I linked to the podcast below, but it doesn't seem to be appearing -- here is a link to a page with the interview.



He recently wrote a book Ghost Train to the Eastern Star: On the Tracks of the Great Railway Bazaar, retracing a trip he took and wrote about in 1973. The trip is from London to Japan.

I am not sure I will ever read this, but I did find a few points very interesting. He feels that some of the old soviet-bloc countries are in worse shape today then when he was there previously. This is not because things were good then and are not now. It more has to do with the fact that their identity then had to do with freeing themselves from the oppression of the Soviet Union. That was their sense of purpose. Now it seems, they have lost their identity -- and are so western focused that they have lost a sense of self. And since I feel like we have lost our own identity, I can't imagine that much can be gained by gazing in the distance at what the west has become. We have become a country where our westerness is about the things that we have and the consumption we are addicted to. We are removed from the ideals that we once aspired to. And when you, yourself no longer aspire to be a greater nation, it is impossible to expect to inspire others to wish to be greater themselves. They are left in worst possible circumstances. They are envious of our economic prosperity (relatively speaking) and as uninterested in the ideals of our republic as our own people are.

Not sure where all this is going. I will try to revisit soon.