Steven T. Jones and Kid Beyond are driving to the Democratic National Convention in Denver, stopping by Burning Man on the way there and back, reporting on the intersection of the counterculture and the national political culture.
By Kid Beyond
For one week, Burning Man — pop. 50,000 — is one of the largest cities in Nevada.
It’s a frontier town. Wagons circled, cut off from the outside world, its residents brave the elements together, relying on each other to survive. You get to know your neighbors. You sit on your front porch and greet passersby. You bring food to the folks across the way. A kindly soul fixes your bike, no charge. You smile and say hi to strangers on the street.
Small-town values. It’s a conservative’s wet dream – sort of.