Not doubting the problems of american geography: though esp. the historical choices about how urbanization should proceed which have made most of the problems,

Not doubting the problems of american geography: though esp. the historical choices about how urbanization should proceed which have made most of the problems, rather than anything inherent about the size of the country - I can easily get across Europe on public transport at "american" distances. The point was it was amusing to see someone suggest that private transport was the essential point of oil, so that if prices increased, it would just mean worse private transport. When of course, at those levels, it would mean the end of wide-spread private transportation as such (and the end of american urbanization as its currently known).