Posted on 12/25/2008 6:39:29 PM PST by quesney
Before I'd left [for Detroit], I'd asked an acquaintance if he was from Detroit. "Indeed I am," he said, "Give me all your f--ing money."
Another colleague, always mindful of my desire for maximum material, suggested, "You should go when it's warm, you'd have a better chance of getting hurt."
Somewhere along the way, Detroit became our national ashtray, a safe place for everyone to stub out the butt of their jokes...
But with millions of jobs on the line, including their own, the Detroit Three honchos went to Washington to endure the kabuki theater, first in their private jets, then in their sad little hybrids. All to get their slats kicked in by Congress (and who has been more profligate than they) in order to secure a bridge loan to withstand an economy wrecked by others who'd secured no-strings bailouts before them. The absurdist spectacle was best summed up by car aficionado Jay Leno: "People who are trillions of dollars in debt, yelling at people who are billions of dollars in debt."
It happens, though, when you're from Detroit. In the popular imagination, the Motor City has gone from being the Arsenal of Democracy, so named for their converting auto factories to make the weapons which helped us win World War II, and the incubator of the middle class (now leading the nation in foreclosure rates, Detroit once had the highest rate of home ownership in the country), to being Dysfunction Junction.
To Detroit's credit, they've earned it.
(Excerpt) Read more at weeklystandard.com ...
Will the hollowing out of Detroit become a metaphor/preview of America?
Well, “The Motor City” is historical because the first cars in the world were manufactured there. Other than that it’s just a rotten hole.
The end of the domestic auto industry in America will not be the catastrophe that the Dem-lib old timers claim.
US consumers will have to buy cars somewhere, and I truly believe Honda, Toyota, and a few others will quickly build new modern car production plants on AMERICAN soil.
Instead of “made in Detroit”... cars will be made in Tennessee, or Kentucky, or North Carolina... by AMERICAN workers... working for multi-national companies.
The only difference is a good chunk of the money (and it is SMALL compared to how much OIL we now buy from foreign countries) will end up in the hands of Honda, Toyota, etc.
After all, US consumers will still need cars... and someone will step in and make them.
As conflicted as I am about watching another American industry decline, I say good riddence to the UAW ... which is nothing but a Democrat fundraising and vote stealing machine.
But...but...Detroit gave us KISS, Eminem, Nugent, and Kid Rock!
I was born and raised in Detroit. In the 1950s it was a good place to grow up, at least on the west side. It was also the most segretated city in the U.S. I never talked to a black guy my age until I got to basic training in 1960. I left for good in 1964, when it was still liveable. Now I get back once a decade or so. Probably will make it to my 50th High School Reunion in Sep 09, and that will probably be my last trip home. It’s just too painful to go back and see how badly the once-great Motor City has degenerated. None of my old high school pals still live in the city; they mostly live around Livonia. Damned shame,
Michigan ping
LOL!
Wait, that's really not so funny.
Great article.
Man, I read about half the story....very long, scanned the rest. Makes you want to cry for America...that this once proud nation can have sunk so low in even its lowest place.
There is no saving a Detroit - no amount of bailout, make work government jobs, no glorious retraining progams, no welfare programs or free food will cut it.
I haven't got an answer how to reverse it....but it's sure not more of what got it there....unionized public workers, schools run by students, teachers run by the NEA, handouts, unmotivated police and officials, single mothers who make more with each kid popped out, work that is demeaning and without pride, an eroding tax base, no imagination.
Damn....an article like this can ruin Christmas.
Great writing....yep, he deserves an award. Maybe some on the left in Congress will take notice and feel shame - though I doubt it.
Take a look at those photos of Detroit. Makes you both mad and sad.
This article was astounding. I second the motion. Give the man an award. Also, surely if we can put all these Chinese and Indian nationals to work making things for us, couldn’t we find it in our hearts to bring back the great city of Detroit? When did the religion of international trade replace taking care of our own once great people and cities? I am no Obama fan but if he is for closing the borders and making things for Americans by Americans, I will think very hard about climbing on board for that proposition.
Just wow...
Thank you for posting this. It hooked me before I realized how long it was, and then I couldn’t stop reading. Truly great writing. Worth hanging in for every word. Words fail me.
FRegards,
LH
I grew up on the East side in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s.
I wouldn’t trade growing up in Detroit in the 60’s for any other spot on Earth.
Detroit is the best example of leftist policies that one can observe.
The UAW,The City of Detroit,The Teamsters,The MEA,and the municipal unions drove my city into the ground.
There will never be a Republican (or a Conservative)
elected to the Mayoral-ship in my lifetime.
I hope they are all very happy for themselves.
Yes, agree. I think part of what grabs and holds you is the general knowledge that it was once a great, growing, vibrant city. It was America's future. - Is it still America's future?
Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler should never have set up shop in Detroit, or Michigan for that matter. They should have each set up shop in different cities other than Detroit.
If you had to pick the first American city to be put under military law...Detroit would be it. The public is not capable of voting and electing competent leadership. The number of trustworthy and honest political figures in the city probably number less than five (out of two thousand potential). If anyone ever started a reality show based on what happens in a 24-hour day...it’d put off the air within one day because of disbelief of what is being allowed to go on the show.
Yes, I'm afraid so - - at least, it's likely the same future that awaits the rest of America's Democrat-controlled parasite nests ("cities") sooner or later.
FRegards,
LH
At one time Detroit, Michigan was one of, or the wealthiest state in the union.
They ranked #1 in more than then just automotive there was the salt mines, beets, and much more.
Detroit was the engine that ran the nation economy at one time.
So now Michigan has fallen on hard times but once upon a time it spread wealth to just about every state in the union.
The dismantling of Michigan was by design to change the economy of America and in order to do had to destroy the automotive industry which would also cause neighboring states to suffer.
When “What can you do for me today fails!” than one see if there was any sincere graditute from this nation ever existed!
I was born and rasied here and took what Michigan had for granted it was not until I moved away in 1972 and return in 2008 to realized what was once was.
One of the down falls of Michigan was that people keep voting for Democrats even those just about everything disagree with their values the news here was never presented only the fact that Dems (aka unions) were for the working class BS.
The famous WJR radio did a good job at having Rush, Hannity and Levin for the revenue $$ they also undermind them by only two hours of Hannity follow by the idiot Mitch Album and Mark Levine never came on until 8pm by that time everyone was busy or watching TV, a couple times during the election Mark had vital information and he was preenmpted for sports or some other BS.
That speaks for me. A compelling article, and many thanks for posting.
Sometimes I think journalism is as dead as Detroit and for the same reasons: hubris, corruption, and incompetence. But every now and then an article like this shows that there are real journalists still out there, picking through their own shattered wreckage and wondering how it all came to this. (I wonder if the author's friend Charlie, who used to work for the NY Times, would agree with that). Be that as it may, this is one great piece.
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