Detroit - An Urban Train Wreck

Rabbit trailing around the blog-sphere the other day, I stumbled upon this article on Totus and this picture of Detroit.  The scene of decay, destruction, and abandonment struck a chord in me and I have not been able to get it out of my mind.  This, of course in Abigail and Dolley fashion, has led me on an exhaustive search to dig into this subject more deeply, to get a full understanding of it, and to form my own conclusions.  The more I find out, the more I realize I could write a hundred entries on this subject.

Liberals are completely responsible for Detroit.  It is their policies, management, and ideas that have made Detroit what it is today.  There can be no denying who or what has caused this destruction, thus, America, I give you Detroit a shining example of Progressive Liberal and Union policies.

An exhaustive case study of Detroit as it pertains to the results of Liberal policies, Union Control, and Race Relations would be a fascinating undertaking.  The study itself is inherently dangerous because you do not grab a Detroit Tiger by its tail and expect to escape unscathed.  The inevitable accusations of racism will follow anyone who looks into this subject.  First and foremost, anytime you examine liberal outcomes you are branded a racist, whether you are or are not is immaterial.  Secondly, the demographic of the cities population today is primarily black, thus speaking frankly about the black community makes you a racist.  Third, a true historical analysis would have to include the three race riots that occurred in 1863, 1943, and 1967.  Any true commentary would have to dispassionately examine the events, causes, and effects of these riots and their ultimate role in where the city is today.

Finally, to examine the facts of the current state of Detroit one must deal honestly with the end effects of wealth redistribution, white flight, failed policies of liberalism, union destruction, an enslaved electorate, and the ultimate destruction of a city once called the Paris of the West, because of it's beautiful architecture.

Detroit Ghetto Street

An Internet search on the problems and the decline of Detroit are documented and written about extensively, but one I am just now "discovering" this issue.  Perhaps, Abigail and Dolley readers, you are also unfamiliar with this subject.  Thus, I will endeavor to put together some coherent thoughts and links that may serve to enlighten you.  Moreover, I will direct you to additional sources of information, rather than simply regurgitating the thoughts of others.  There are dozens of angles to take on Detroit and its problems, this article is not intended to discuss the history of the automobile industry, it is designed to highlight what happens to a city that is run by Liberals and Progressives.

I have never been to Detroit.  I am not Black.  I do not pretend to be a subject matter expert, but find myself oddly fascinated by the macabre subject.  It is like looking upon a dead body and not being able to turn away.  Like rubber necking a gruesome accident, that in spite of yourself, you gaze upon with horror and fascination.

I have familial roots in the Rust Belt.  All of my Great Grandparents and Grandparents made their living in the Rubber Factories of Akron Ohio.  My Dad and Mom left for warmer and greener pastures in the mid 1970's, and I for all intents and purposes am a Southern Lady.  I have inklings of understanding of the destruction of my ancestral home city, but the demise of Akron is mild compared to the complete collapse of Detroit.

Ghetto Field

Here are some statistics for you:

• Detroit is a city founded in 1701 and at one point had a population 1.8 million.  Today, there are less than half of number.  
• Geographically, 55% of the cities area is abandoned.  
• In 1950, Detroit had the highest median income in the country; today it is 66 out of 68.  
• Per capita, Detroit spends over $11,000 per year to educate a student, compared with $9600 nationally, and $6600 for private schools, yet it graduates on 21% of students.
• Detroit's public education system is run completely by the Teacher's Union
  
• Detroit's population is roughly 88% "non-white".  
• 1 in every 47 Detroit residents are homeless.  
• A black man dropping out of high school will faces a 73% rate of unemployment.  He will have a 60% chance of going to jail before he leaves his 20's.  
• Only 56% of the eligible workforce in Detroit is employed (Labor Stats) of those employed, 17.2% work for the government. 
• To hire someone legally in Detroit, you must pay the mandated minimum wage of $10/hour - thus businesses can not afford to open and run businesses there, so the leave.
  
• 47% of households made less than $35,000/year; only 1% had incomes over $200,000.

Each of the above statistics tells a story, each has a cause and effect, each has a human face behind it.  Entire neighborhoods are abandoned.  There are huge sections of the city that are urban prairies.  Some enterprising residents are beginning to farm the land.  Wild Animals are returning.  There are packs of wild dogs, bears, coyotes, raccoons, and even a beaver.


In the ultimate end of liberal policies, Detroit has become a city of "have nots" because they sought to punish the "haves".  As a result, the "haves" left and the "have nots" have even less.  Detroit was touted as the city of hope and a model city of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society, the liberal Democrats were no doubt shocked in 1967 when those they were seeking so diligently to help instead began to riot and burn the city.  Yet, the same failed policies and political solutions that created the problem are still put forth today as the solution.

Detroit Homes Collapsing

Detroit is a case study on what America can expect if the ultra liberal policies of the Obama Administration, the Reid/Pelosi Congress, and the Unions have their way.  Look at Detroit - a complete destruction of the infra-structure that created the wealth to begin with, an enslaved and dependent population, and an all powerful government controlling every aspect of human life.  You must ask yourself, who gains from this arrangement? 

For further information on this subject check out this blogger, http://detroitsghetto.blogspot.com/

The blog gives a good history of the city, explores Devil's Night activities, portrays tons of video and links about the subject and is one of the best sources of info I found on the Detroit ghettos.

Point by point analysis:  Detroit: The Triumph of Progressism