it is profitable for big chemical companies and whatever lobby makes the lawnmowers and weed whackers for everyone to have these big lawns that need to be maintained via mowing and pesticides. There are breeds other than bluegrass that don’t grow that tall, chiefly buffalo grass, with deeper roots that make it generally more healthy, less patchy, less susceptible to weeds, etc.
It is convenient for the ruling class that we have to do all this maintenance individually, leaving us less time (and wealth) to organize and build community/alternative modes of governance. Divide and conquer and all that.
OK I lied here’s a 3rd:
Western society is pretty much defined by our need to control nature/the world around us in outright denial of any consequences that might arise from doing so.
I saw a case of a guy who was being prosecuted for having unruly lawn. The kicker? He was elderly with cancer, and his son used to do it, but he went away for a while and no one was doing it. The judge said, and I quote: “You should be ashamed of yourself. If i could give you jail time, I would. Why should the neighbours have to look at that?”. HE WAS ELDERLY AND CANCER RIDDLED.
But that is the strange part to me: its appearance is awful. A big garden full of plants is much nicer looking than only grass.
So many Americans get rock hard about their lawns, and demand that everyone else does as well. There is no logic to it
Two pet theories I have about this
it is profitable for big chemical companies and whatever lobby makes the lawnmowers and weed whackers for everyone to have these big lawns that need to be maintained via mowing and pesticides. There are breeds other than bluegrass that don’t grow that tall, chiefly buffalo grass, with deeper roots that make it generally more healthy, less patchy, less susceptible to weeds, etc.
It is convenient for the ruling class that we have to do all this maintenance individually, leaving us less time (and wealth) to organize and build community/alternative modes of governance. Divide and conquer and all that.
OK I lied here’s a 3rd:
But HOAs mandate then
I saw a case of a guy who was being prosecuted for having unruly lawn. The kicker? He was elderly with cancer, and his son used to do it, but he went away for a while and no one was doing it. The judge said, and I quote: “You should be ashamed of yourself. If i could give you jail time, I would. Why should the neighbours have to look at that?”. HE WAS ELDERLY AND CANCER RIDDLED.
Ah okay, that explains it.