Bentonville is an odd choice to champion environmentalism, in particular this brand which cares mostly about open space. I'm certain that the amount of developed land, per person, is much much higher there than in the Bay Area. The result is that Bay Area residents conserve more of the nation's land.

Having lived in the "greater Bentonville area", I think what he's commenting on is that SF seems like one giant un-ending city coming from there. This is especially true if he traveled there for work and didn't really have time to explore.

When authors use their "friends" as rhetorical punching bags, I tend to tune out.

"Look at how enlightened I am, compared to these oafs who I supposedly like, who definitely exist and who also appreciate my bad-mouthing them!"

I'm no fan of SF or the Bay Area but this article is vacuous.

Wherein a rant is writ from anecdote upon a brief visit to San Francisco by a wealth conservative. His totally real not fake at all friends opine briefly. At length, straw-men are vanquished courageously.

Interesting you assert they're fake.

> "the U.S. (is) the world’s most evil nation currently, committing acts comparable to what the Germans and Japanese did during the very darkest parts of World War II. "

> "Children don’t need two parents"

> "The future is female"

They sure sound like bay area people to me.

I live in a city of ~10k people about two hours east of Bentonville, AR. Interestingly, to my ear, they sound like something someone from Bentonville would say :)

I've lived in other, larger places, and it's interesting to me how much the differences between "us" and "them" are magnified to fit the scale of the discussion.

This is the critical problem. Hyperbole mixed with invented anecdotes whose falsehood is excused because they "illustrate an deeper truth"

But unfortunately facts presented in an objective way don't get clicks or compulsive repeat visits from the morally outraged.

I still haven't seen any evidence these are faked, or anyone reasonably assert they're unusual sentiments.

>They sure sound like bay area people to me.

They do don't they. Almost as if one sentence form several different people were compressed into the perfect stereotype. And from the article's opening, we're to believe these opinions are why land is overvalued and homelessness exists.

>Interesting you assert [the friends are] fake.

The friends who prefer progressive taxes and called hypocritical for opposing the new regressive tax bill?

The friends ranted about on the web?

The author also spends allot of time with welfare families living in luxury apartments, feasting on food stamps and enjoying "at least $160,000 per year pre-tax"[0]

Perhaps they all have dinner together. Naturally in the welfare recipient's luxurious home.

[0]http://philip.greenspun.com/blog/2015/06/01/book-review-the-...

Lots of folks criticizing a 'visitor' for having an opinion of the bay area here: well yes, people inside the Bay Area don't tend to see it the way outsiders do. As an outsider and frequent visitor this is pretty consistent with how I (and most others I've met) see SF: dirty, and full of angry people with extremist positions who've never had to reflect on their own opinions.

West Coast VCs are happier to fly now than they were 10 years ago, there's no reason to want to live in the Bay Area anymore.

Please read the HN guidelines.

How exactly does "SF: dirty, and full of angry people with extremist positions who've never had to reflect on their own opinions." add anything to this conversation? This is just typical right-wing bias complaining that the bay area isn't new york, or dallas, or whatever.

Would you please stop?

Sure. In the meantime, please leave the bay area since you hate it so much. If you're not from here, please don't visit, you'll be happier.