Let us take Soros in USA – he spends Millions of $ to fund elections of city DAs and Prosecutors and Judges, entirely to stop prosecution of crime. His guidance has made the Homeless unable to be run off – instead the decent people must run off and move elsewhere. Stopping prosecuting of shoplifting, public urination – and even robbing, beating, stealing cars, public drug sales and use, keeping crazy people out of asylums to wander the streets, and prisoners released after token sentences, making the streets to scary to go out on after dark…Making life untenable for decent people in the city.
My old parts of London used to be good – now people only walk fast with their heads down if they have to be out after dark.
So much of this – the entirely unsuitable migration encouraged, the making school education in a city almost doing more harm that help to the children. The business model closing small business and favoring the huge monopolies…..This is Intentional.
So, yes, what you say is true. The thing is it is directed, it is being managed for nefarious purposes.
That is the article you need to address – ‘WHY’? And why do we allow it? But then – all you sheep got the insanely bad vax although I saw that and refused because it and the mask were crazy – and you wore masks, and showed proof of vax, and allowed travel bans, and locked up and stayed in, and kept children at home to their Great harm, and let granny die alone with people in space suites ignoring her, and so on –
So I guess the Why is because Evil people would do you harm, and as they own the media and Government you will let them.
Is there any subject you can’t link to a rant about the pandemic?
How about offering us a solution to how you would prevent cities declining, rather than throwing in a load of cliches from 4chan
Don’t be silly, that’s so simplistic. The republicans don’t offer any solutions, they have no plans, they just point fingers like Mr. Bjorn. That’s easy to do.
Republicans left or are leaving these cities- NYC, Chicago, San Fran – there are diminishing numbers of them left to care. So it seems the Democrats will have to solve the problems their policies have created. Change happens on the local level. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of ‘wrong think’ in the Democrat Party – they tend not to manage as well as Republicans who inherently are budget-wise, support law enforcement etc. It’s not clear what if anything will drag Republicans back into the cities, especially with the high crime rates at the moment.
Republicans left or are leaving these cities- NYC, Chicago, San Fran – there are diminishing numbers of them left to care. So it seems the Democrats will have to solve the problems their policies have created. Change happens on the local level. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of ‘wrong think’ in the Democrat Party – they tend not to manage as well as Republicans who inherently are budget-wise, support law enforcement etc. It’s not clear what if anything will drag Republicans back into the cities, especially with the high crime rates at the moment.
Don’t be silly, that’s so simplistic. The republicans don’t offer any solutions, they have no plans, they just point fingers like Mr. Bjorn. That’s easy to do.
Simple, the achieving of excellence with regard to skill, duty, courage, honesty and industry. Examples are Rome at it’s peak and the Royal Navy from 1793 to 1815. At Trafalgar Nelson sent the message ” England expects every man to do his duty “. Rome and the RN expected every body to display the highest standards of skill, courage and duty.
Hiring of the incompetent, venal, cowardly and lazy leads to decline and then collapse.
One can only corrupt the cowardly, lazy and venal.
All well and good.
Simple, the achieving of excellence with regard to skill, duty, courage, honesty and industry
How do you make that happen though?
Hiring of the incompetent, venal, cowardly and lazy leads to decline and then collapse.
If you want to talk reasons for a doom collapse scenario that is a rather simplistic explanation.
My two cents. We need to simplify. Everything. Everything has got too damn big, too complicated, to the point the system can’t cope with solving basic problems and everything is so complicated and globally linked and complicated it’s got to be nearly impossible for one person to actually even understand and comprehend the entire global system we now rely on. We need different to the past, old stuff is useful to draw on, but we have a modern system of the likes never seen before, we need a new way. My humble opinion.
Start with a healthy body. Bring back rigour to education system.
Below is a link to the Cambridge Entrance Exam which pupils sat at the age of 17 to 18 years of age. Cambridge Entrance Examination – Mathematics for Natural Sciences (1981) | In the Dark (wordpress.com)
Why should not this be the standard entrance requirement for all universities? The Laws of the Universe do not vary whether one lives in slum or a palace. School have lessons from 8.30 am to 3.30 pm and then 1.5 hours of sport. If one is so exhausted one can barely walk off the pitch, one will not have the energy to cause trouble in the evening.1.5 Hours of prep every night.
Subjects:- maths, physics, chemistry, biology, geology, history, latin, greek, drawing( especially perspective) and music. Craft options of cooking, woodwork or dress making.
Boxing, rugby and cricket for all boys,gymnastic, hockey, ballet and tennis for all girls. Fit in body, fit in mind.
Decide on essential requirements for local government and sack the rest. Police to have the same academic abilities as Senior NCOs in the technical branches of navy or airforce and fitness of airborne/USMC.
Use those who created the Renaissance and Industrial Revolutions as examples of self- improvement, James Brindley and George Stephenson being good examples. James Brindley – Wikipedia. George Stephenson – Wikipedia
Set up Mechanics Institutes to provide training for worthwhile jobs. Mechanics’ institute – Wikipedia
The execution of Admiral Byng improved standards of the officers of the Royal Navy. John Byng – Wikipedia
Orde Wingate took the broken spirited and turned them into the extra-ordinary through rigorous training.Train hard, fight easy. Orde Wingate – Wikipedia
Quality not quantity. Punish the corrupt, sack the incompetent, recruit and promote on ability. Give people three years to improve their standards, gain qualification or get another job. Instead of watching a screen, train their minds and bodies. l
We need a Renaissance of the spirit which founds all civilisations .
The decline in the spirit leads to physical, mental and moral corruption and hence the creation of a dystopian reality for many living within the inner cities. Florence gave us the Renaissance, why?
Blimey I didn’t know there was a test, I thought the renaissance was because we got excited about the classics again?
Hasn’t there always been mental and moral corruption?
‘ The Laws of the Universe do not vary whether one lives in slum or a palace. School have lessons from 8.30 am to 3.30 pm and then 1.5 hours of sport. If one is so exhausted one can barely walk off the pitch, one will not have the energy to cause trouble in the evening.1.5 Hours of prep every night. ‘
All well and good. You are assuming everyone leads nice tidy, routine, together lives that allow for that though. You sound like a prep school kid tbh. That’s a private school curriculum, I think it has benefits though that shouldn’t be dismissed but it’s a different world Mr Hedges. Yes I understand what you are saying, why not bring back all those sports etc. Mechanics institutes are fine, but what about the global trade we need to sell stuff? What about changing supply chains and inflation? What about high corporation taxes putting people off from setting up engineering companies? The engineering companies we deal with around here are struggling for a certain grade of steel that normally comes from ukraine. What about that.
I think education does need something major, but I feel like yours is not really a practical solution to saving cities as such. I feel you’ve more gone down the seeing everyone as morally bankrupt road and we just need to pull our socks up route….
I have been educated in both private and state schools, good and bad. One of the reasons Roman Catholic schools even in run down crime ridden areas produce well educated people is that they offer rigorous academic learning, high level of sports training in a disciplined, safe and secure envronment. Criminal activity outside of the school is not used as an excuse for it to occur inside.
Read James Burke’s The Day The Universe Changed. The Dissenting Academies educated those who created the Industrial Revolution. The dominant language in the Near East from Alexander to Mohammed was Greek.
Persian and Hindi are Indo-Aryan Languages which is why those who knew Greek which from the same root were able to learn them.
The Mechnaics Institutes were set up to train craftsmen at night school in the maths, science and drawing which would enble them to enter then professional classes which is why they were supported by the Methodists who largely created the Labour Party.
The slums of Industrial Britain which grew in the 19th century were far worse than anything in America today. Bradford went from 6000 in 1800 to about 120,000 in 1850 and the Factory Inspector’s Report. The Evangelical Christians and Dissenters whose actions led to the banning of slavery then concentrated their efforts on improving the slums. Lord Shaftesbury said ” Now we have banned slavery we must improve the lives of those who live in the slums”. The founding members of the Lbour Party such as Keir Hardies said ” S Smiles book ” Self Help” is a manual for soclialism “. Up to WW2 the dominant force in the Labour Party was Methodism which preached that people were responsible for their conduct, self help, self discipline, moral rectitude, thrift, pursuit of education and skills, cleanliness, hard work, etc.
The combination of evangelical Christianity within the Tory Party, Methodism within the Liberal and Labour Party and creation of the Salvation Army meant the horrific squalid slums of 19th and early 20 th century Britain meant conditions were improved sufficiently quickly to prevent civil war. Another aspect was the recognition that those who fought in the war of 1793 to 1815 had earned a better life.
Many Labour leaders were Dissenting preachers and teachers, Hardie, E Bevin and J Callaghan being examples.A Bevan towards the end of his life was concerned that the Welfare State would result in the working class losing their resilience.
It comes down to duty. People have the duty to lead productive honest lives and the duty to offer help to others but noone is entitled to live on the honest hardwork of others. This was the creed of the pioneers of the USA.
Talking of collapse scenarios SVB looks bad.
You have just written a short history of England from the 1700s.
You have not said how you would make this new education system of yours work, how it would be funded and how such things as dress making and wood turning can achieved in a class with forty children in a school already short on classrooms.
Yes I see your benefits of a good roman Catholic school etc. But you still have to actually implement it in society and make it work.
The slums you are talking about arguably were the product of the industrial revolution? So another time where we had massive changes to society and economy, where the upheaval caused the negative effects as well as the positive I guess I’m trying to say. Everything became more complicated back then too, arguably a bit like the tech revolution we are going through now.
. Up to WW2 the dominant force in the Labour Party was Methodism which preached that people were responsible for their conduct, self help, self discipline, moral rectitude, thrift, pursuit of education and skills, cleanliness, hard work
OK but you are kind of saying people wouldn’t be like that without that input. I dispute that, look at all the great ancient empires, inventions and art. What I’m trying to say is regardless of any cultures religion, people by nature normally are inclined to work and make things and be reasonably clean and tidy look after themselves etc. Otherwise we wouldn’t have lasted long as a species and civilisations would not exist as they do. People by nature like to organise. To learn. To explore. I suppose I see that stuff to an extent as part of human nature rather than something that necessarily has to be instilled using religious or political dogma.
From my time on construction sites what I perceived was that many men from blue collar/working class backgrounds appreciate knowledge which is practical and relevant to their life but most of the education system is run by people who have no industrial or business experience. So I would insist alll teachers and those running education departments work on construction sited and factories. Those running Dissenting Academies were practical people. In places like Sri Lanka classes of 50 pupils are not common but there is discipline and a desire to learn. Look at Switzerland, Singapore and South Korea for an education and training systems.
Look at the rise and fall of Rome. In a Greek Play Zeus said ” Humans will need gods as long as they are cowardly, lazy and venal.” Once 10% to 20% of the population feel they are entitled to live on the labour of others and the middle and upper class are not prepared to die defending the country, collapse can be very quick- Rome post 350 AD.
All civilisations had a sense of duty, as this declines so do they.
Ibn Khaldun said dynasties last 140 years , while John Glubb say Empires last 250 years. Amazon.co.uk : john glubb fate of empires
So I would insist alll teachers and those running education departments work on construction sited and factories
That is ambitious and not really practical.
Look at Switzerland, Singapore and South Korea for an education and training systems.
Honestly I know nothing about their systems. Can we afford it?
Thanks for the link, I will check it out, I understand what you are saying. Personally, on the gods and duty etc. I think we have a big clash between science and world religions. Both are confused making people confused. One contradicts the other to an extent. Then within their own disciplines there are contradictions. Everyone is confused and dazzled by the modern world we have built. No one is quite sure what it means or what to do with it or what the point of it all should be….where are we going with all this? Do we follow God or Science? Both? I have no idea.
Confused not reaally, just ignore Frankfurt Cultural Marxism and Post Modernism and read G Orwells 4 volumes of essays.
We can do both. Being a sceintist does not mean one cannot believe in God, Prof Martin Bott FRS, Geophysicist being an example.
Basic engineeering: if it loods good, it works well, Spitfire being a good example. Someone who has a slapdash, could not care less, near enough is good enough cannot be trained as a craftsman or engineer as they lack self discipline. Cost has very little to do with excellence of training. Most pre tertiary ducation can be done cheaply. Have you read the exam papers for Cambridge? One can teach in a pre-fabricated school room to a class of 50 if people are self disciplined. Look at schools in countries such as Sri Lanka, the classroom is beneath a tree and the teacher rides a bike between villages carrying a blackboard. The vast majority of art degrees are a waste of time. Shakespeare, Austen, Dickens, Brontes, GK Elliot, Kipling, Conrad, Orwell, all left school by the age of 18 years but they had been taught English to a very high level plus other languages.
Michelangelo, D Vinci, Raphael never went to university but were apprenticed to Masters. Bring back apprenticeships.
Send children to work to undertake apprenticeships and then attend night school to study University of London Extra Mural Exams ( Barnes Wallis ) or study for Chartership Mitchell- Spitfire, Camm- Hurricane, Chadwick- Lancaster, de Havilland – Mosquito.
None of the above is difficult and would be cheaper tha the present system. Basically since late 1940s the USA and Then Britain has created a post 16 years of age education which is dominated by low grade arts subjects. Two hundred years ago any fourteen year old boy attending a good school in the USA, Britain or Northern Europe could have translated Caesar from Latin and Xenophon from Greek into their native languages.
Quality is always cheaper in the long run than quantity. Much of the time and money are wasted studying irrelevant subjects and those which are needed, are not taught to high enough standards or rigorously tested enough. They are in East Asia.
As Cicero said ” Cui Bono ?”. The massive expansion of education dominated by low grade arts subjects has provided pleasant sinecures for lack lustre middle class arts graduates.
Well you said you thought people lacked a sense of duty and I took it you implied you thought that was because of a decline in religion.
I have read all of Orwell. All the books. All the essays. Everything. I do like a bit of Mr Orwell.
I have not read about Marx or any of that to be honest. Sounds like you don’t recommend it, I have to say it’s not really the kind of thing I would seek out.
Quality is always cheaper in the long run than quantity. Much of the time and money are wasted studying irrelevant subjects and those which are needed, are not taught to high enough standards or rigorously tested enough
Yes I think there is a lot of crap in the curriculum we could cut in favour of teaching essentials to a higher standard, fair enough.
Two hundred years ago any fourteen year old boy attending a good school in the USA, Britain or Northern Europe could have translated Caesar from Latin and Xenophon from Greek into their native languages
Not sure that is true, my nan went to a small village school in the 1930s, I don’t think she can do that. She described it as basic English, maths, etc. She left school at 14. I thought we only introduced state education during the industrial revolution? I’m a bit rusty but I’m not sure state education in its current form is 200 years old? I may be wrong. Please feel free to correct the ignorant.
I think we should bring back apprenticeships, basic engineering skills, yes, I like that and at the time teach basic business skills.
Pre 1540 education was largely provided by monasteries up to the age of 17 years of age and then The Church and wealthy sent people to universities. Grammar Schools were largely set up in the mid 16 th century. The major problem was the growth of urban Britain from 1800 onwards which meant a lack of all facilities , including education. Britain went from a population of 10M , 80% rural to 40M, 80% urban in 1900, hence vast numbers of social problems. A good school, I meant grammar or public as the syllabus was basically the Classics.
Yes bring back apprenticeships but alo night school where one can study for Chartership of Institutions of Engineering , Civil, Mechnical, Electrical, etc where Part 1 was HND and Part 2, degree level. Also provide degree course in Physics, Chemistry, Law Accountancy, Surveying, Commercial Art which is what Polytechnics offered up to the early 1960s. Study three hours , Monday to Thursday, 46 weeks per year plus laboratory weeks, say two per year. 212 hours per year. Most of practical work done during employment, so evening study is largely lectures and going through calculation.Engineers previously mentioned took this root.
At an exhibition on Battle of Trafalgar what was noticeable was how many Commanders and Captains had risen from the ranks.
Pre 1540 education was largely provided by monasteries up to the age of 17 years of age and then The Church and wealthy sent people to universities. Grammar Schools were largely set up in the mid 16 th century. The major problem was the growth of urban Britain from 1800 onwards which meant a lack of all facilities , including education. Britain went from a population of 10M , 80% rural to 40M, 80% urban in 1900, hence vast numbers of social problems. A good school, I meant grammar or public as the syllabus was basically the Classics.
Yes bring back apprenticeships but alo night school where one can study for Chartership of Institutions of Engineering , Civil, Mechnical, Electrical, etc where Part 1 was HND and Part 2, degree level. Also provide degree course in Physics, Chemistry, Law Accountancy, Surveying, Commercial Art which is what Polytechnics offered up to the early 1960s. Study three hours , Monday to Thursday, 46 weeks per year plus laboratory weeks, say two per year. 212 hours per year. Most of practical work done during employment, so evening study is largely lectures and going through calculation.Engineers previously mentioned took this root.
At an exhibition on Battle of Trafalgar what was noticeable was how many Commanders and Captains had risen from the ranks.
Well you said you thought people lacked a sense of duty and I took it you implied you thought that was because of a decline in religion.
I have read all of Orwell. All the books. All the essays. Everything. I do like a bit of Mr Orwell.
I have not read about Marx or any of that to be honest. Sounds like you don’t recommend it, I have to say it’s not really the kind of thing I would seek out.
Quality is always cheaper in the long run than quantity. Much of the time and money are wasted studying irrelevant subjects and those which are needed, are not taught to high enough standards or rigorously tested enough
Yes I think there is a lot of crap in the curriculum we could cut in favour of teaching essentials to a higher standard, fair enough.
Two hundred years ago any fourteen year old boy attending a good school in the USA, Britain or Northern Europe could have translated Caesar from Latin and Xenophon from Greek into their native languages
Not sure that is true, my nan went to a small village school in the 1930s, I don’t think she can do that. She described it as basic English, maths, etc. She left school at 14. I thought we only introduced state education during the industrial revolution? I’m a bit rusty but I’m not sure state education in its current form is 200 years old? I may be wrong. Please feel free to correct the ignorant.
I think we should bring back apprenticeships, basic engineering skills, yes, I like that and at the time teach basic business skills.
Confused not reaally, just ignore Frankfurt Cultural Marxism and Post Modernism and read G Orwells 4 volumes of essays.
We can do both. Being a sceintist does not mean one cannot believe in God, Prof Martin Bott FRS, Geophysicist being an example.
Basic engineeering: if it loods good, it works well, Spitfire being a good example. Someone who has a slapdash, could not care less, near enough is good enough cannot be trained as a craftsman or engineer as they lack self discipline. Cost has very little to do with excellence of training. Most pre tertiary ducation can be done cheaply. Have you read the exam papers for Cambridge? One can teach in a pre-fabricated school room to a class of 50 if people are self disciplined. Look at schools in countries such as Sri Lanka, the classroom is beneath a tree and the teacher rides a bike between villages carrying a blackboard. The vast majority of art degrees are a waste of time. Shakespeare, Austen, Dickens, Brontes, GK Elliot, Kipling, Conrad, Orwell, all left school by the age of 18 years but they had been taught English to a very high level plus other languages.
Michelangelo, D Vinci, Raphael never went to university but were apprenticed to Masters. Bring back apprenticeships.
Send children to work to undertake apprenticeships and then attend night school to study University of London Extra Mural Exams ( Barnes Wallis ) or study for Chartership Mitchell- Spitfire, Camm- Hurricane, Chadwick- Lancaster, de Havilland – Mosquito.
None of the above is difficult and would be cheaper tha the present system. Basically since late 1940s the USA and Then Britain has created a post 16 years of age education which is dominated by low grade arts subjects. Two hundred years ago any fourteen year old boy attending a good school in the USA, Britain or Northern Europe could have translated Caesar from Latin and Xenophon from Greek into their native languages.
Quality is always cheaper in the long run than quantity. Much of the time and money are wasted studying irrelevant subjects and those which are needed, are not taught to high enough standards or rigorously tested enough. They are in East Asia.
As Cicero said ” Cui Bono ?”. The massive expansion of education dominated by low grade arts subjects has provided pleasant sinecures for lack lustre middle class arts graduates.
So I would insist alll teachers and those running education departments work on construction sited and factories
That is ambitious and not really practical.
Look at Switzerland, Singapore and South Korea for an education and training systems.
Honestly I know nothing about their systems. Can we afford it?
Thanks for the link, I will check it out, I understand what you are saying. Personally, on the gods and duty etc. I think we have a big clash between science and world religions. Both are confused making people confused. One contradicts the other to an extent. Then within their own disciplines there are contradictions. Everyone is confused and dazzled by the modern world we have built. No one is quite sure what it means or what to do with it or what the point of it all should be….where are we going with all this? Do we follow God or Science? Both? I have no idea.
From my time on construction sites what I perceived was that many men from blue collar/working class backgrounds appreciate knowledge which is practical and relevant to their life but most of the education system is run by people who have no industrial or business experience. So I would insist alll teachers and those running education departments work on construction sited and factories. Those running Dissenting Academies were practical people. In places like Sri Lanka classes of 50 pupils are not common but there is discipline and a desire to learn. Look at Switzerland, Singapore and South Korea for an education and training systems.
Look at the rise and fall of Rome. In a Greek Play Zeus said ” Humans will need gods as long as they are cowardly, lazy and venal.” Once 10% to 20% of the population feel they are entitled to live on the labour of others and the middle and upper class are not prepared to die defending the country, collapse can be very quick- Rome post 350 AD.
All civilisations had a sense of duty, as this declines so do they.
Ibn Khaldun said dynasties last 140 years , while John Glubb say Empires last 250 years. Amazon.co.uk : john glubb fate of empires
Talking of collapse scenarios SVB looks bad.
You have just written a short history of England from the 1700s.
You have not said how you would make this new education system of yours work, how it would be funded and how such things as dress making and wood turning can achieved in a class with forty children in a school already short on classrooms.
Yes I see your benefits of a good roman Catholic school etc. But you still have to actually implement it in society and make it work.
The slums you are talking about arguably were the product of the industrial revolution? So another time where we had massive changes to society and economy, where the upheaval caused the negative effects as well as the positive I guess I’m trying to say. Everything became more complicated back then too, arguably a bit like the tech revolution we are going through now.
. Up to WW2 the dominant force in the Labour Party was Methodism which preached that people were responsible for their conduct, self help, self discipline, moral rectitude, thrift, pursuit of education and skills, cleanliness, hard work
OK but you are kind of saying people wouldn’t be like that without that input. I dispute that, look at all the great ancient empires, inventions and art. What I’m trying to say is regardless of any cultures religion, people by nature normally are inclined to work and make things and be reasonably clean and tidy look after themselves etc. Otherwise we wouldn’t have lasted long as a species and civilisations would not exist as they do. People by nature like to organise. To learn. To explore. I suppose I see that stuff to an extent as part of human nature rather than something that necessarily has to be instilled using religious or political dogma.
I have been educated in both private and state schools, good and bad. One of the reasons Roman Catholic schools even in run down crime ridden areas produce well educated people is that they offer rigorous academic learning, high level of sports training in a disciplined, safe and secure envronment. Criminal activity outside of the school is not used as an excuse for it to occur inside.
Read James Burke’s The Day The Universe Changed. The Dissenting Academies educated those who created the Industrial Revolution. The dominant language in the Near East from Alexander to Mohammed was Greek.
Persian and Hindi are Indo-Aryan Languages which is why those who knew Greek which from the same root were able to learn them.
The Mechnaics Institutes were set up to train craftsmen at night school in the maths, science and drawing which would enble them to enter then professional classes which is why they were supported by the Methodists who largely created the Labour Party.
The slums of Industrial Britain which grew in the 19th century were far worse than anything in America today. Bradford went from 6000 in 1800 to about 120,000 in 1850 and the Factory Inspector’s Report. The Evangelical Christians and Dissenters whose actions led to the banning of slavery then concentrated their efforts on improving the slums. Lord Shaftesbury said ” Now we have banned slavery we must improve the lives of those who live in the slums”. The founding members of the Lbour Party such as Keir Hardies said ” S Smiles book ” Self Help” is a manual for soclialism “. Up to WW2 the dominant force in the Labour Party was Methodism which preached that people were responsible for their conduct, self help, self discipline, moral rectitude, thrift, pursuit of education and skills, cleanliness, hard work, etc.
The combination of evangelical Christianity within the Tory Party, Methodism within the Liberal and Labour Party and creation of the Salvation Army meant the horrific squalid slums of 19th and early 20 th century Britain meant conditions were improved sufficiently quickly to prevent civil war. Another aspect was the recognition that those who fought in the war of 1793 to 1815 had earned a better life.
Many Labour leaders were Dissenting preachers and teachers, Hardie, E Bevin and J Callaghan being examples.A Bevan towards the end of his life was concerned that the Welfare State would result in the working class losing their resilience.
It comes down to duty. People have the duty to lead productive honest lives and the duty to offer help to others but noone is entitled to live on the honest hardwork of others. This was the creed of the pioneers of the USA.
Blimey I didn’t know there was a test, I thought the renaissance was because we got excited about the classics again?
Hasn’t there always been mental and moral corruption?
‘ The Laws of the Universe do not vary whether one lives in slum or a palace. School have lessons from 8.30 am to 3.30 pm and then 1.5 hours of sport. If one is so exhausted one can barely walk off the pitch, one will not have the energy to cause trouble in the evening.1.5 Hours of prep every night. ‘
All well and good. You are assuming everyone leads nice tidy, routine, together lives that allow for that though. You sound like a prep school kid tbh. That’s a private school curriculum, I think it has benefits though that shouldn’t be dismissed but it’s a different world Mr Hedges. Yes I understand what you are saying, why not bring back all those sports etc. Mechanics institutes are fine, but what about the global trade we need to sell stuff? What about changing supply chains and inflation? What about high corporation taxes putting people off from setting up engineering companies? The engineering companies we deal with around here are struggling for a certain grade of steel that normally comes from ukraine. What about that.
I think education does need something major, but I feel like yours is not really a practical solution to saving cities as such. I feel you’ve more gone down the seeing everyone as morally bankrupt road and we just need to pull our socks up route….
Start with a healthy body. Bring back rigour to education system.
Below is a link to the Cambridge Entrance Exam which pupils sat at the age of 17 to 18 years of age. Cambridge Entrance Examination – Mathematics for Natural Sciences (1981) | In the Dark (wordpress.com)
Why should not this be the standard entrance requirement for all universities? The Laws of the Universe do not vary whether one lives in slum or a palace. School have lessons from 8.30 am to 3.30 pm and then 1.5 hours of sport. If one is so exhausted one can barely walk off the pitch, one will not have the energy to cause trouble in the evening.1.5 Hours of prep every night.
Subjects:- maths, physics, chemistry, biology, geology, history, latin, greek, drawing( especially perspective) and music. Craft options of cooking, woodwork or dress making.
Boxing, rugby and cricket for all boys,gymnastic, hockey, ballet and tennis for all girls. Fit in body, fit in mind.
Decide on essential requirements for local government and sack the rest. Police to have the same academic abilities as Senior NCOs in the technical branches of navy or airforce and fitness of airborne/USMC.
Use those who created the Renaissance and Industrial Revolutions as examples of self- improvement, James Brindley and George Stephenson being good examples. James Brindley – Wikipedia. George Stephenson – Wikipedia
Set up Mechanics Institutes to provide training for worthwhile jobs. Mechanics’ institute – Wikipedia
The execution of Admiral Byng improved standards of the officers of the Royal Navy. John Byng – Wikipedia
Orde Wingate took the broken spirited and turned them into the extra-ordinary through rigorous training.Train hard, fight easy. Orde Wingate – Wikipedia
Quality not quantity. Punish the corrupt, sack the incompetent, recruit and promote on ability. Give people three years to improve their standards, gain qualification or get another job. Instead of watching a screen, train their minds and bodies. l
We need a Renaissance of the spirit which founds all civilisations .
The decline in the spirit leads to physical, mental and moral corruption and hence the creation of a dystopian reality for many living within the inner cities. Florence gave us the Renaissance, why?
All well and good.
Simple, the achieving of excellence with regard to skill, duty, courage, honesty and industry
How do you make that happen though?
Hiring of the incompetent, venal, cowardly and lazy leads to decline and then collapse.
If you want to talk reasons for a doom collapse scenario that is a rather simplistic explanation.
My two cents. We need to simplify. Everything. Everything has got too damn big, too complicated, to the point the system can’t cope with solving basic problems and everything is so complicated and globally linked and complicated it’s got to be nearly impossible for one person to actually even understand and comprehend the entire global system we now rely on. We need different to the past, old stuff is useful to draw on, but we have a modern system of the likes never seen before, we need a new way. My humble opinion.
Simple, the achieving of excellence with regard to skill, duty, courage, honesty and industry. Examples are Rome at it’s peak and the Royal Navy from 1793 to 1815. At Trafalgar Nelson sent the message ” England expects every man to do his duty “. Rome and the RN expected every body to display the highest standards of skill, courage and duty.
Hiring of the incompetent, venal, cowardly and lazy leads to decline and then collapse.
One can only corrupt the cowardly, lazy and venal.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and I will restore your fortunes.” Jeremiah 29:11-14a.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and I will restore your fortunes.” Jeremiah 29:11-14a.
People are not Evil just because they do things that you disagree with or things that are shown to be wrong, or even things that are self-serving. Please leave this term for that which is truely evil; it’s like using the term “racist” all the time, it loses its meaning and its impact.
I agree with you, ‘evil’ IS a very strong word to be used with great care. However, particularly in the light of the unfolding Covid saga, I have found myself ascribing ‘evil’ to many aspects of the so-called pandemic and, reluctantly, to several of the characters responsible for some of the catastrophic decisions regarding the interventions made ‘to save lives’. If these were the result of mere ineptitude, however crass, such would be forgivable, but the only rational explanation I can find is that some decisions could only have been made and administered with sinister intend. (e.g. a ‘pandemic’ contrived to enable the global release of an experimental ‘vaccine’ technology, using fear, coercion and manipulation to ensure maximum uptake, in order to eliminate any possibility of a vital and invaluable control group). Evil? Ultimately it is God’s call….
I agree with you, ‘evil’ IS a very strong word to be used with great care. However, particularly in the light of the unfolding Covid saga, I have found myself ascribing ‘evil’ to many aspects of the so-called pandemic and, reluctantly, to several of the characters responsible for some of the catastrophic decisions regarding the interventions made ‘to save lives’. If these were the result of mere ineptitude, however crass, such would be forgivable, but the only rational explanation I can find is that some decisions could only have been made and administered with sinister intend. (e.g. a ‘pandemic’ contrived to enable the global release of an experimental ‘vaccine’ technology, using fear, coercion and manipulation to ensure maximum uptake, in order to eliminate any possibility of a vital and invaluable control group). Evil? Ultimately it is God’s call….
The rise of remote work is a less important factor working against the city as the shift from a politics that serves a populace of sovereign, taxpaying, citizens to one in which politicians govern a clientele of dependents. The tipping point has passed, and there are not enough citizens to overcome the power of the dependents and their votes.
But billionaires don’t pay as much taxes as the working class. It would seems more like a system that serves he elites more than “dependents,” whoever they might be.
This trope of ‘billionaires don’t pay as much in taxes’ is just rubbish. Taxation in the USA is highly progressive where something like the top 5% pay over 50% of federal taxes and a disproportionate amount of the myriad other taxes – property, cars, yachts, capital gains, etc. Your misinformation is no way to approach solving the USA’s severe case of overspending.
This trope of ‘billionaires don’t pay as much in taxes’ is just rubbish. Taxation in the USA is highly progressive where something like the top 5% pay over 50% of federal taxes and a disproportionate amount of the myriad other taxes – property, cars, yachts, capital gains, etc. Your misinformation is no way to approach solving the USA’s severe case of overspending.
But billionaires don’t pay as much taxes as the working class. It would seems more like a system that serves he elites more than “dependents,” whoever they might be.
I don’t recognise your London as it is a *vastly* safer & nicer place than it was in 1970s. The absurd Sadiq Khan is doing his best to mess things up but the idea much of London is a fearful place after dark simply isn’t my experience
Vax rant aside, I agree.
The reason people walk around with their heads down in major cities these days is linked to the lack of prosecution of the street urinators. The homeless on drugs…..
Ah yes the old “us or them, good or evil ,decent or indecent, you people” mentality really helps, doesn’t it. You are “you people” so what are YOU doing about it except pointing a finger the other way. What do you suggest as a solution?
Is there any subject you can’t link to a rant about the pandemic?
How about offering us a solution to how you would prevent cities declining, rather than throwing in a load of cliches from 4chan
People are not Evil just because they do things that you disagree with or things that are shown to be wrong, or even things that are self-serving. Please leave this term for that which is truely evil; it’s like using the term “racist” all the time, it loses its meaning and its impact.
The rise of remote work is a less important factor working against the city as the shift from a politics that serves a populace of sovereign, taxpaying, citizens to one in which politicians govern a clientele of dependents. The tipping point has passed, and there are not enough citizens to overcome the power of the dependents and their votes.
I don’t recognise your London as it is a *vastly* safer & nicer place than it was in 1970s. The absurd Sadiq Khan is doing his best to mess things up but the idea much of London is a fearful place after dark simply isn’t my experience
Vax rant aside, I agree.
The reason people walk around with their heads down in major cities these days is linked to the lack of prosecution of the street urinators. The homeless on drugs…..
Ah yes the old “us or them, good or evil ,decent or indecent, you people” mentality really helps, doesn’t it. You are “you people” so what are YOU doing about it except pointing a finger the other way. What do you suggest as a solution?
Last edited 1 year ago by Clare Knight
Elliott Bjorn
1 year ago
Yes, true enough; Except….
Let us take Soros in USA – he spends Millions of $ to fund elections of city DAs and Prosecutors and Judges, entirely to stop prosecution of crime. His guidance has made the Homeless unable to be run off – instead the decent people must run off and move elsewhere. Stopping prosecuting of shoplifting, public urination – and even robbing, beating, stealing cars, public drug sales and use, keeping crazy people out of asylums to wander the streets, and prisoners released after token sentences, making the streets to scary to go out on after dark…Making life untenable for decent people in the city.
My old parts of London used to be good – now people only walk fast with their heads down if they have to be out after dark.
So much of this – the entirely unsuitable migration encouraged, the making school education in a city almost doing more harm that help to the children. The business model closing small business and favoring the huge monopolies…..This is Intentional.
So, yes, what you say is true. The thing is it is directed, it is being managed for nefarious purposes.
That is the article you need to address – ‘WHY’? And why do we allow it? But then – all you sheep got the insanely bad vax although I saw that and refused because it and the mask were crazy – and you wore masks, and showed proof of vax, and allowed travel bans, and locked up and stayed in, and kept children at home to their Great harm, and let granny die alone with people in space suites ignoring her, and so on –
So I guess the Why is because Evil people would do you harm, and as they own the media and Government you will let them.
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Off course Edward Gibbon places much of the responsibility for the ‘Fall of Rome’ on the rise of the cult of the Nazarene, a pernicious eastern sect, otherwise known as Christianity.
He felt that such ideas as “turn the other cheek” etc were completely incompatible with running the greatest Empire the World has ever seen.
Perhaps the contemporary emergence of the WOKE in Western society is the harbinger of a similar disaster?
Charles, you keep bringing out the long-suppressed and carefully concealed optimist in me.
This woke stuff has just got to burn itself out, hasn’t it ? It’s so obviously full of contradictions and infighting.
I have no doubt that it will, as you so rightly say “burn itself out”.
However before that happens there maybe, perhaps already is, considerable damage to contend with.
I am particularly minded on the 60’s when all sorts of nonsense was being spouted and substantial collateral destruction was the unfortunate result*.
(*Ironically in 1964 Labour’s battle cry was “ Thirteen years of Tory misrule”!)
Let us not forget how our, or at least my, parents generation were petrified stiff at the sight of the likes of The Rolling Stones, and various other musicians, in their view leading is into a society of anarcho Marxism, with the hippies as their storm troopers, with the moral poison of ” free love” and the Paris Revolution of ’68.
Wind forward a few years… Jagger buys his shoes and shirts at New and Lingwood and lays down pipes of Port for his children, Stevie Winwood farms in Gloucestershire and is one of our top Hound Judges, Eric Clapton is a mad keen shooting man and rescued Cording’s the Picadilly country tailors. I spent 2 weeks in Cap Ferrat late one summer with the ostensible rebel and king of outrageous behaviour, Led Zepplin drummer John Bonham…. mainly chatting about farming, and his life’s fullfilment to go to Harpur Adams agricultural college, which sadly never happened due to his untimely and sad death…..
Live on a sink council estate and attend a comprehensive which serves it. Friends have taught in the worst primary school in Salford and a comprehensive in Peckham in 2000; the tales they told were grim both about the pupils and their parents. As the saying goes, some houses were so filthy one wiped one’s feet when one left.
A Most pop stars came from Middle Class backgrounds, attended grammar or public schools with Ringo Starr and Roger Daltrey being the exceptions.
Genesis- Charterhouse, Jagger and Richards-Dartford Grammar, Lennon- Quarry Bank Grammar, McCartney- Liverpool Institute – Liverpool equivalent to Manchester Grammar School,
Genesis- Charterhouse, Jagger and Richards-Dartford Grammar, Lennon- Quarry Bank Grammar, McCartney- Liverpool Institute – Liverpool equivalent to Manchester Grammar School,
Honestly, how clean your house is, does not depend on your property value. We have worked in many houses. Some at the the top are just as grim as some at the bottom. It’s just some people don’t seem bothered about it. Normally the big ones that are bad have lots of dogs and cats. Each to their own, I’m not the cleaning police.
Often poorly maintained untidy homes also comes with all sorts of criminal activity- domestic violence, drug taking/dealing, theft, sexual abuse,poor academic activity, etc. I rememeber listening to a friend who taught in school with pupils from a sink estate ; the children were coming stinking because they and their clothes were unwashed. When the Headteacher telephoned the Mother to raise concerns he was told to F… Off. A Headteacher said if 25 % of a class and the school were troublemakers, then one is not involved in education but riot control.
Often poorly maintained untidy homes also comes with all sorts of criminal activity- domestic violence, drug taking/dealing, theft, sexual abuse,poor academic activity, etc. I rememeber listening to a friend who taught in school with pupils from a sink estate ; the children were coming stinking because they and their clothes were unwashed. When the Headteacher telephoned the Mother to raise concerns he was told to F… Off. A Headteacher said if 25 % of a class and the school were troublemakers, then one is not involved in education but riot control.
Ah you are one of those. My experience of actually working in people’s houses all over the country is not good enough for you.
‘middle class environment somewhat different to working in scrap metal yard or a contruction site’ – is that the problem, mine is the not middle class opinion but that of a person that works on construction sites – not middle class enough for you? You talk to the nice police man. I don’t know anything obviously.
Ah you are one of those. My experience of actually working in people’s houses all over the country is not good enough for you.
‘middle class environment somewhat different to working in scrap metal yard or a contruction site’ – is that the problem, mine is the not middle class opinion but that of a person that works on construction sites – not middle class enough for you? You talk to the nice police man. I don’t know anything obviously.
Honestly, how clean your house is, does not depend on your property value. We have worked in many houses. Some at the the top are just as grim as some at the bottom. It’s just some people don’t seem bothered about it. Normally the big ones that are bad have lots of dogs and cats. Each to their own, I’m not the cleaning police.
Live on a sink council estate and attend a comprehensive which serves it. Friends have taught in the worst primary school in Salford and a comprehensive in Peckham in 2000; the tales they told were grim both about the pupils and their parents. As the saying goes, some houses were so filthy one wiped one’s feet when one left.
A Most pop stars came from Middle Class backgrounds, attended grammar or public schools with Ringo Starr and Roger Daltrey being the exceptions.
Let us not forget how our, or at least my, parents generation were petrified stiff at the sight of the likes of The Rolling Stones, and various other musicians, in their view leading is into a society of anarcho Marxism, with the hippies as their storm troopers, with the moral poison of ” free love” and the Paris Revolution of ’68.
Wind forward a few years… Jagger buys his shoes and shirts at New and Lingwood and lays down pipes of Port for his children, Stevie Winwood farms in Gloucestershire and is one of our top Hound Judges, Eric Clapton is a mad keen shooting man and rescued Cording’s the Picadilly country tailors. I spent 2 weeks in Cap Ferrat late one summer with the ostensible rebel and king of outrageous behaviour, Led Zepplin drummer John Bonham…. mainly chatting about farming, and his life’s fullfilment to go to Harpur Adams agricultural college, which sadly never happened due to his untimely and sad death…..
I have no doubt that it will, as you so rightly say “burn itself out”.
However before that happens there maybe, perhaps already is, considerable damage to contend with.
I am particularly minded on the 60’s when all sorts of nonsense was being spouted and substantial collateral destruction was the unfortunate result*.
(*Ironically in 1964 Labour’s battle cry was “ Thirteen years of Tory misrule”!)
What exactly do you mean by “woke”? It seems like a label that gets bandied around as a put down for things the users don’t like. Could you be specific? I’d like to understand
Charles, you keep bringing out the long-suppressed and carefully concealed optimist in me.
This woke stuff has just got to burn itself out, hasn’t it ? It’s so obviously full of contradictions and infighting.
What exactly do you mean by “woke”? It seems like a label that gets bandied around as a put down for things the users don’t like. Could you be specific? I’d like to understand
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Off course Edward Gibbon places much of the responsibility for the ‘Fall of Rome’ on the rise of the cult of the Nazarene, a pernicious eastern sect, otherwise known as Christianity.
He felt that such ideas as “turn the other cheek” etc were completely incompatible with running the greatest Empire the World has ever seen.
Perhaps the contemporary emergence of the WOKE in Western society is the harbinger of a similar disaster?
Peter B
1 year ago
There is massive variation in downtown vitality between cities both within the USA and across the developed world.
Ordinary families have not lived right in the centre of most rich Western cities for a long time – certainly not in the US and UK. Way too expensive (unless its public housing) and a poor environment to bring up children,
I still remember my year living in Dallas in 1989/90 and the shock of seeing a large downtown which was dead and populated only by the poor and homeless after about 6pm. Even San Francisco was similar in parts. Perhaps only New York is different (I haven’t been yet). This is just how the US is – people seem to eat out much earlier and retire home earlier. I still remember trying to find somewhere to eat in San Jose (the centre of Silicon Valley) around 8pm on a weekday evening – a city of 1 million people and no restaurants open. The open stuff is in other districts.
There is huge variation in Europe. Berlin (6 years ago) was clearly still lived in by ordinary families on ordinary incomes. Central Budapest clearly still is (last year). I think Southern Europe and Latin America are similar.
Some of this is historic. Some of it is cultural. Some of it is urban safety and crime (or perceptions of crime).
I much prefer the cities where ordinary people can still afford to live and you can still see children and families. And that are not swamped by tourism.
Absolutely correct.
Europe is so small, land wise, and the countries within it are as well. The US by contrast has very different urban areas. We always struggled with supplying proper public transportation, for example. We are so spread out.
Also, many major cities in Western Europe are swamped by tourism. Budapest’s day is coming. And Latin America, with the exception of Buenos Aires, struggles with a safety image that affects not just tourism, but its own people.
So true for transportation in the US. I’m stuck in a town that has no transportation to the nearest big city, and then driving in that big city would be dangerous. Even my small village in England had train and bus service way back when!
So true for transportation in the US. I’m stuck in a town that has no transportation to the nearest big city, and then driving in that big city would be dangerous. Even my small village in England had train and bus service way back when!
Absolutely correct.
Europe is so small, land wise, and the countries within it are as well. The US by contrast has very different urban areas. We always struggled with supplying proper public transportation, for example. We are so spread out.
Also, many major cities in Western Europe are swamped by tourism. Budapest’s day is coming. And Latin America, with the exception of Buenos Aires, struggles with a safety image that affects not just tourism, but its own people.
The increase in violent crime with the decline in education so that the schools are incapable of teaching children to high enough standards to read STEM Subjects and Law at the top five universities causes flight of the middle classes.
I remember when I was working in New Mexico, It was after 7p.m. and I asked where I could eat, I just got a laugh and someone said “they roll up the side-walks here at 6 o’clock.”. Contrast this with when I was in Avila (in central Spain) a year later and I tried to find somewhere to eat at about 9.45p.m. and I was told that it was a bit early to find anywhere yet – I think things have changed a little now, though.
It is. I loved Santa Fe and Taos (full of arty-farty people but still a lovely place). The colours in the landscape can be beautiful in the sunset. I always tell friends who are thinking of visiting the USA go to New Mexico and Arizona, they are so different from anything we can see in Europe, even Spain, and they are stunning states.
It is. I loved Santa Fe and Taos (full of arty-farty people but still a lovely place). The colours in the landscape can be beautiful in the sunset. I always tell friends who are thinking of visiting the USA go to New Mexico and Arizona, they are so different from anything we can see in Europe, even Spain, and they are stunning states.
The increase in violent crime with the decline in education so that the schools are incapable of teaching children to high enough standards to read STEM Subjects and Law at the top five universities causes flight of the middle classes.
I remember when I was working in New Mexico, It was after 7p.m. and I asked where I could eat, I just got a laugh and someone said “they roll up the side-walks here at 6 o’clock.”. Contrast this with when I was in Avila (in central Spain) a year later and I tried to find somewhere to eat at about 9.45p.m. and I was told that it was a bit early to find anywhere yet – I think things have changed a little now, though.
I blame the early closings you mention on mothers against drunk driving.
Peter B
1 year ago
There is massive variation in downtown vitality between cities both within the USA and across the developed world.
Ordinary families have not lived right in the centre of most rich Western cities for a long time – certainly not in the US and UK. Way too expensive (unless its public housing) and a poor environment to bring up children,
I still remember my year living in Dallas in 1989/90 and the shock of seeing a large downtown which was dead and populated only by the poor and homeless after about 6pm. Even San Francisco was similar in parts. Perhaps only New York is different (I haven’t been yet). This is just how the US is – people seem to eat out much earlier and retire home earlier. I still remember trying to find somewhere to eat in San Jose (the centre of Silicon Valley) around 8pm on a weekday evening – a city of 1 million people and no restaurants open. The open stuff is in other districts.
There is huge variation in Europe. Berlin (6 years ago) was clearly still lived in by ordinary families on ordinary incomes. Central Budapest clearly still is (last year). I think Southern Europe and Latin America are similar.
Some of this is historic. Some of it is cultural. Some of it is urban safety and crime (or perceptions of crime).
I much prefer the cities where ordinary people can still afford to live and you can still see children and families. And that are not swamped by tourism.
Daniel P
1 year ago
There was a time in my 20’s when I thought living in a city would be great but living decently was unaffordable. The things that attracted me were all outside my budget. Costly restraunts. Theater tickets beyond my ability to afford. The cost of housing would have made even less expensive options painful. So, I moved to a small city, almost more of a large town.
In my 40’s, I started to think that maybe moving into the city to retire would be a good thing to do. Book shop cafes. Mass transit. Nice restraunts. But again, the cost is just too high to maintain a standard of living.
Now, in my 50’s, I own a townhouse in a nice development that is right behind a very charming main street in a small town in central Virginia. My gym is 3 minutes away. My doctor is 3 minutes away. I have 3 grocery stores within 5 minutes. CVS is right down the street. I’ve got great little restraunts, art galleries, coffee shops and pubs all within a 5 or 10 minute walk. If I hop on my motorcycle I can be out in wine country in 10 minutes. Got great wineries and parks and farm brews all within 10 or 15 minutes. Got a charming little book shop just up the street with a farmers market right behind it every Saturday. If I need more, I can drive 20 minutes up to a bigger town with a great shopping center and movie theater. There is a park, a 3 minute walk from my front door that has great views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I work remotely 4 days a week. My car is a 2016 with 50k miles on it since I barely ever have to drive more than a couple of miles. My total housing cost, mortgage, taxes, insurance, and HOA is $2,100 a month for a 2,350 sq ft, 3 bedroom, 3 bath townhouse. My taxes for my car? $250
Why in the name of God would I ever want to move to a city?
Jobs. The vast majority of people don’t work remote jobs, and big metro areas like Houston, Miami, LA, etc. have the lion’s share of jobs and universities. Sure, living in a small midwestern town of 50k people may seem nice, but it’s not going to have much in terms of career opportunities compared to living in the Bay Area or the Miami metro, for example. The neighborhood you live in seems to be quite dense by American standards, if you can access all your daily needs within a 10-15 minute walks (similar to the types of walkable urbanism Jane Jacobs supported), but the biggest factor is how far your job (or your university, if you’re studying) is from your house. Even though Kotkin claims that cities are declining, it has more to do with exurban expansion rather than people moving out of those metro areas entirely. A lot of small towns in the NYC area, for example, are just commuter towns for the city, where a huge portion of the residents will take the train to Manhattan or Brooklyn for work. I actually study in a small town right now, and it’s both cheap and quite densely populated (it’s a college town, after all), but I will be moving to a large metro area after I graduate simply because there aren’t many job opportunities in the college town I live in.
Jobs. The vast majority of people don’t work remote jobs, and big metro areas like Houston, Miami, LA, etc. have the lion’s share of jobs and universities. Sure, living in a small midwestern town of 50k people may seem nice, but it’s not going to have much in terms of career opportunities compared to living in the Bay Area or the Miami metro, for example. The neighborhood you live in seems to be quite dense by American standards, if you can access all your daily needs within a 10-15 minute walks (similar to the types of walkable urbanism Jane Jacobs supported), but the biggest factor is how far your job (or your university, if you’re studying) is from your house. Even though Kotkin claims that cities are declining, it has more to do with exurban expansion rather than people moving out of those metro areas entirely. A lot of small towns in the NYC area, for example, are just commuter towns for the city, where a huge portion of the residents will take the train to Manhattan or Brooklyn for work. I actually study in a small town right now, and it’s both cheap and quite densely populated (it’s a college town, after all), but I will be moving to a large metro area after I graduate simply because there aren’t many job opportunities in the college town I live in.
Daniel P
1 year ago
There was a time in my 20’s when I thought living in a city would be great but living decently was unaffordable. The things that attracted me were all outside my budget. Costly restraunts. Theater tickets beyond my ability to afford. The cost of housing would have made even less expensive options painful. So, I moved to a small city, almost more of a large town.
In my 40’s, I started to think that maybe moving into the city to retire would be a good thing to do. Book shop cafes. Mass transit. Nice restraunts. But again, the cost is just too high to maintain a standard of living.
Now, in my 50’s, I own a townhouse in a nice development that is right behind a very charming main street in a small town in central Virginia. My gym is 3 minutes away. My doctor is 3 minutes away. I have 3 grocery stores within 5 minutes. CVS is right down the street. I’ve got great little restraunts, art galleries, coffee shops and pubs all within a 5 or 10 minute walk. If I hop on my motorcycle I can be out in wine country in 10 minutes. Got great wineries and parks and farm brews all within 10 or 15 minutes. Got a charming little book shop just up the street with a farmers market right behind it every Saturday. If I need more, I can drive 20 minutes up to a bigger town with a great shopping center and movie theater. There is a park, a 3 minute walk from my front door that has great views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I work remotely 4 days a week. My car is a 2016 with 50k miles on it since I barely ever have to drive more than a couple of miles. My total housing cost, mortgage, taxes, insurance, and HOA is $2,100 a month for a 2,350 sq ft, 3 bedroom, 3 bath townhouse. My taxes for my car? $250
Why in the name of God would I ever want to move to a city?
Steven Carr
1 year ago
‘n some parts of Chicago and Philadelphia, young men now have a greater chance of being killed by firearms than an American soldier serving during the Afghanistan or Iraq wars.’
Young black men,
What do East St.Louis, North Philly, South Side Chicago, Baltimore, Detroit , Memphis and Newark have in common?
What’s distressing is the residents in those cities seem to have no desire to change leadership. Okay with more of the same. St. Louis stands out as being in the top 10 most dangerous cities in the world.
I haven’t been to all those places but what I’ve observed is that through community influence and by bothering to vote at all, (often unmarried) bl@ck women determine the leaders; this population tends to vote on the basis of whoever will give them jobs, welfare and racial grievance. These women don’t need the city to be rid of crime, just their own neighborhoods. And they don’t want the authorities to be too hard on the young men.
In most if not all of those places, hospitals, universities and the city itself are the main employers. So these institutions essentially agree to hire from that population, as well as provide a steady diet of woke nonsense. The elites at these places have to cut deals with the “community” because otherwise they would not have enough votes to do anything.
I haven’t been to all those places but what I’ve observed is that through community influence and by bothering to vote at all, (often unmarried) bl@ck women determine the leaders; this population tends to vote on the basis of whoever will give them jobs, welfare and racial grievance. These women don’t need the city to be rid of crime, just their own neighborhoods. And they don’t want the authorities to be too hard on the young men.
In most if not all of those places, hospitals, universities and the city itself are the main employers. So these institutions essentially agree to hire from that population, as well as provide a steady diet of woke nonsense. The elites at these places have to cut deals with the “community” because otherwise they would not have enough votes to do anything.
What’s distressing is the residents in those cities seem to have no desire to change leadership. Okay with more of the same. St. Louis stands out as being in the top 10 most dangerous cities in the world.
‘n some parts of Chicago and Philadelphia, young men now have a greater chance of being killed by firearms than an American soldier serving during the Afghanistan or Iraq wars.’
Young black men,
What do East St.Louis, North Philly, South Side Chicago, Baltimore, Detroit , Memphis and Newark have in common?
Dumetrius
1 year ago
In the late 90s & early 00s, even a mild economic downturn was enough to see CBD office space in Melbourne speedily converted to residential. And promotion of the CBD was akin to a cult in the city council. You’d suspect this whole thing has been buoyed up by a frenzy of hyperbole for a while.
Parts of London are now like Dubai ; empty arcades and squares only tenanted by luxury brand boutiques, with one well turned out shop assistant sitting there picking his nose, waiting for the one day in a year when a celebrity pops in to buy a Rolex.
Whereas if you want to go clubbing, or some other traditional inner-city activity, you have to get on the Tube to Zone 3.
Last edited 1 year ago by Dumetrius
Dumetrius
1 year ago
In the late 90s & early 00s, even a mild economic downturn was enough to see CBD office space in Melbourne speedily converted to residential. And promotion of the CBD was akin to a cult in the city council. You’d suspect this whole thing has been buoyed up by a frenzy of hyperbole for a while.
Parts of London are now like Dubai ; empty arcades and squares only tenanted by luxury brand boutiques, with one well turned out shop assistant sitting there picking his nose, waiting for the one day in a year when a celebrity pops in to buy a Rolex.
Whereas if you want to go clubbing, or some other traditional inner-city activity, you have to get on the Tube to Zone 3.
Last edited 1 year ago by Dumetrius
Ben Shipley
1 year ago
It’s all about crime. Fix that one, and everything else will follow. And the only successful experiment in the last 50 years was the Bratton crackdown in NYC (that was abandoned because it targeted the black youth who were and still are committing most urban crime). Today American cities are still doubling down on the fantasy policies that brought on the current mess.
Exactly right. Here 25 miles from Lake Michigan, I sit. Comfortable for now. Chicago, and now it’s county (Cook) are beleaguered by outrageous crimes, and violence, much in broad daylight. The response? The governor signed the same pro-crime legislation that has resulted in a massive rise in theft and grotesque violence in NY, Phila., SanFran, LA. etc.The “other” counties banded together to stop the law, which allows these counties to continue the typical criminal legal process. The state law is essentially an attempt to take the Chicago pro-crime madness and force it on all the country District attorneys.
Chicago is a one party city. How democratic can that be?
Of course, we all know it’s overwhelmingly black youth that commit a massive percentage of the crimes. In the USA. You should be able to believe what you SEE, I would think. No democratic party politician has the nerve or dignity to mention this fact, what we all see happening every day.Rather, We all have to pretend that the cause of this dystopia is any and every thing other than the obvious one, which we see repeatedly happening.
It’s beyond absurd. And it is every urban area in this country.
Address the real problem and maybe the problem can be solved.
But, the rest of the world can help America. STOP coming here for tourism! STAY AWAY from any urban area in the USA.
Exactly right. Here 25 miles from Lake Michigan, I sit. Comfortable for now. Chicago, and now it’s county (Cook) are beleaguered by outrageous crimes, and violence, much in broad daylight. The response? The governor signed the same pro-crime legislation that has resulted in a massive rise in theft and grotesque violence in NY, Phila., SanFran, LA. etc.The “other” counties banded together to stop the law, which allows these counties to continue the typical criminal legal process. The state law is essentially an attempt to take the Chicago pro-crime madness and force it on all the country District attorneys.
Chicago is a one party city. How democratic can that be?
Of course, we all know it’s overwhelmingly black youth that commit a massive percentage of the crimes. In the USA. You should be able to believe what you SEE, I would think. No democratic party politician has the nerve or dignity to mention this fact, what we all see happening every day.Rather, We all have to pretend that the cause of this dystopia is any and every thing other than the obvious one, which we see repeatedly happening.
It’s beyond absurd. And it is every urban area in this country.
Address the real problem and maybe the problem can be solved.
But, the rest of the world can help America. STOP coming here for tourism! STAY AWAY from any urban area in the USA.
Last edited 1 year ago by F. Deville
Ben Shipley
1 year ago
It’s all about crime. Fix that one, and everything else will follow. And the only successful experiment in the last 50 years was the Bratton crackdown in NYC (that was abandoned because it targeted the black youth who were and still are committing most urban crime). Today American cities are still doubling down on the fantasy policies that brought on the current mess.
michael harris
1 year ago
All these places that are gaining population and business are warmer and sunnier than the cities that are declining. Who does not prefer blue skies to murk?
All these places that are gaining population and business are warmer and sunnier than the cities that are declining. Who does not prefer blue skies to murk?
Mark Goodhand
1 year ago
“barely 20 million of the city’s 420 million square feet of office space is suitable for conversion”
This seems implausible.
I can believe that overly-restrictive building codes make it uneconomic to convert the majority of office buildings, but with some creativity and common sense you’d expect most to be convertible.
I’d say almost any can be converted, but for most the amount of work required to bring them up to code for housing would make them economically unviable
Tthe major issues cited are lack of natural lighting and plumbing problems. Many office buildings are constructed with internal areas, it would require turning most of the floor into one dwelling, although perhaps it can be divided into four areas; however, these may still be very large, I don’t know, I’m not an architect. The plumbing problem arises because lavatories and kitchen areas in these buildings tend to be in a few areas, so if they were converted it would be a devil’s own job to route the plumbing. As I say I don’t know if these are insurmountable problems, there’s part of me that thinks that if those in the know put their thinking-caps on they could come up with solutions.
Seems to me that open floor plan type units with interior studies or bedrooms would work fine. Maybe not ideal, but for an open floor plan living, dining and kitchen space with views I think a lot of people would be fine with interior spaces without windows.
And who says that the whole building needs to be just housing? Convenience stores or super markets? Have one floor be for common use with an interior garden of some type maybe.
In a large enough building you could provide a lot of housing and probably some small businesses.
Heck, there have to be people who would love to live on the 20th floor and have a small office on the 5th, their gym on the 2nd and a coffee shop and small grocery on the 1st floor. A large enough building could be a self contained small neighborhood.
Seems to me that open floor plan type units with interior studies or bedrooms would work fine. Maybe not ideal, but for an open floor plan living, dining and kitchen space with views I think a lot of people would be fine with interior spaces without windows.
And who says that the whole building needs to be just housing? Convenience stores or super markets? Have one floor be for common use with an interior garden of some type maybe.
In a large enough building you could provide a lot of housing and probably some small businesses.
Heck, there have to be people who would love to live on the 20th floor and have a small office on the 5th, their gym on the 2nd and a coffee shop and small grocery on the 1st floor. A large enough building could be a self contained small neighborhood.
Agree. If the city worked with the building owners to cut red tape, offered tax credits for the cost of conversion, etc…there has got to be a way to do it.
Why not offer a challenge to a bunch of achitect students or engineering students to see what they come up with for ideas?
Maybe conversions need certain types of waivers but as long as they do not pose a threat to health or safety…why not?
If you have to offer tax credits (a cost), cut regulations and offer waivers (compromise quality), invent new building methods (more cost and risk), why not just knock them down and use the precious land for a building built properly and purpose built for living in?
If you have to offer tax credits (a cost), cut regulations and offer waivers (compromise quality), invent new building methods (more cost and risk), why not just knock them down and use the precious land for a building built properly and purpose built for living in?
I’d say almost any can be converted, but for most the amount of work required to bring them up to code for housing would make them economically unviable
Tthe major issues cited are lack of natural lighting and plumbing problems. Many office buildings are constructed with internal areas, it would require turning most of the floor into one dwelling, although perhaps it can be divided into four areas; however, these may still be very large, I don’t know, I’m not an architect. The plumbing problem arises because lavatories and kitchen areas in these buildings tend to be in a few areas, so if they were converted it would be a devil’s own job to route the plumbing. As I say I don’t know if these are insurmountable problems, there’s part of me that thinks that if those in the know put their thinking-caps on they could come up with solutions.
Agree. If the city worked with the building owners to cut red tape, offered tax credits for the cost of conversion, etc…there has got to be a way to do it.
Why not offer a challenge to a bunch of achitect students or engineering students to see what they come up with for ideas?
Maybe conversions need certain types of waivers but as long as they do not pose a threat to health or safety…why not?
Mark Goodhand
1 year ago
“barely 20 million of the city’s 420 million square feet of office space is suitable for conversion”
This seems implausible.
I can believe that overly-restrictive building codes make it uneconomic to convert the majority of office buildings, but with some creativity and common sense you’d expect most to be convertible.
Patrick Heren
1 year ago
This gloomy prognosis applies far more to American cities than to cities elsewhere, especially in the old world.
If by “old world” you mean Europe. Perhaps.
But European cities are a completely different animal. Several of them currently thrive on tourist money. A bit like Disney with relics of bygone societies.
Other countries don’t have the American Democrat Party which is anti-police, anti-free speech, anti-law & order, anti-school choice – BUT it is pro-DEI (which in effect is anti-white), pro-prolific welfare programs, pro-immigration, pro-union, especially the teacher’ union, pro-censorship, pro-high taxes, pro-big government – there’s not an issue today on the Democrats’ platform that will help to strengthen and grow American inner-cities,
If by “old world” you mean Europe. Perhaps.
But European cities are a completely different animal. Several of them currently thrive on tourist money. A bit like Disney with relics of bygone societies.
Other countries don’t have the American Democrat Party which is anti-police, anti-free speech, anti-law & order, anti-school choice – BUT it is pro-DEI (which in effect is anti-white), pro-prolific welfare programs, pro-immigration, pro-union, especially the teacher’ union, pro-censorship, pro-high taxes, pro-big government – there’s not an issue today on the Democrats’ platform that will help to strengthen and grow American inner-cities,
Last edited 1 year ago by Cathy Carron
Patrick Heren
1 year ago
This gloomy prognosis applies far more to American cities than to cities elsewhere, especially in the old world.
Marissa M
1 year ago
Ah well. True. I guess all good things come to an end.
In all fairness Great Britain would know about the fall of an empire, wouldn’t it? Sorry, that was a cheap shot but I couldn’t resist. But now all eyes on the US to fail now, and have been for a while. Now, to be honest, for most life in the states is still pretty damn good (just like life in England is). But is there something in the air? A sense of decay from within? Yes. But one thing the author didn’t address is one of the main things that currently makes living in a major city in the US unpalatable: The homeless.
In the cities of the US, the homeless (or unhomed, wth, I can’t keep up) are merrily strewn across the streets, screaming at bystanders with their inner demons or from drugs, desperate to be seen, all filthy…and everyone scratches their heads and wonders how things got this bad. But growing up in Chicago (and here to tell about it, folks) I remember occasionally seeing them (bums, way back then) but for the most part the city had them tucked away in two places: slum housing and hotels (now SRO’s) and a place called “green city” (a nightmare of violence that the police rarely ventured into under Wacker Drive). Now much of that has been cleaned up and dispensed with.
So where do they go? They wander the streets. Before they were left to their own devices with a bed, a hot plate, and a bottle. Unseemly and their existence made most of society uncomfortable…but they served a purpose and were an understood necessity. Until planners minimized the problems plowing them under would create during their urban renewal phases.
The article mentions Chicago, a city I know quite a bit about. Economically, Chicago was a working man’s city and prided itself as such. It was raised on the backs of blue collar workers and their families. They are the ones who were coerced to vote for the unions and the Democrats. Now the families that remain are in two camps with few exceptions, the uber-wealthy on the North Side and the poor black on the South Side. Education and amenities are commensurate. And the Democrats, who once supported the white middle class working man with their neat brick bungalows, now courts the black man on the South Side with continuing promises of progressive financial support, and the “woke” liberals on the North Side who assuage their consciences by supporting social causes. Through high real estate prices on one side to crime and violence on the other, they managed to push the middle class out of the city and can now deal with the third world mess they’ve made of a city once moving towards magnificence with world class museums and architecture and theater and restaurants…..now the homeless live in tents and litter the viaducts. I have no idea how they survive those winters.
California is its own special nightmare thanks to the homeless. Los Angeles, never much of a city, it’s true, is a terrifying place to walk around. San Francisco is worse and continues to fall (I don’t know WHAT the author is talking about?? San Fran “retained its streetwise vitality”?? Um, ok, if you want to call it that…). San Diego, a sweet place with easy going people and beautiful scenery, is plagued by homeless, a desperate bastion of conservatism in a liberal state, they are paying the price.
On the East Coast, NYC took a turn and was a lovely place to visit for several years, but then Covid hit and problems returned. Baltimore is listed as one of the most violent cities in the world. Wilmington is a mess. DC?Don’t step outside the main area. Terrifying and dirty. Boston is holding on but barely.
Minor cities have good areas and bad areas, as always, urban pioneers attempt to anchor neighborhoods with varying degrees of success. Eventually it’s just easier to move the kids and family further out to better schools, bigger houses and safer streets. And yes, creativity takes a hit. It’s hard to exude creative ingenuity in Peoria.
How to really save major cities in the US? Clean them up and make them safe and affordable for working class families again. But you can’t really turn back that clock.
Last edited 1 year ago by Marissa M
Marissa M
1 year ago
Ah well. True. I guess all good things come to an end.
In all fairness Great Britain would know about the fall of an empire, wouldn’t it? Sorry, that was a cheap shot but I couldn’t resist. But now all eyes on the US to fail now, and have been for a while. Now, to be honest, for most life in the states is still pretty damn good (just like life in England is). But is there something in the air? A sense of decay from within? Yes. But one thing the author didn’t address is one of the main things that currently makes living in a major city in the US unpalatable: The homeless.
In the cities of the US, the homeless (or unhomed, wth, I can’t keep up) are merrily strewn across the streets, screaming at bystanders with their inner demons or from drugs, desperate to be seen, all filthy…and everyone scratches their heads and wonders how things got this bad. But growing up in Chicago (and here to tell about it, folks) I remember occasionally seeing them (bums, way back then) but for the most part the city had them tucked away in two places: slum housing and hotels (now SRO’s) and a place called “green city” (a nightmare of violence that the police rarely ventured into under Wacker Drive). Now much of that has been cleaned up and dispensed with.
So where do they go? They wander the streets. Before they were left to their own devices with a bed, a hot plate, and a bottle. Unseemly and their existence made most of society uncomfortable…but they served a purpose and were an understood necessity. Until planners minimized the problems plowing them under would create during their urban renewal phases.
The article mentions Chicago, a city I know quite a bit about. Economically, Chicago was a working man’s city and prided itself as such. It was raised on the backs of blue collar workers and their families. They are the ones who were coerced to vote for the unions and the Democrats. Now the families that remain are in two camps with few exceptions, the uber-wealthy on the North Side and the poor black on the South Side. Education and amenities are commensurate. And the Democrats, who once supported the white middle class working man with their neat brick bungalows, now courts the black man on the South Side with continuing promises of progressive financial support, and the “woke” liberals on the North Side who assuage their consciences by supporting social causes. Through high real estate prices on one side to crime and violence on the other, they managed to push the middle class out of the city and can now deal with the third world mess they’ve made of a city once moving towards magnificence with world class museums and architecture and theater and restaurants…..now the homeless live in tents and litter the viaducts. I have no idea how they survive those winters.
California is its own special nightmare thanks to the homeless. Los Angeles, never much of a city, it’s true, is a terrifying place to walk around. San Francisco is worse and continues to fall (I don’t know WHAT the author is talking about?? San Fran “retained its streetwise vitality”?? Um, ok, if you want to call it that…). San Diego, a sweet place with easy going people and beautiful scenery, is plagued by homeless, a desperate bastion of conservatism in a liberal state, they are paying the price.
On the East Coast, NYC took a turn and was a lovely place to visit for several years, but then Covid hit and problems returned. Baltimore is listed as one of the most violent cities in the world. Wilmington is a mess. DC?Don’t step outside the main area. Terrifying and dirty. Boston is holding on but barely.
Minor cities have good areas and bad areas, as always, urban pioneers attempt to anchor neighborhoods with varying degrees of success. Eventually it’s just easier to move the kids and family further out to better schools, bigger houses and safer streets. And yes, creativity takes a hit. It’s hard to exude creative ingenuity in Peoria.
How to really save major cities in the US? Clean them up and make them safe and affordable for working class families again. But you can’t really turn back that clock.
Last edited 1 year ago by Marissa M
Peter Lee
1 year ago
There will be no going back from the gender identity nightmare. School children porn and permissive sex anyone anywhere. The decline of the states into oblivion.
Peter Lee
1 year ago
There will be no going back from the gender identity nightmare. School children porn and permissive sex anyone anywhere. The decline of the states into oblivion.
Clare Knight
1 year ago
I have, for some time, said to anyone who would listen that the US is like the fall of the Roman Empire, and with the speed of both climate change and gender change it sure feels like the end of civilization.
Everyone has compared the US to the Roman Empire for years now. Not a new or independent observation. All empires fall. Look at England.
Gender change is merely a distraction from the real problems.
Everyone has compared the US to the Roman Empire for years now. Not a new or independent observation. All empires fall. Look at England.
Gender change is merely a distraction from the real problems.
Clare Knight
1 year ago
I have, for some time, said to anyone who would listen that the US is like the fall of the Roman Empire, and with the speed of both climate change and gender change it sure feels like the end of civilization.
Yes, true enough; Except….
Let us take Soros in USA – he spends Millions of $ to fund elections of city DAs and Prosecutors and Judges, entirely to stop prosecution of crime. His guidance has made the Homeless unable to be run off – instead the decent people must run off and move elsewhere. Stopping prosecuting of shoplifting, public urination – and even robbing, beating, stealing cars, public drug sales and use, keeping crazy people out of asylums to wander the streets, and prisoners released after token sentences, making the streets to scary to go out on after dark…Making life untenable for decent people in the city.
My old parts of London used to be good – now people only walk fast with their heads down if they have to be out after dark.
So much of this – the entirely unsuitable migration encouraged, the making school education in a city almost doing more harm that help to the children. The business model closing small business and favoring the huge monopolies…..This is Intentional.
So, yes, what you say is true. The thing is it is directed, it is being managed for nefarious purposes.
That is the article you need to address – ‘WHY’? And why do we allow it? But then – all you sheep got the insanely bad vax although I saw that and refused because it and the mask were crazy – and you wore masks, and showed proof of vax, and allowed travel bans, and locked up and stayed in, and kept children at home to their Great harm, and let granny die alone with people in space suites ignoring her, and so on –
So I guess the Why is because Evil people would do you harm, and as they own the media and Government you will let them.
Is there any subject you can’t link to a rant about the pandemic?
How about offering us a solution to how you would prevent cities declining, rather than throwing in a load of cliches from 4chan
What are these 4chan cliches to which you refer?
Soros is a bit of a cliche.
Soros is a bit of a cliche.
Not electing Democrats would be the solution. The American cities cited in the article are all being
rundestroyed by that party.Don’t be silly, that’s so simplistic. The republicans don’t offer any solutions, they have no plans, they just point fingers like Mr. Bjorn. That’s easy to do.
Republicans left or are leaving these cities- NYC, Chicago, San Fran – there are diminishing numbers of them left to care. So it seems the Democrats will have to solve the problems their policies have created. Change happens on the local level. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of ‘wrong think’ in the Democrat Party – they tend not to manage as well as Republicans who inherently are budget-wise, support law enforcement etc. It’s not clear what if anything will drag Republicans back into the cities, especially with the high crime rates at the moment.
Republicans left or are leaving these cities- NYC, Chicago, San Fran – there are diminishing numbers of them left to care. So it seems the Democrats will have to solve the problems their policies have created. Change happens on the local level. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of ‘wrong think’ in the Democrat Party – they tend not to manage as well as Republicans who inherently are budget-wise, support law enforcement etc. It’s not clear what if anything will drag Republicans back into the cities, especially with the high crime rates at the moment.
Don’t be silly, that’s so simplistic. The republicans don’t offer any solutions, they have no plans, they just point fingers like Mr. Bjorn. That’s easy to do.
He is not wrong about the COVID era dystopian aspects
He is wrong.
He is wrong.
Simple, the achieving of excellence with regard to skill, duty, courage, honesty and industry. Examples are Rome at it’s peak and the Royal Navy from 1793 to 1815. At Trafalgar Nelson sent the message ” England expects every man to do his duty “. Rome and the RN expected every body to display the highest standards of skill, courage and duty.
Hiring of the incompetent, venal, cowardly and lazy leads to decline and then collapse.
One can only corrupt the cowardly, lazy and venal.
All well and good.
Simple, the achieving of excellence with regard to skill, duty, courage, honesty and industry
How do you make that happen though?
Hiring of the incompetent, venal, cowardly and lazy leads to decline and then collapse.
If you want to talk reasons for a doom collapse scenario that is a rather simplistic explanation.
My two cents. We need to simplify. Everything. Everything has got too damn big, too complicated, to the point the system can’t cope with solving basic problems and everything is so complicated and globally linked and complicated it’s got to be nearly impossible for one person to actually even understand and comprehend the entire global system we now rely on. We need different to the past, old stuff is useful to draw on, but we have a modern system of the likes never seen before, we need a new way. My humble opinion.
Start with a healthy body. Bring back rigour to education system.
Below is a link to the Cambridge Entrance Exam which pupils sat at the age of 17 to 18 years of age.
Cambridge Entrance Examination – Mathematics for Natural
Sciences (1981) | In the Dark (wordpress.com)
Why should not this be the standard entrance requirement for all universities? The Laws of the Universe do not vary whether one lives in slum or a palace. School have lessons from 8.30 am to 3.30 pm and then 1.5 hours of sport. If one is so exhausted one can barely walk off the pitch, one will not have the energy to cause trouble in the evening.1.5 Hours of prep every night.
Subjects:- maths, physics, chemistry, biology, geology, history, latin, greek, drawing( especially perspective) and music. Craft options of cooking, woodwork or dress making.
Boxing, rugby and cricket for all boys,gymnastic, hockey, ballet and tennis for all girls. Fit in body, fit in mind.
Decide on essential requirements for local government and sack the rest. Police to have the same academic abilities as Senior NCOs in the technical branches of navy or airforce and fitness of airborne/USMC.
Use those who created the Renaissance and Industrial Revolutions as examples of self- improvement, James Brindley and George Stephenson being good examples.
James Brindley – Wikipedia.
George Stephenson – Wikipedia
Set up Mechanics Institutes to provide training for worthwhile jobs.
Mechanics’ institute – Wikipedia
The execution of Admiral Byng improved standards of the officers of the Royal Navy.
John Byng – Wikipedia
Orde Wingate took the broken spirited and turned them into the extra-ordinary through rigorous training. Train hard, fight easy.
Orde Wingate – Wikipedia
Quality not quantity. Punish the corrupt, sack the incompetent, recruit and promote on ability. Give people three years to improve their standards, gain qualification or get another job. Instead of watching a screen, train their minds and bodies. l
We need a Renaissance of the spirit which founds all civilisations .
The decline in the spirit leads to physical, mental and moral corruption and hence the creation of a dystopian reality for many living within the inner cities. Florence gave us the Renaissance, why?
Blimey I didn’t know there was a test, I thought the renaissance was because we got excited about the classics again?
Hasn’t there always been mental and moral corruption?
‘ The Laws of the Universe do not vary whether one lives in slum or a palace. School have lessons from 8.30 am to 3.30 pm and then 1.5 hours of sport. If one is so exhausted one can barely walk off the pitch, one will not have the energy to cause trouble in the evening.1.5 Hours of prep every night. ‘
All well and good. You are assuming everyone leads nice tidy, routine, together lives that allow for that though. You sound like a prep school kid tbh. That’s a private school curriculum, I think it has benefits though that shouldn’t be dismissed but it’s a different world Mr Hedges. Yes I understand what you are saying, why not bring back all those sports etc. Mechanics institutes are fine, but what about the global trade we need to sell stuff? What about changing supply chains and inflation? What about high corporation taxes putting people off from setting up engineering companies? The engineering companies we deal with around here are struggling for a certain grade of steel that normally comes from ukraine. What about that.
I think education does need something major, but I feel like yours is not really a practical solution to saving cities as such. I feel you’ve more gone down the seeing everyone as morally bankrupt road and we just need to pull our socks up route….
I have been educated in both private and state schools, good and bad. One of the reasons Roman Catholic schools even in run down crime ridden areas produce well educated people is that they offer rigorous academic learning, high level of sports training in a disciplined, safe and secure envronment. Criminal activity outside of the school is not used as an excuse for it to occur inside.
Read James Burke’s The Day The Universe Changed. The Dissenting Academies educated those who created the Industrial Revolution. The dominant language in the Near East from Alexander to Mohammed was Greek.
Persian and Hindi are Indo-Aryan Languages which is why those who knew Greek which from the same root were able to learn them.
The Mechnaics Institutes were set up to train craftsmen at night school in the maths, science and drawing which would enble them to enter then professional classes which is why they were supported by the Methodists who largely created the Labour Party.
The slums of Industrial Britain which grew in the 19th century were far worse than anything in America today. Bradford went from 6000 in 1800 to about 120,000 in 1850 and the Factory Inspector’s Report. The Evangelical Christians and Dissenters whose actions led to the banning of slavery then concentrated their efforts on improving the slums. Lord Shaftesbury said ” Now we have banned slavery we must improve the lives of those who live in the slums”. The founding members of the Lbour Party such as Keir Hardies said ” S Smiles book ” Self Help” is a manual for soclialism “. Up to WW2 the dominant force in the Labour Party was Methodism which preached that people were responsible for their conduct, self help, self discipline, moral rectitude, thrift, pursuit of education and skills, cleanliness, hard work, etc.
The combination of evangelical Christianity within the Tory Party, Methodism within the Liberal and Labour Party and creation of the Salvation Army meant the horrific squalid slums of 19th and early 20 th century Britain meant conditions were improved sufficiently quickly to prevent civil war. Another aspect was the recognition that those who fought in the war of 1793 to 1815 had earned a better life.
Many Labour leaders were Dissenting preachers and teachers, Hardie, E Bevin and J Callaghan being examples.A Bevan towards the end of his life was concerned that the Welfare State would result in the working class losing their resilience.
It comes down to duty. People have the duty to lead productive honest lives and the duty to offer help to others but noone is entitled to live on the honest hardwork of others. This was the creed of the pioneers of the USA.
Talking of collapse scenarios SVB looks bad.
You have just written a short history of England from the 1700s.
You have not said how you would make this new education system of yours work, how it would be funded and how such things as dress making and wood turning can achieved in a class with forty children in a school already short on classrooms.
Yes I see your benefits of a good roman Catholic school etc. But you still have to actually implement it in society and make it work.
The slums you are talking about arguably were the product of the industrial revolution? So another time where we had massive changes to society and economy, where the upheaval caused the negative effects as well as the positive I guess I’m trying to say. Everything became more complicated back then too, arguably a bit like the tech revolution we are going through now.
. Up to WW2 the dominant force in the Labour Party was Methodism which preached that people were responsible for their conduct, self help, self discipline, moral rectitude, thrift, pursuit of education and skills, cleanliness, hard work
OK but you are kind of saying people wouldn’t be like that without that input. I dispute that, look at all the great ancient empires, inventions and art. What I’m trying to say is regardless of any cultures religion, people by nature normally are inclined to work and make things and be reasonably clean and tidy look after themselves etc. Otherwise we wouldn’t have lasted long as a species and civilisations would not exist as they do. People by nature like to organise. To learn. To explore. I suppose I see that stuff to an extent as part of human nature rather than something that necessarily has to be instilled using religious or political dogma.
From my time on construction sites what I perceived was that many men from blue collar/working class backgrounds appreciate knowledge which is practical and relevant to their life but most of the education system is run by people who have no industrial or business experience. So I would insist alll teachers and those running education departments work on construction sited and factories. Those running Dissenting Academies were practical people. In places like Sri Lanka classes of 50 pupils are not common but there is discipline and a desire to learn. Look at Switzerland, Singapore and South Korea for an education and training systems.
Look at the rise and fall of Rome. In a Greek Play Zeus said ” Humans will need gods as long as they are cowardly, lazy and venal.” Once 10% to 20% of the population feel they are entitled to live on the labour of others and the middle and upper class are not prepared to die defending the country, collapse can be very quick- Rome post 350 AD.
All civilisations had a sense of duty, as this declines so do they.
Ibn Khaldun said dynasties last 140 years , while John Glubb say Empires last 250 years.
Amazon.co.uk : john glubb fate of empires
So I would insist alll teachers and those running education departments work on construction sited and factories
That is ambitious and not really practical.
Look at Switzerland, Singapore and South Korea for an education and training systems.
Honestly I know nothing about their systems. Can we afford it?
Thanks for the link, I will check it out, I understand what you are saying. Personally, on the gods and duty etc. I think we have a big clash between science and world religions. Both are confused making people confused. One contradicts the other to an extent. Then within their own disciplines there are contradictions. Everyone is confused and dazzled by the modern world we have built. No one is quite sure what it means or what to do with it or what the point of it all should be….where are we going with all this? Do we follow God or Science? Both? I have no idea.
Confused not reaally, just ignore Frankfurt Cultural Marxism and Post Modernism and read G Orwells 4 volumes of essays.
We can do both. Being a sceintist does not mean one cannot believe in God, Prof Martin Bott FRS, Geophysicist being an example.
Basic engineeering: if it loods good, it works well, Spitfire being a good example. Someone who has a slapdash, could not care less, near enough is good enough cannot be trained as a craftsman or engineer as they lack self discipline. Cost has very little to do with excellence of training. Most pre tertiary ducation can be done cheaply. Have you read the exam papers for Cambridge? One can teach in a pre-fabricated school room to a class of 50 if people are self disciplined. Look at schools in countries such as Sri Lanka, the classroom is beneath a tree and the teacher rides a bike between villages carrying a blackboard. The vast majority of art degrees are a waste of time. Shakespeare, Austen, Dickens, Brontes, GK Elliot, Kipling, Conrad, Orwell, all left school by the age of 18 years but they had been taught English to a very high level plus other languages.
Michelangelo, D Vinci, Raphael never went to university but were apprenticed to Masters. Bring back apprenticeships.
Send children to work to undertake apprenticeships and then attend night school to study University of London Extra Mural Exams ( Barnes Wallis ) or study for Chartership Mitchell- Spitfire, Camm- Hurricane, Chadwick- Lancaster, de Havilland – Mosquito.
None of the above is difficult and would be cheaper tha the present system. Basically since late 1940s the USA and Then Britain has created a post 16 years of age education which is dominated by low grade arts subjects. Two hundred years ago any fourteen year old boy attending a good school in the USA, Britain or Northern Europe could have translated Caesar from Latin and Xenophon from Greek into their native languages.
Quality is always cheaper in the long run than quantity. Much of the time and money are wasted studying irrelevant subjects and those which are needed, are not taught to high enough standards or rigorously tested enough. They are in East Asia.
As Cicero said ” Cui Bono ?”. The massive expansion of education dominated by low grade arts subjects has provided pleasant sinecures for lack lustre middle class arts graduates.
Well you said you thought people lacked a sense of duty and I took it you implied you thought that was because of a decline in religion.
I have read all of Orwell. All the books. All the essays. Everything. I do like a bit of Mr Orwell.
I have not read about Marx or any of that to be honest. Sounds like you don’t recommend it, I have to say it’s not really the kind of thing I would seek out.
Quality is always cheaper in the long run than quantity. Much of the time and money are wasted studying irrelevant subjects and those which are needed, are not taught to high enough standards or rigorously tested enough
Yes I think there is a lot of crap in the curriculum we could cut in favour of teaching essentials to a higher standard, fair enough.
Two hundred years ago any fourteen year old boy attending a good school in the USA, Britain or Northern Europe could have translated Caesar from Latin and Xenophon from Greek into their native languages
Not sure that is true, my nan went to a small village school in the 1930s, I don’t think she can do that. She described it as basic English, maths, etc. She left school at 14. I thought we only introduced state education during the industrial revolution? I’m a bit rusty but I’m not sure state education in its current form is 200 years old? I may be wrong. Please feel free to correct the ignorant.
I think we should bring back apprenticeships, basic engineering skills, yes, I like that and at the time teach basic business skills.
Pre 1540 education was largely provided by monasteries up to the age of 17 years of age and then The Church and wealthy sent people to universities. Grammar Schools were largely set up in the mid 16 th century. The major problem was the growth of urban Britain from 1800 onwards which meant a lack of all facilities , including education. Britain went from a population of 10M , 80% rural to 40M, 80% urban in 1900, hence vast numbers of social problems. A good school, I meant grammar or public as the syllabus was basically the Classics.
Yes bring back apprenticeships but alo night school where one can study for Chartership of Institutions of Engineering , Civil, Mechnical, Electrical, etc where Part 1 was HND and Part 2, degree level. Also provide degree course in Physics, Chemistry, Law Accountancy, Surveying, Commercial Art which is what Polytechnics offered up to the early 1960s. Study three hours , Monday to Thursday, 46 weeks per year plus laboratory weeks, say two per year. 212 hours per year. Most of practical work done during employment, so evening study is largely lectures and going through calculation.Engineers previously mentioned took this root.
At an exhibition on Battle of Trafalgar what was noticeable was how many Commanders and Captains had risen from the ranks.
Pre 1540 education was largely provided by monasteries up to the age of 17 years of age and then The Church and wealthy sent people to universities. Grammar Schools were largely set up in the mid 16 th century. The major problem was the growth of urban Britain from 1800 onwards which meant a lack of all facilities , including education. Britain went from a population of 10M , 80% rural to 40M, 80% urban in 1900, hence vast numbers of social problems. A good school, I meant grammar or public as the syllabus was basically the Classics.
Yes bring back apprenticeships but alo night school where one can study for Chartership of Institutions of Engineering , Civil, Mechnical, Electrical, etc where Part 1 was HND and Part 2, degree level. Also provide degree course in Physics, Chemistry, Law Accountancy, Surveying, Commercial Art which is what Polytechnics offered up to the early 1960s. Study three hours , Monday to Thursday, 46 weeks per year plus laboratory weeks, say two per year. 212 hours per year. Most of practical work done during employment, so evening study is largely lectures and going through calculation.Engineers previously mentioned took this root.
At an exhibition on Battle of Trafalgar what was noticeable was how many Commanders and Captains had risen from the ranks.
Well you said you thought people lacked a sense of duty and I took it you implied you thought that was because of a decline in religion.
I have read all of Orwell. All the books. All the essays. Everything. I do like a bit of Mr Orwell.
I have not read about Marx or any of that to be honest. Sounds like you don’t recommend it, I have to say it’s not really the kind of thing I would seek out.
Quality is always cheaper in the long run than quantity. Much of the time and money are wasted studying irrelevant subjects and those which are needed, are not taught to high enough standards or rigorously tested enough
Yes I think there is a lot of crap in the curriculum we could cut in favour of teaching essentials to a higher standard, fair enough.
Two hundred years ago any fourteen year old boy attending a good school in the USA, Britain or Northern Europe could have translated Caesar from Latin and Xenophon from Greek into their native languages
Not sure that is true, my nan went to a small village school in the 1930s, I don’t think she can do that. She described it as basic English, maths, etc. She left school at 14. I thought we only introduced state education during the industrial revolution? I’m a bit rusty but I’m not sure state education in its current form is 200 years old? I may be wrong. Please feel free to correct the ignorant.
I think we should bring back apprenticeships, basic engineering skills, yes, I like that and at the time teach basic business skills.
Confused not reaally, just ignore Frankfurt Cultural Marxism and Post Modernism and read G Orwells 4 volumes of essays.
We can do both. Being a sceintist does not mean one cannot believe in God, Prof Martin Bott FRS, Geophysicist being an example.
Basic engineeering: if it loods good, it works well, Spitfire being a good example. Someone who has a slapdash, could not care less, near enough is good enough cannot be trained as a craftsman or engineer as they lack self discipline. Cost has very little to do with excellence of training. Most pre tertiary ducation can be done cheaply. Have you read the exam papers for Cambridge? One can teach in a pre-fabricated school room to a class of 50 if people are self disciplined. Look at schools in countries such as Sri Lanka, the classroom is beneath a tree and the teacher rides a bike between villages carrying a blackboard. The vast majority of art degrees are a waste of time. Shakespeare, Austen, Dickens, Brontes, GK Elliot, Kipling, Conrad, Orwell, all left school by the age of 18 years but they had been taught English to a very high level plus other languages.
Michelangelo, D Vinci, Raphael never went to university but were apprenticed to Masters. Bring back apprenticeships.
Send children to work to undertake apprenticeships and then attend night school to study University of London Extra Mural Exams ( Barnes Wallis ) or study for Chartership Mitchell- Spitfire, Camm- Hurricane, Chadwick- Lancaster, de Havilland – Mosquito.
None of the above is difficult and would be cheaper tha the present system. Basically since late 1940s the USA and Then Britain has created a post 16 years of age education which is dominated by low grade arts subjects. Two hundred years ago any fourteen year old boy attending a good school in the USA, Britain or Northern Europe could have translated Caesar from Latin and Xenophon from Greek into their native languages.
Quality is always cheaper in the long run than quantity. Much of the time and money are wasted studying irrelevant subjects and those which are needed, are not taught to high enough standards or rigorously tested enough. They are in East Asia.
As Cicero said ” Cui Bono ?”. The massive expansion of education dominated by low grade arts subjects has provided pleasant sinecures for lack lustre middle class arts graduates.
So I would insist alll teachers and those running education departments work on construction sited and factories
That is ambitious and not really practical.
Look at Switzerland, Singapore and South Korea for an education and training systems.
Honestly I know nothing about their systems. Can we afford it?
Thanks for the link, I will check it out, I understand what you are saying. Personally, on the gods and duty etc. I think we have a big clash between science and world religions. Both are confused making people confused. One contradicts the other to an extent. Then within their own disciplines there are contradictions. Everyone is confused and dazzled by the modern world we have built. No one is quite sure what it means or what to do with it or what the point of it all should be….where are we going with all this? Do we follow God or Science? Both? I have no idea.
From my time on construction sites what I perceived was that many men from blue collar/working class backgrounds appreciate knowledge which is practical and relevant to their life but most of the education system is run by people who have no industrial or business experience. So I would insist alll teachers and those running education departments work on construction sited and factories. Those running Dissenting Academies were practical people. In places like Sri Lanka classes of 50 pupils are not common but there is discipline and a desire to learn. Look at Switzerland, Singapore and South Korea for an education and training systems.
Look at the rise and fall of Rome. In a Greek Play Zeus said ” Humans will need gods as long as they are cowardly, lazy and venal.” Once 10% to 20% of the population feel they are entitled to live on the labour of others and the middle and upper class are not prepared to die defending the country, collapse can be very quick- Rome post 350 AD.
All civilisations had a sense of duty, as this declines so do they.
Ibn Khaldun said dynasties last 140 years , while John Glubb say Empires last 250 years.
Amazon.co.uk : john glubb fate of empires
Talking of collapse scenarios SVB looks bad.
You have just written a short history of England from the 1700s.
You have not said how you would make this new education system of yours work, how it would be funded and how such things as dress making and wood turning can achieved in a class with forty children in a school already short on classrooms.
Yes I see your benefits of a good roman Catholic school etc. But you still have to actually implement it in society and make it work.
The slums you are talking about arguably were the product of the industrial revolution? So another time where we had massive changes to society and economy, where the upheaval caused the negative effects as well as the positive I guess I’m trying to say. Everything became more complicated back then too, arguably a bit like the tech revolution we are going through now.
. Up to WW2 the dominant force in the Labour Party was Methodism which preached that people were responsible for their conduct, self help, self discipline, moral rectitude, thrift, pursuit of education and skills, cleanliness, hard work
OK but you are kind of saying people wouldn’t be like that without that input. I dispute that, look at all the great ancient empires, inventions and art. What I’m trying to say is regardless of any cultures religion, people by nature normally are inclined to work and make things and be reasonably clean and tidy look after themselves etc. Otherwise we wouldn’t have lasted long as a species and civilisations would not exist as they do. People by nature like to organise. To learn. To explore. I suppose I see that stuff to an extent as part of human nature rather than something that necessarily has to be instilled using religious or political dogma.
I have been educated in both private and state schools, good and bad. One of the reasons Roman Catholic schools even in run down crime ridden areas produce well educated people is that they offer rigorous academic learning, high level of sports training in a disciplined, safe and secure envronment. Criminal activity outside of the school is not used as an excuse for it to occur inside.
Read James Burke’s The Day The Universe Changed. The Dissenting Academies educated those who created the Industrial Revolution. The dominant language in the Near East from Alexander to Mohammed was Greek.
Persian and Hindi are Indo-Aryan Languages which is why those who knew Greek which from the same root were able to learn them.
The Mechnaics Institutes were set up to train craftsmen at night school in the maths, science and drawing which would enble them to enter then professional classes which is why they were supported by the Methodists who largely created the Labour Party.
The slums of Industrial Britain which grew in the 19th century were far worse than anything in America today. Bradford went from 6000 in 1800 to about 120,000 in 1850 and the Factory Inspector’s Report. The Evangelical Christians and Dissenters whose actions led to the banning of slavery then concentrated their efforts on improving the slums. Lord Shaftesbury said ” Now we have banned slavery we must improve the lives of those who live in the slums”. The founding members of the Lbour Party such as Keir Hardies said ” S Smiles book ” Self Help” is a manual for soclialism “. Up to WW2 the dominant force in the Labour Party was Methodism which preached that people were responsible for their conduct, self help, self discipline, moral rectitude, thrift, pursuit of education and skills, cleanliness, hard work, etc.
The combination of evangelical Christianity within the Tory Party, Methodism within the Liberal and Labour Party and creation of the Salvation Army meant the horrific squalid slums of 19th and early 20 th century Britain meant conditions were improved sufficiently quickly to prevent civil war. Another aspect was the recognition that those who fought in the war of 1793 to 1815 had earned a better life.
Many Labour leaders were Dissenting preachers and teachers, Hardie, E Bevin and J Callaghan being examples.A Bevan towards the end of his life was concerned that the Welfare State would result in the working class losing their resilience.
It comes down to duty. People have the duty to lead productive honest lives and the duty to offer help to others but noone is entitled to live on the honest hardwork of others. This was the creed of the pioneers of the USA.
Blimey I didn’t know there was a test, I thought the renaissance was because we got excited about the classics again?
Hasn’t there always been mental and moral corruption?
‘ The Laws of the Universe do not vary whether one lives in slum or a palace. School have lessons from 8.30 am to 3.30 pm and then 1.5 hours of sport. If one is so exhausted one can barely walk off the pitch, one will not have the energy to cause trouble in the evening.1.5 Hours of prep every night. ‘
All well and good. You are assuming everyone leads nice tidy, routine, together lives that allow for that though. You sound like a prep school kid tbh. That’s a private school curriculum, I think it has benefits though that shouldn’t be dismissed but it’s a different world Mr Hedges. Yes I understand what you are saying, why not bring back all those sports etc. Mechanics institutes are fine, but what about the global trade we need to sell stuff? What about changing supply chains and inflation? What about high corporation taxes putting people off from setting up engineering companies? The engineering companies we deal with around here are struggling for a certain grade of steel that normally comes from ukraine. What about that.
I think education does need something major, but I feel like yours is not really a practical solution to saving cities as such. I feel you’ve more gone down the seeing everyone as morally bankrupt road and we just need to pull our socks up route….
Start with a healthy body. Bring back rigour to education system.
Below is a link to the Cambridge Entrance Exam which pupils sat at the age of 17 to 18 years of age.
Cambridge Entrance Examination – Mathematics for Natural
Sciences (1981) | In the Dark (wordpress.com)
Why should not this be the standard entrance requirement for all universities? The Laws of the Universe do not vary whether one lives in slum or a palace. School have lessons from 8.30 am to 3.30 pm and then 1.5 hours of sport. If one is so exhausted one can barely walk off the pitch, one will not have the energy to cause trouble in the evening.1.5 Hours of prep every night.
Subjects:- maths, physics, chemistry, biology, geology, history, latin, greek, drawing( especially perspective) and music. Craft options of cooking, woodwork or dress making.
Boxing, rugby and cricket for all boys,gymnastic, hockey, ballet and tennis for all girls. Fit in body, fit in mind.
Decide on essential requirements for local government and sack the rest. Police to have the same academic abilities as Senior NCOs in the technical branches of navy or airforce and fitness of airborne/USMC.
Use those who created the Renaissance and Industrial Revolutions as examples of self- improvement, James Brindley and George Stephenson being good examples.
James Brindley – Wikipedia.
George Stephenson – Wikipedia
Set up Mechanics Institutes to provide training for worthwhile jobs.
Mechanics’ institute – Wikipedia
The execution of Admiral Byng improved standards of the officers of the Royal Navy.
John Byng – Wikipedia
Orde Wingate took the broken spirited and turned them into the extra-ordinary through rigorous training. Train hard, fight easy.
Orde Wingate – Wikipedia
Quality not quantity. Punish the corrupt, sack the incompetent, recruit and promote on ability. Give people three years to improve their standards, gain qualification or get another job. Instead of watching a screen, train their minds and bodies. l
We need a Renaissance of the spirit which founds all civilisations .
The decline in the spirit leads to physical, mental and moral corruption and hence the creation of a dystopian reality for many living within the inner cities. Florence gave us the Renaissance, why?
Better to hire them than to leave them unemployed.
All well and good.
Simple, the achieving of excellence with regard to skill, duty, courage, honesty and industry
How do you make that happen though?
Hiring of the incompetent, venal, cowardly and lazy leads to decline and then collapse.
If you want to talk reasons for a doom collapse scenario that is a rather simplistic explanation.
My two cents. We need to simplify. Everything. Everything has got too damn big, too complicated, to the point the system can’t cope with solving basic problems and everything is so complicated and globally linked and complicated it’s got to be nearly impossible for one person to actually even understand and comprehend the entire global system we now rely on. We need different to the past, old stuff is useful to draw on, but we have a modern system of the likes never seen before, we need a new way. My humble opinion.
Better to hire them than to leave them unemployed.
What are these 4chan cliches to which you refer?
Not electing Democrats would be the solution. The American cities cited in the article are all being
rundestroyed by that party.He is not wrong about the COVID era dystopian aspects
Simple, the achieving of excellence with regard to skill, duty, courage, honesty and industry. Examples are Rome at it’s peak and the Royal Navy from 1793 to 1815. At Trafalgar Nelson sent the message ” England expects every man to do his duty “. Rome and the RN expected every body to display the highest standards of skill, courage and duty.
Hiring of the incompetent, venal, cowardly and lazy leads to decline and then collapse.
One can only corrupt the cowardly, lazy and venal.
Isn’t this all rather alarmist? Throughout history cities have come and gone. Rudyard Kipling* put it rather well:-
“Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!”
(* ‘Recessional’ 1897.)
True. Cities experience renewal at varying rates.
True. Cities experience renewal at varying rates.
Not everything is a conspiracy !
Just imagine how busy Soros and co must be organising all this stuff …
Exactly! It’s akin to believing god has a plan for each of us.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and I will restore your fortunes.” Jeremiah 29:11-14a.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and I will restore your fortunes.” Jeremiah 29:11-14a.
Exactly! It’s akin to believing god has a plan for each of us.
People are not Evil just because they do things that you disagree with or things that are shown to be wrong, or even things that are self-serving. Please leave this term for that which is truely evil; it’s like using the term “racist” all the time, it loses its meaning and its impact.
But Soros is evil, if you don’t know this, its because you don’t understand him
Sorry can’t agree here. As an aside, just how well do you know him?
Exactly. But please don’t apologize, Linda.
Exactly. But please don’t apologize, Linda.
Evil is a meaningless, biblical label. Be specific.
You can’t recognise and identify any things (and people) as evil? I could list a few.
You can’t recognise and identify any things (and people) as evil? I could list a few.
Sorry can’t agree here. As an aside, just how well do you know him?
Evil is a meaningless, biblical label. Be specific.
I agree with you, ‘evil’ IS a very strong word to be used with great care. However, particularly in the light of the unfolding Covid saga, I have found myself ascribing ‘evil’ to many aspects of the so-called pandemic and, reluctantly, to several of the characters responsible for some of the catastrophic decisions regarding the interventions made ‘to save lives’. If these were the result of mere ineptitude, however crass, such would be forgivable, but the only rational explanation I can find is that some decisions could only have been made and administered with sinister intend. (e.g. a ‘pandemic’ contrived to enable the global release of an experimental ‘vaccine’ technology, using fear, coercion and manipulation to ensure maximum uptake, in order to eliminate any possibility of a vital and invaluable control group). Evil? Ultimately it is God’s call….
But Soros is evil, if you don’t know this, its because you don’t understand him
I agree with you, ‘evil’ IS a very strong word to be used with great care. However, particularly in the light of the unfolding Covid saga, I have found myself ascribing ‘evil’ to many aspects of the so-called pandemic and, reluctantly, to several of the characters responsible for some of the catastrophic decisions regarding the interventions made ‘to save lives’. If these were the result of mere ineptitude, however crass, such would be forgivable, but the only rational explanation I can find is that some decisions could only have been made and administered with sinister intend. (e.g. a ‘pandemic’ contrived to enable the global release of an experimental ‘vaccine’ technology, using fear, coercion and manipulation to ensure maximum uptake, in order to eliminate any possibility of a vital and invaluable control group). Evil? Ultimately it is God’s call….
The rise of remote work is a less important factor working against the city as the shift from a politics that serves a populace of sovereign, taxpaying, citizens to one in which politicians govern a clientele of dependents. The tipping point has passed, and there are not enough citizens to overcome the power of the dependents and their votes.
But billionaires don’t pay as much taxes as the working class. It would seems more like a system that serves he elites more than “dependents,” whoever they might be.
This trope of ‘billionaires don’t pay as much in taxes’ is just rubbish. Taxation in the USA is highly progressive where something like the top 5% pay over 50% of federal taxes and a disproportionate amount of the myriad other taxes – property, cars, yachts, capital gains, etc. Your misinformation is no way to approach solving the USA’s severe case of overspending.
This trope of ‘billionaires don’t pay as much in taxes’ is just rubbish. Taxation in the USA is highly progressive where something like the top 5% pay over 50% of federal taxes and a disproportionate amount of the myriad other taxes – property, cars, yachts, capital gains, etc. Your misinformation is no way to approach solving the USA’s severe case of overspending.
But billionaires don’t pay as much taxes as the working class. It would seems more like a system that serves he elites more than “dependents,” whoever they might be.
I don’t recognise your London as it is a *vastly* safer & nicer place than it was in 1970s. The absurd Sadiq Khan is doing his best to mess things up but the idea much of London is a fearful place after dark simply isn’t my experience
Vax rant aside, I agree.
The reason people walk around with their heads down in major cities these days is linked to the lack of prosecution of the street urinators. The homeless on drugs…..
How many urinators are we talking about!!!!
In CA? Roughly 125,000 people.
The solution? Build more affordable housing.
In CA? Roughly 125,000 people.
The solution? Build more affordable housing.
How many urinators are we talking about!!!!
Ah yes the old “us or them, good or evil ,decent or indecent, you people” mentality really helps, doesn’t it. You are “you people” so what are YOU doing about it except pointing a finger the other way. What do you suggest as a solution?
Is there any subject you can’t link to a rant about the pandemic?
How about offering us a solution to how you would prevent cities declining, rather than throwing in a load of cliches from 4chan
Isn’t this all rather alarmist? Throughout history cities have come and gone. Rudyard Kipling* put it rather well:-
“Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!”
(* ‘Recessional’ 1897.)
Not everything is a conspiracy !
Just imagine how busy Soros and co must be organising all this stuff …
People are not Evil just because they do things that you disagree with or things that are shown to be wrong, or even things that are self-serving. Please leave this term for that which is truely evil; it’s like using the term “racist” all the time, it loses its meaning and its impact.
The rise of remote work is a less important factor working against the city as the shift from a politics that serves a populace of sovereign, taxpaying, citizens to one in which politicians govern a clientele of dependents. The tipping point has passed, and there are not enough citizens to overcome the power of the dependents and their votes.
I don’t recognise your London as it is a *vastly* safer & nicer place than it was in 1970s. The absurd Sadiq Khan is doing his best to mess things up but the idea much of London is a fearful place after dark simply isn’t my experience
Vax rant aside, I agree.
The reason people walk around with their heads down in major cities these days is linked to the lack of prosecution of the street urinators. The homeless on drugs…..
Ah yes the old “us or them, good or evil ,decent or indecent, you people” mentality really helps, doesn’t it. You are “you people” so what are YOU doing about it except pointing a finger the other way. What do you suggest as a solution?
Yes, true enough; Except….
Let us take Soros in USA – he spends Millions of $ to fund elections of city DAs and Prosecutors and Judges, entirely to stop prosecution of crime. His guidance has made the Homeless unable to be run off – instead the decent people must run off and move elsewhere. Stopping prosecuting of shoplifting, public urination – and even robbing, beating, stealing cars, public drug sales and use, keeping crazy people out of asylums to wander the streets, and prisoners released after token sentences, making the streets to scary to go out on after dark…Making life untenable for decent people in the city.
My old parts of London used to be good – now people only walk fast with their heads down if they have to be out after dark.
So much of this – the entirely unsuitable migration encouraged, the making school education in a city almost doing more harm that help to the children. The business model closing small business and favoring the huge monopolies…..This is Intentional.
So, yes, what you say is true. The thing is it is directed, it is being managed for nefarious purposes.
That is the article you need to address – ‘WHY’? And why do we allow it? But then – all you sheep got the insanely bad vax although I saw that and refused because it and the mask were crazy – and you wore masks, and showed proof of vax, and allowed travel bans, and locked up and stayed in, and kept children at home to their Great harm, and let granny die alone with people in space suites ignoring her, and so on –
So I guess the Why is because Evil people would do you harm, and as they own the media and Government you will let them.
Off course Edward Gibbon places much of the responsibility for the ‘Fall of Rome’ on the rise of the cult of the Nazarene, a pernicious eastern sect, otherwise known as Christianity.
He felt that such ideas as “turn the other cheek” etc were completely incompatible with running the greatest Empire the World has ever seen.
Perhaps the contemporary emergence of the WOKE in Western society is the harbinger of a similar disaster?
Charles, you keep bringing out the long-suppressed and carefully concealed optimist in me.
This woke stuff has just got to burn itself out, hasn’t it ? It’s so obviously full of contradictions and infighting.
I have no doubt that it will, as you so rightly say “burn itself out”.
However before that happens there maybe, perhaps already is, considerable damage to contend with.
I am particularly minded on the 60’s when all sorts of nonsense was being spouted and substantial collateral destruction was the unfortunate result*.
(*Ironically in 1964 Labour’s battle cry was “ Thirteen years of Tory misrule”!)
Let’s not forget “The White Heat of Technology”.
Isn’t this something a johnny-come-lately called Trump might sign up?
Let us not forget how our, or at least my, parents generation were petrified stiff at the sight of the likes of The Rolling Stones, and various other musicians, in their view leading is into a society of anarcho Marxism, with the hippies as their storm troopers, with the moral poison of ” free love” and the Paris Revolution of ’68.
Wind forward a few years… Jagger buys his shoes and shirts at New and Lingwood and lays down pipes of Port for his children, Stevie Winwood farms in Gloucestershire and is one of our top Hound Judges, Eric Clapton is a mad keen shooting man and rescued Cording’s the Picadilly country tailors. I spent 2 weeks in Cap Ferrat late one summer with the ostensible rebel and king of outrageous behaviour, Led Zepplin drummer John Bonham…. mainly chatting about farming, and his life’s fullfilment to go to Harpur Adams agricultural college, which sadly never happened due to his untimely and sad death…..
All may now be not as woke bad as it seems?!!!
Live on a sink council estate and attend a comprehensive which serves it. Friends have taught in the worst primary school in Salford and a comprehensive in Peckham in 2000; the tales they told were grim both about the pupils and their parents. As the saying goes, some houses were so filthy one wiped one’s feet when one left.
A Most pop stars came from Middle Class backgrounds, attended grammar or public schools with Ringo Starr and Roger Daltrey being the exceptions.
No they did not… that is manifestly and factually incorrect.
Genesis- Charterhouse, Jagger and Richards-Dartford Grammar, Lennon- Quarry Bank Grammar, McCartney- Liverpool Institute – Liverpool equivalent to Manchester Grammar School,
Grammar school was based on 11plus not class or wealth.
Grammar schools provided a middle class environment somewhat different to working in scrap metal yard or a contruction site.
And for the girls?
They worked in the mills.
They worked in the mills.
And for the girls?
Grammar schools provided a middle class environment somewhat different to working in scrap metal yard or a contruction site.
Grammar school was based on 11plus not class or wealth.
Genesis- Charterhouse, Jagger and Richards-Dartford Grammar, Lennon- Quarry Bank Grammar, McCartney- Liverpool Institute – Liverpool equivalent to Manchester Grammar School,
Attending grammar school doesn’t mean that one is middle-class; I went to a grammar school and back then was decidedly working class.
Grammar schools provided a route for upward mobility.
Precisely.
Precisely.
Because of the 11plus perhaps?
Yes.
Yes.
Grammar schools provided a route for upward mobility.
Because of the 11plus perhaps?
Honestly, how clean your house is, does not depend on your property value. We have worked in many houses. Some at the the top are just as grim as some at the bottom. It’s just some people don’t seem bothered about it. Normally the big ones that are bad have lots of dogs and cats. Each to their own, I’m not the cleaning police.
Talk to Police in the poorest areas.
What’s your point?
Often poorly maintained untidy homes also comes with all sorts of criminal activity- domestic violence, drug taking/dealing, theft, sexual abuse,poor academic activity, etc. I rememeber listening to a friend who taught in school with pupils from a sink estate ; the children were coming stinking because they and their clothes were unwashed. When the Headteacher telephoned the Mother to raise concerns he was told to F… Off. A Headteacher said if 25 % of a class and the school were troublemakers, then one is not involved in education but riot control.
Often poorly maintained untidy homes also comes with all sorts of criminal activity- domestic violence, drug taking/dealing, theft, sexual abuse,poor academic activity, etc. I rememeber listening to a friend who taught in school with pupils from a sink estate ; the children were coming stinking because they and their clothes were unwashed. When the Headteacher telephoned the Mother to raise concerns he was told to F… Off. A Headteacher said if 25 % of a class and the school were troublemakers, then one is not involved in education but riot control.
Ah you are one of those. My experience of actually working in people’s houses all over the country is not good enough for you.
‘middle class environment somewhat different to working in scrap metal yard or a contruction site’ – is that the problem, mine is the not middle class opinion but that of a person that works on construction sites – not middle class enough for you? You talk to the nice police man. I don’t know anything obviously.
What’s your point?
Ah you are one of those. My experience of actually working in people’s houses all over the country is not good enough for you.
‘middle class environment somewhat different to working in scrap metal yard or a contruction site’ – is that the problem, mine is the not middle class opinion but that of a person that works on construction sites – not middle class enough for you? You talk to the nice police man. I don’t know anything obviously.
Talk to Police in the poorest areas.
No they did not… that is manifestly and factually incorrect.
Attending grammar school doesn’t mean that one is middle-class; I went to a grammar school and back then was decidedly working class.
Honestly, how clean your house is, does not depend on your property value. We have worked in many houses. Some at the the top are just as grim as some at the bottom. It’s just some people don’t seem bothered about it. Normally the big ones that are bad have lots of dogs and cats. Each to their own, I’m not the cleaning police.
Live on a sink council estate and attend a comprehensive which serves it. Friends have taught in the worst primary school in Salford and a comprehensive in Peckham in 2000; the tales they told were grim both about the pupils and their parents. As the saying goes, some houses were so filthy one wiped one’s feet when one left.
A Most pop stars came from Middle Class backgrounds, attended grammar or public schools with Ringo Starr and Roger Daltrey being the exceptions.
Speaking for myself I had a ball in London the 60’s. I’m so sorry you seem to have missed out, Charles.
Too busy ‘elsewhere’, and much more fun, if you get my drift?
Too busy ‘elsewhere’, and much more fun, if you get my drift?
Let’s not forget “The White Heat of Technology”.
Isn’t this something a johnny-come-lately called Trump might sign up?
Let us not forget how our, or at least my, parents generation were petrified stiff at the sight of the likes of The Rolling Stones, and various other musicians, in their view leading is into a society of anarcho Marxism, with the hippies as their storm troopers, with the moral poison of ” free love” and the Paris Revolution of ’68.
Wind forward a few years… Jagger buys his shoes and shirts at New and Lingwood and lays down pipes of Port for his children, Stevie Winwood farms in Gloucestershire and is one of our top Hound Judges, Eric Clapton is a mad keen shooting man and rescued Cording’s the Picadilly country tailors. I spent 2 weeks in Cap Ferrat late one summer with the ostensible rebel and king of outrageous behaviour, Led Zepplin drummer John Bonham…. mainly chatting about farming, and his life’s fullfilment to go to Harpur Adams agricultural college, which sadly never happened due to his untimely and sad death…..
All may now be not as woke bad as it seems?!!!
Speaking for myself I had a ball in London the 60’s. I’m so sorry you seem to have missed out, Charles.
But what “woke” exactly?!!!
I have no doubt that it will, as you so rightly say “burn itself out”.
However before that happens there maybe, perhaps already is, considerable damage to contend with.
I am particularly minded on the 60’s when all sorts of nonsense was being spouted and substantial collateral destruction was the unfortunate result*.
(*Ironically in 1964 Labour’s battle cry was “ Thirteen years of Tory misrule”!)
But what “woke” exactly?!!!
What exactly do you mean by “woke”? It seems like a label that gets bandied around as a put down for things the users don’t like. Could you be specific? I’d like to understand
Worthless bed-wetting spastics in short, if you know what I mean, which I am sure you do!
Worthless bed-wetting spastics in short, if you know what I mean, which I am sure you do!
Charles, you keep bringing out the long-suppressed and carefully concealed optimist in me.
This woke stuff has just got to burn itself out, hasn’t it ? It’s so obviously full of contradictions and infighting.
What exactly do you mean by “woke”? It seems like a label that gets bandied around as a put down for things the users don’t like. Could you be specific? I’d like to understand
Off course Edward Gibbon places much of the responsibility for the ‘Fall of Rome’ on the rise of the cult of the Nazarene, a pernicious eastern sect, otherwise known as Christianity.
He felt that such ideas as “turn the other cheek” etc were completely incompatible with running the greatest Empire the World has ever seen.
Perhaps the contemporary emergence of the WOKE in Western society is the harbinger of a similar disaster?
There is massive variation in downtown vitality between cities both within the USA and across the developed world.
Ordinary families have not lived right in the centre of most rich Western cities for a long time – certainly not in the US and UK. Way too expensive (unless its public housing) and a poor environment to bring up children,
I still remember my year living in Dallas in 1989/90 and the shock of seeing a large downtown which was dead and populated only by the poor and homeless after about 6pm. Even San Francisco was similar in parts. Perhaps only New York is different (I haven’t been yet). This is just how the US is – people seem to eat out much earlier and retire home earlier. I still remember trying to find somewhere to eat in San Jose (the centre of Silicon Valley) around 8pm on a weekday evening – a city of 1 million people and no restaurants open. The open stuff is in other districts.
There is huge variation in Europe. Berlin (6 years ago) was clearly still lived in by ordinary families on ordinary incomes. Central Budapest clearly still is (last year). I think Southern Europe and Latin America are similar.
Some of this is historic. Some of it is cultural. Some of it is urban safety and crime (or perceptions of crime).
I much prefer the cities where ordinary people can still afford to live and you can still see children and families. And that are not swamped by tourism.
And some is based on geography. Much of Western Europe can fit inside of the landmass that is Texas.
Absolutely correct.
Europe is so small, land wise, and the countries within it are as well. The US by contrast has very different urban areas. We always struggled with supplying proper public transportation, for example. We are so spread out.
Also, many major cities in Western Europe are swamped by tourism. Budapest’s day is coming. And Latin America, with the exception of Buenos Aires, struggles with a safety image that affects not just tourism, but its own people.
So true for transportation in the US. I’m stuck in a town that has no transportation to the nearest big city, and then driving in that big city would be dangerous. Even my small village in England had train and bus service way back when!
So true for transportation in the US. I’m stuck in a town that has no transportation to the nearest big city, and then driving in that big city would be dangerous. Even my small village in England had train and bus service way back when!
Absolutely correct.
Europe is so small, land wise, and the countries within it are as well. The US by contrast has very different urban areas. We always struggled with supplying proper public transportation, for example. We are so spread out.
Also, many major cities in Western Europe are swamped by tourism. Budapest’s day is coming. And Latin America, with the exception of Buenos Aires, struggles with a safety image that affects not just tourism, but its own people.
The increase in violent crime with the decline in education so that the schools are incapable of teaching children to high enough standards to read STEM Subjects and Law at the top five universities causes flight of the middle classes.
How about using some commas, Charles.
How about using some commas, Charles.
I remember when I was working in New Mexico, It was after 7p.m. and I asked where I could eat, I just got a laugh and someone said “they roll up the side-walks here at 6 o’clock.”. Contrast this with when I was in Avila (in central Spain) a year later and I tried to find somewhere to eat at about 9.45p.m. and I was told that it was a bit early to find anywhere yet – I think things have changed a little now, though.
But New Mexico’s great, isn’t it ? At least around Santa Fe and the mountains in the north west. My favourite part of the US.
It is. I loved Santa Fe and Taos (full of arty-farty people but still a lovely place). The colours in the landscape can be beautiful in the sunset. I always tell friends who are thinking of visiting the USA go to New Mexico and Arizona, they are so different from anything we can see in Europe, even Spain, and they are stunning states.
It is. I loved Santa Fe and Taos (full of arty-farty people but still a lovely place). The colours in the landscape can be beautiful in the sunset. I always tell friends who are thinking of visiting the USA go to New Mexico and Arizona, they are so different from anything we can see in Europe, even Spain, and they are stunning states.
But New Mexico’s great, isn’t it ? At least around Santa Fe and the mountains in the north west. My favourite part of the US.
I’ve gotten mugged in both San Francisco and London. Hard to make generalizations. The quality of life in San Francisco is pretty abysmal now.
I blame the early closings you mention on mothers against drunk driving.
And some is based on geography. Much of Western Europe can fit inside of the landmass that is Texas.
The increase in violent crime with the decline in education so that the schools are incapable of teaching children to high enough standards to read STEM Subjects and Law at the top five universities causes flight of the middle classes.
I remember when I was working in New Mexico, It was after 7p.m. and I asked where I could eat, I just got a laugh and someone said “they roll up the side-walks here at 6 o’clock.”. Contrast this with when I was in Avila (in central Spain) a year later and I tried to find somewhere to eat at about 9.45p.m. and I was told that it was a bit early to find anywhere yet – I think things have changed a little now, though.
I’ve gotten mugged in both San Francisco and London. Hard to make generalizations. The quality of life in San Francisco is pretty abysmal now.
I blame the early closings you mention on mothers against drunk driving.
There is massive variation in downtown vitality between cities both within the USA and across the developed world.
Ordinary families have not lived right in the centre of most rich Western cities for a long time – certainly not in the US and UK. Way too expensive (unless its public housing) and a poor environment to bring up children,
I still remember my year living in Dallas in 1989/90 and the shock of seeing a large downtown which was dead and populated only by the poor and homeless after about 6pm. Even San Francisco was similar in parts. Perhaps only New York is different (I haven’t been yet). This is just how the US is – people seem to eat out much earlier and retire home earlier. I still remember trying to find somewhere to eat in San Jose (the centre of Silicon Valley) around 8pm on a weekday evening – a city of 1 million people and no restaurants open. The open stuff is in other districts.
There is huge variation in Europe. Berlin (6 years ago) was clearly still lived in by ordinary families on ordinary incomes. Central Budapest clearly still is (last year). I think Southern Europe and Latin America are similar.
Some of this is historic. Some of it is cultural. Some of it is urban safety and crime (or perceptions of crime).
I much prefer the cities where ordinary people can still afford to live and you can still see children and families. And that are not swamped by tourism.
There was a time in my 20’s when I thought living in a city would be great but living decently was unaffordable. The things that attracted me were all outside my budget. Costly restraunts. Theater tickets beyond my ability to afford. The cost of housing would have made even less expensive options painful. So, I moved to a small city, almost more of a large town.
In my 40’s, I started to think that maybe moving into the city to retire would be a good thing to do. Book shop cafes. Mass transit. Nice restraunts. But again, the cost is just too high to maintain a standard of living.
Now, in my 50’s, I own a townhouse in a nice development that is right behind a very charming main street in a small town in central Virginia. My gym is 3 minutes away. My doctor is 3 minutes away. I have 3 grocery stores within 5 minutes. CVS is right down the street. I’ve got great little restraunts, art galleries, coffee shops and pubs all within a 5 or 10 minute walk. If I hop on my motorcycle I can be out in wine country in 10 minutes. Got great wineries and parks and farm brews all within 10 or 15 minutes. Got a charming little book shop just up the street with a farmers market right behind it every Saturday. If I need more, I can drive 20 minutes up to a bigger town with a great shopping center and movie theater. There is a park, a 3 minute walk from my front door that has great views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I work remotely 4 days a week. My car is a 2016 with 50k miles on it since I barely ever have to drive more than a couple of miles. My total housing cost, mortgage, taxes, insurance, and HOA is $2,100 a month for a 2,350 sq ft, 3 bedroom, 3 bath townhouse. My taxes for my car? $250
Why in the name of God would I ever want to move to a city?
No wife and kids?
Jobs. The vast majority of people don’t work remote jobs, and big metro areas like Houston, Miami, LA, etc. have the lion’s share of jobs and universities. Sure, living in a small midwestern town of 50k people may seem nice, but it’s not going to have much in terms of career opportunities compared to living in the Bay Area or the Miami metro, for example. The neighborhood you live in seems to be quite dense by American standards, if you can access all your daily needs within a 10-15 minute walks (similar to the types of walkable urbanism Jane Jacobs supported), but the biggest factor is how far your job (or your university, if you’re studying) is from your house. Even though Kotkin claims that cities are declining, it has more to do with exurban expansion rather than people moving out of those metro areas entirely. A lot of small towns in the NYC area, for example, are just commuter towns for the city, where a huge portion of the residents will take the train to Manhattan or Brooklyn for work. I actually study in a small town right now, and it’s both cheap and quite densely populated (it’s a college town, after all), but I will be moving to a large metro area after I graduate simply because there aren’t many job opportunities in the college town I live in.
No wife and kids?
Jobs. The vast majority of people don’t work remote jobs, and big metro areas like Houston, Miami, LA, etc. have the lion’s share of jobs and universities. Sure, living in a small midwestern town of 50k people may seem nice, but it’s not going to have much in terms of career opportunities compared to living in the Bay Area or the Miami metro, for example. The neighborhood you live in seems to be quite dense by American standards, if you can access all your daily needs within a 10-15 minute walks (similar to the types of walkable urbanism Jane Jacobs supported), but the biggest factor is how far your job (or your university, if you’re studying) is from your house. Even though Kotkin claims that cities are declining, it has more to do with exurban expansion rather than people moving out of those metro areas entirely. A lot of small towns in the NYC area, for example, are just commuter towns for the city, where a huge portion of the residents will take the train to Manhattan or Brooklyn for work. I actually study in a small town right now, and it’s both cheap and quite densely populated (it’s a college town, after all), but I will be moving to a large metro area after I graduate simply because there aren’t many job opportunities in the college town I live in.
There was a time in my 20’s when I thought living in a city would be great but living decently was unaffordable. The things that attracted me were all outside my budget. Costly restraunts. Theater tickets beyond my ability to afford. The cost of housing would have made even less expensive options painful. So, I moved to a small city, almost more of a large town.
In my 40’s, I started to think that maybe moving into the city to retire would be a good thing to do. Book shop cafes. Mass transit. Nice restraunts. But again, the cost is just too high to maintain a standard of living.
Now, in my 50’s, I own a townhouse in a nice development that is right behind a very charming main street in a small town in central Virginia. My gym is 3 minutes away. My doctor is 3 minutes away. I have 3 grocery stores within 5 minutes. CVS is right down the street. I’ve got great little restraunts, art galleries, coffee shops and pubs all within a 5 or 10 minute walk. If I hop on my motorcycle I can be out in wine country in 10 minutes. Got great wineries and parks and farm brews all within 10 or 15 minutes. Got a charming little book shop just up the street with a farmers market right behind it every Saturday. If I need more, I can drive 20 minutes up to a bigger town with a great shopping center and movie theater. There is a park, a 3 minute walk from my front door that has great views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I work remotely 4 days a week. My car is a 2016 with 50k miles on it since I barely ever have to drive more than a couple of miles. My total housing cost, mortgage, taxes, insurance, and HOA is $2,100 a month for a 2,350 sq ft, 3 bedroom, 3 bath townhouse. My taxes for my car? $250
Why in the name of God would I ever want to move to a city?
‘n some parts of Chicago and Philadelphia, young men now have a greater chance of being killed by firearms than an American soldier serving during the Afghanistan or Iraq wars.’
Young black men,
What do East St.Louis, North Philly, South Side Chicago, Baltimore, Detroit , Memphis and Newark have in common?
What’s distressing is the residents in those cities seem to have no desire to change leadership. Okay with more of the same. St. Louis stands out as being in the top 10 most dangerous cities in the world.
I haven’t been to all those places but what I’ve observed is that through community influence and by bothering to vote at all, (often unmarried) bl@ck women determine the leaders; this population tends to vote on the basis of whoever will give them jobs, welfare and racial grievance. These women don’t need the city to be rid of crime, just their own neighborhoods. And they don’t want the authorities to be too hard on the young men.
In most if not all of those places, hospitals, universities and the city itself are the main employers. So these institutions essentially agree to hire from that population, as well as provide a steady diet of woke nonsense. The elites at these places have to cut deals with the “community” because otherwise they would not have enough votes to do anything.
If you haven’t been to all those places how come you seem to know all about them and what women need?
If you haven’t been to all those places how come you seem to know all about them and what women need?
I haven’t been to all those places but what I’ve observed is that through community influence and by bothering to vote at all, (often unmarried) bl@ck women determine the leaders; this population tends to vote on the basis of whoever will give them jobs, welfare and racial grievance. These women don’t need the city to be rid of crime, just their own neighborhoods. And they don’t want the authorities to be too hard on the young men.
In most if not all of those places, hospitals, universities and the city itself are the main employers. So these institutions essentially agree to hire from that population, as well as provide a steady diet of woke nonsense. The elites at these places have to cut deals with the “community” because otherwise they would not have enough votes to do anything.
Answer: They all vote heavily democratic.
How do you know?
How do you know?
What?
What’s distressing is the residents in those cities seem to have no desire to change leadership. Okay with more of the same. St. Louis stands out as being in the top 10 most dangerous cities in the world.
Answer: They all vote heavily democratic.
What?
‘n some parts of Chicago and Philadelphia, young men now have a greater chance of being killed by firearms than an American soldier serving during the Afghanistan or Iraq wars.’
Young black men,
What do East St.Louis, North Philly, South Side Chicago, Baltimore, Detroit , Memphis and Newark have in common?
In the late 90s & early 00s, even a mild economic downturn was enough to see CBD office space in Melbourne speedily converted to residential. And promotion of the CBD was akin to a cult in the city council. You’d suspect this whole thing has been buoyed up by a frenzy of hyperbole for a while.
Parts of London are now like Dubai ; empty arcades and squares only tenanted by luxury brand boutiques, with one well turned out shop assistant sitting there picking his nose, waiting for the one day in a year when a celebrity pops in to buy a Rolex.
Whereas if you want to go clubbing, or some other traditional inner-city activity, you have to get on the Tube to Zone 3.
In the late 90s & early 00s, even a mild economic downturn was enough to see CBD office space in Melbourne speedily converted to residential. And promotion of the CBD was akin to a cult in the city council. You’d suspect this whole thing has been buoyed up by a frenzy of hyperbole for a while.
Parts of London are now like Dubai ; empty arcades and squares only tenanted by luxury brand boutiques, with one well turned out shop assistant sitting there picking his nose, waiting for the one day in a year when a celebrity pops in to buy a Rolex.
Whereas if you want to go clubbing, or some other traditional inner-city activity, you have to get on the Tube to Zone 3.
It’s all about crime. Fix that one, and everything else will follow. And the only successful experiment in the last 50 years was the Bratton crackdown in NYC (that was abandoned because it targeted the black youth who were and still are committing most urban crime). Today American cities are still doubling down on the fantasy policies that brought on the current mess.
Exactly right. Here 25 miles from Lake Michigan, I sit. Comfortable for now. Chicago, and now it’s county (Cook) are beleaguered by outrageous crimes, and violence, much in broad daylight. The response? The governor signed the same pro-crime legislation that has resulted in a massive rise in theft and grotesque violence in NY, Phila., SanFran, LA. etc.The “other” counties banded together to stop the law, which allows these counties to continue the typical criminal legal process. The state law is essentially an attempt to take the Chicago pro-crime madness and force it on all the country District attorneys.
Chicago is a one party city. How democratic can that be?
Of course, we all know it’s overwhelmingly black youth that commit a massive percentage of the crimes. In the USA. You should be able to believe what you SEE, I would think. No democratic party politician has the nerve or dignity to mention this fact, what we all see happening every day.Rather, We all have to pretend that the cause of this dystopia is any and every thing other than the obvious one, which we see repeatedly happening.
It’s beyond absurd. And it is every urban area in this country.
Address the real problem and maybe the problem can be solved.
But, the rest of the world can help America. STOP coming here for tourism! STAY AWAY from any urban area in the USA.
Exactly right. Here 25 miles from Lake Michigan, I sit. Comfortable for now. Chicago, and now it’s county (Cook) are beleaguered by outrageous crimes, and violence, much in broad daylight. The response? The governor signed the same pro-crime legislation that has resulted in a massive rise in theft and grotesque violence in NY, Phila., SanFran, LA. etc.The “other” counties banded together to stop the law, which allows these counties to continue the typical criminal legal process. The state law is essentially an attempt to take the Chicago pro-crime madness and force it on all the country District attorneys.
Chicago is a one party city. How democratic can that be?
Of course, we all know it’s overwhelmingly black youth that commit a massive percentage of the crimes. In the USA. You should be able to believe what you SEE, I would think. No democratic party politician has the nerve or dignity to mention this fact, what we all see happening every day.Rather, We all have to pretend that the cause of this dystopia is any and every thing other than the obvious one, which we see repeatedly happening.
It’s beyond absurd. And it is every urban area in this country.
Address the real problem and maybe the problem can be solved.
But, the rest of the world can help America. STOP coming here for tourism! STAY AWAY from any urban area in the USA.
It’s all about crime. Fix that one, and everything else will follow. And the only successful experiment in the last 50 years was the Bratton crackdown in NYC (that was abandoned because it targeted the black youth who were and still are committing most urban crime). Today American cities are still doubling down on the fantasy policies that brought on the current mess.
All these places that are gaining population and business are warmer and sunnier than the cities that are declining. Who does not prefer blue skies to murk?
Los Angeles is a very sunny place.
Yes, but……..
Yes, but……..
Los Angeles is a very sunny place.
All these places that are gaining population and business are warmer and sunnier than the cities that are declining. Who does not prefer blue skies to murk?
“barely 20 million of the city’s 420 million square feet of office space is suitable for conversion”
This seems implausible.
I can believe that overly-restrictive building codes make it uneconomic to convert the majority of office buildings, but with some creativity and common sense you’d expect most to be convertible.
I’d say almost any can be converted, but for most the amount of work required to bring them up to code for housing would make them economically unviable
Tthe major issues cited are lack of natural lighting and plumbing problems. Many office buildings are constructed with internal areas, it would require turning most of the floor into one dwelling, although perhaps it can be divided into four areas; however, these may still be very large, I don’t know, I’m not an architect. The plumbing problem arises because lavatories and kitchen areas in these buildings tend to be in a few areas, so if they were converted it would be a devil’s own job to route the plumbing. As I say I don’t know if these are insurmountable problems, there’s part of me that thinks that if those in the know put their thinking-caps on they could come up with solutions.
Sounds like ideal accommodation for the expected tsunami of unwanted immigrants who are about to descend upon us.
Oh, Charles they won’t descend on you, you’re safe in your own little world.
‘About to’? They already have.
Oh, Charles they won’t descend on you, you’re safe in your own little world.
‘About to’? They already have.
Seems to me that open floor plan type units with interior studies or bedrooms would work fine. Maybe not ideal, but for an open floor plan living, dining and kitchen space with views I think a lot of people would be fine with interior spaces without windows.
And who says that the whole building needs to be just housing? Convenience stores or super markets? Have one floor be for common use with an interior garden of some type maybe.
In a large enough building you could provide a lot of housing and probably some small businesses.
Heck, there have to be people who would love to live on the 20th floor and have a small office on the 5th, their gym on the 2nd and a coffee shop and small grocery on the 1st floor. A large enough building could be a self contained small neighborhood.
Sounds like ideal accommodation for the expected tsunami of unwanted immigrants who are about to descend upon us.
Seems to me that open floor plan type units with interior studies or bedrooms would work fine. Maybe not ideal, but for an open floor plan living, dining and kitchen space with views I think a lot of people would be fine with interior spaces without windows.
And who says that the whole building needs to be just housing? Convenience stores or super markets? Have one floor be for common use with an interior garden of some type maybe.
In a large enough building you could provide a lot of housing and probably some small businesses.
Heck, there have to be people who would love to live on the 20th floor and have a small office on the 5th, their gym on the 2nd and a coffee shop and small grocery on the 1st floor. A large enough building could be a self contained small neighborhood.
Agree. If the city worked with the building owners to cut red tape, offered tax credits for the cost of conversion, etc…there has got to be a way to do it.
Why not offer a challenge to a bunch of achitect students or engineering students to see what they come up with for ideas?
Maybe conversions need certain types of waivers but as long as they do not pose a threat to health or safety…why not?
If you have to offer tax credits (a cost), cut regulations and offer waivers (compromise quality), invent new building methods (more cost and risk), why not just knock them down and use the precious land for a building built properly and purpose built for living in?
Because someone owns them?
Because someone owns them?
If you have to offer tax credits (a cost), cut regulations and offer waivers (compromise quality), invent new building methods (more cost and risk), why not just knock them down and use the precious land for a building built properly and purpose built for living in?
I’d say almost any can be converted, but for most the amount of work required to bring them up to code for housing would make them economically unviable
Tthe major issues cited are lack of natural lighting and plumbing problems. Many office buildings are constructed with internal areas, it would require turning most of the floor into one dwelling, although perhaps it can be divided into four areas; however, these may still be very large, I don’t know, I’m not an architect. The plumbing problem arises because lavatories and kitchen areas in these buildings tend to be in a few areas, so if they were converted it would be a devil’s own job to route the plumbing. As I say I don’t know if these are insurmountable problems, there’s part of me that thinks that if those in the know put their thinking-caps on they could come up with solutions.
Agree. If the city worked with the building owners to cut red tape, offered tax credits for the cost of conversion, etc…there has got to be a way to do it.
Why not offer a challenge to a bunch of achitect students or engineering students to see what they come up with for ideas?
Maybe conversions need certain types of waivers but as long as they do not pose a threat to health or safety…why not?
“barely 20 million of the city’s 420 million square feet of office space is suitable for conversion”
This seems implausible.
I can believe that overly-restrictive building codes make it uneconomic to convert the majority of office buildings, but with some creativity and common sense you’d expect most to be convertible.
This gloomy prognosis applies far more to American cities than to cities elsewhere, especially in the old world.
If by “old world” you mean Europe. Perhaps.
But European cities are a completely different animal. Several of them currently thrive on tourist money. A bit like Disney with relics of bygone societies.
Other countries don’t have the American Democrat Party which is anti-police, anti-free speech, anti-law & order, anti-school choice – BUT it is pro-DEI (which in effect is anti-white), pro-prolific welfare programs, pro-immigration, pro-union, especially the teacher’ union, pro-censorship, pro-high taxes, pro-big government – there’s not an issue today on the Democrats’ platform that will help to strengthen and grow American inner-cities,
If by “old world” you mean Europe. Perhaps.
But European cities are a completely different animal. Several of them currently thrive on tourist money. A bit like Disney with relics of bygone societies.
Other countries don’t have the American Democrat Party which is anti-police, anti-free speech, anti-law & order, anti-school choice – BUT it is pro-DEI (which in effect is anti-white), pro-prolific welfare programs, pro-immigration, pro-union, especially the teacher’ union, pro-censorship, pro-high taxes, pro-big government – there’s not an issue today on the Democrats’ platform that will help to strengthen and grow American inner-cities,
This gloomy prognosis applies far more to American cities than to cities elsewhere, especially in the old world.
Ah well. True. I guess all good things come to an end.
In all fairness Great Britain would know about the fall of an empire, wouldn’t it? Sorry, that was a cheap shot but I couldn’t resist. But now all eyes on the US to fail now, and have been for a while. Now, to be honest, for most life in the states is still pretty damn good (just like life in England is). But is there something in the air? A sense of decay from within? Yes. But one thing the author didn’t address is one of the main things that currently makes living in a major city in the US unpalatable: The homeless.
In the cities of the US, the homeless (or unhomed, wth, I can’t keep up) are merrily strewn across the streets, screaming at bystanders with their inner demons or from drugs, desperate to be seen, all filthy…and everyone scratches their heads and wonders how things got this bad. But growing up in Chicago (and here to tell about it, folks) I remember occasionally seeing them (bums, way back then) but for the most part the city had them tucked away in two places: slum housing and hotels (now SRO’s) and a place called “green city” (a nightmare of violence that the police rarely ventured into under Wacker Drive). Now much of that has been cleaned up and dispensed with.
So where do they go? They wander the streets. Before they were left to their own devices with a bed, a hot plate, and a bottle. Unseemly and their existence made most of society uncomfortable…but they served a purpose and were an understood necessity. Until planners minimized the problems plowing them under would create during their urban renewal phases.
The article mentions Chicago, a city I know quite a bit about. Economically, Chicago was a working man’s city and prided itself as such. It was raised on the backs of blue collar workers and their families. They are the ones who were coerced to vote for the unions and the Democrats. Now the families that remain are in two camps with few exceptions, the uber-wealthy on the North Side and the poor black on the South Side. Education and amenities are commensurate. And the Democrats, who once supported the white middle class working man with their neat brick bungalows, now courts the black man on the South Side with continuing promises of progressive financial support, and the “woke” liberals on the North Side who assuage their consciences by supporting social causes. Through high real estate prices on one side to crime and violence on the other, they managed to push the middle class out of the city and can now deal with the third world mess they’ve made of a city once moving towards magnificence with world class museums and architecture and theater and restaurants…..now the homeless live in tents and litter the viaducts. I have no idea how they survive those winters.
California is its own special nightmare thanks to the homeless. Los Angeles, never much of a city, it’s true, is a terrifying place to walk around. San Francisco is worse and continues to fall (I don’t know WHAT the author is talking about?? San Fran “retained its streetwise vitality”?? Um, ok, if you want to call it that…). San Diego, a sweet place with easy going people and beautiful scenery, is plagued by homeless, a desperate bastion of conservatism in a liberal state, they are paying the price.
On the East Coast, NYC took a turn and was a lovely place to visit for several years, but then Covid hit and problems returned. Baltimore is listed as one of the most violent cities in the world. Wilmington is a mess. DC?Don’t step outside the main area. Terrifying and dirty. Boston is holding on but barely.
Minor cities have good areas and bad areas, as always, urban pioneers attempt to anchor neighborhoods with varying degrees of success. Eventually it’s just easier to move the kids and family further out to better schools, bigger houses and safer streets. And yes, creativity takes a hit. It’s hard to exude creative ingenuity in Peoria.
How to really save major cities in the US? Clean them up and make them safe and affordable for working class families again. But you can’t really turn back that clock.
Ah well. True. I guess all good things come to an end.
In all fairness Great Britain would know about the fall of an empire, wouldn’t it? Sorry, that was a cheap shot but I couldn’t resist. But now all eyes on the US to fail now, and have been for a while. Now, to be honest, for most life in the states is still pretty damn good (just like life in England is). But is there something in the air? A sense of decay from within? Yes. But one thing the author didn’t address is one of the main things that currently makes living in a major city in the US unpalatable: The homeless.
In the cities of the US, the homeless (or unhomed, wth, I can’t keep up) are merrily strewn across the streets, screaming at bystanders with their inner demons or from drugs, desperate to be seen, all filthy…and everyone scratches their heads and wonders how things got this bad. But growing up in Chicago (and here to tell about it, folks) I remember occasionally seeing them (bums, way back then) but for the most part the city had them tucked away in two places: slum housing and hotels (now SRO’s) and a place called “green city” (a nightmare of violence that the police rarely ventured into under Wacker Drive). Now much of that has been cleaned up and dispensed with.
So where do they go? They wander the streets. Before they were left to their own devices with a bed, a hot plate, and a bottle. Unseemly and their existence made most of society uncomfortable…but they served a purpose and were an understood necessity. Until planners minimized the problems plowing them under would create during their urban renewal phases.
The article mentions Chicago, a city I know quite a bit about. Economically, Chicago was a working man’s city and prided itself as such. It was raised on the backs of blue collar workers and their families. They are the ones who were coerced to vote for the unions and the Democrats. Now the families that remain are in two camps with few exceptions, the uber-wealthy on the North Side and the poor black on the South Side. Education and amenities are commensurate. And the Democrats, who once supported the white middle class working man with their neat brick bungalows, now courts the black man on the South Side with continuing promises of progressive financial support, and the “woke” liberals on the North Side who assuage their consciences by supporting social causes. Through high real estate prices on one side to crime and violence on the other, they managed to push the middle class out of the city and can now deal with the third world mess they’ve made of a city once moving towards magnificence with world class museums and architecture and theater and restaurants…..now the homeless live in tents and litter the viaducts. I have no idea how they survive those winters.
California is its own special nightmare thanks to the homeless. Los Angeles, never much of a city, it’s true, is a terrifying place to walk around. San Francisco is worse and continues to fall (I don’t know WHAT the author is talking about?? San Fran “retained its streetwise vitality”?? Um, ok, if you want to call it that…). San Diego, a sweet place with easy going people and beautiful scenery, is plagued by homeless, a desperate bastion of conservatism in a liberal state, they are paying the price.
On the East Coast, NYC took a turn and was a lovely place to visit for several years, but then Covid hit and problems returned. Baltimore is listed as one of the most violent cities in the world. Wilmington is a mess. DC?Don’t step outside the main area. Terrifying and dirty. Boston is holding on but barely.
Minor cities have good areas and bad areas, as always, urban pioneers attempt to anchor neighborhoods with varying degrees of success. Eventually it’s just easier to move the kids and family further out to better schools, bigger houses and safer streets. And yes, creativity takes a hit. It’s hard to exude creative ingenuity in Peoria.
How to really save major cities in the US? Clean them up and make them safe and affordable for working class families again. But you can’t really turn back that clock.
There will be no going back from the gender identity nightmare. School children porn and permissive sex anyone anywhere. The decline of the states into oblivion.
There will be no going back from the gender identity nightmare. School children porn and permissive sex anyone anywhere. The decline of the states into oblivion.
I have, for some time, said to anyone who would listen that the US is like the fall of the Roman Empire, and with the speed of both climate change and gender change it sure feels like the end of civilization.
Everyone has compared the US to the Roman Empire for years now. Not a new or independent observation. All empires fall. Look at England.
Gender change is merely a distraction from the real problems.
Everyone has compared the US to the Roman Empire for years now. Not a new or independent observation. All empires fall. Look at England.
Gender change is merely a distraction from the real problems.
I have, for some time, said to anyone who would listen that the US is like the fall of the Roman Empire, and with the speed of both climate change and gender change it sure feels like the end of civilization.