This week I posted on Shmuel Nosrati's blog:
David Harvey's article on neo-liberalism sparked my interest in patterns
(including the occupy movement) that have been recurring but each
individually hold that they are the beginning of a revolution. I really
enjoyed your perspective on this issue and liked to partner it with
Harveys word's where Bush jr. sold neo-liberalism in the package of 'a
peaceful world of growing freedom' and most pointedly 'serves American
long-term interests, reflects enduring ideals and unites Americas
allies' I am to believe; only allies to "freedom" and somewhere a cowboy
holds his hat over his heart and sheds a tear.
This structural
propaganda has seemed to instill itself in every part of our
policymakers psyche to the point that the suburbs are now the main
holders of any neo-liberal city's industrial tax base. I grew up in
Honolulu Hawaii and what is true for most suburbs in America seems to be
true of Honolulu as well. Honolulu's governing district is technically
spread over the entire island of O'ahu however, the suburbs I am
referencing are known as a different district altogether known as
Kailua. Here there is an incredible concentration of whites (according
to simplymaps)
who have comparatively high in terms of the incomes in
valley communities like McCully or Kalihi. While public transportation
is a readily available commodity in Honolulu, it's very difficult to get
around without some sort of auto. The only way to get from Honolulu to
Kailua is over a mountain range. There are those who walk it, but then
again there are those who walk up the sidewalkless uphill inclines of
the Beverly Hills proscenium arches. These architectural models are
intended to keep poor people out and are a result of the affluent
classes living away from the areas that their tax dollars would
conceivably pay for. In essence, one could view the relationship between
the poorer parts of Honolulu and Kailua as the result of neoliberal
architecture.
It is sad that the design of some cities (like Los
Angeles) contribute to growing inequality and furthering segregation
and classism. What are we to do after the fact to reconcile these
differences? The best idea I've seen so far has been Majora Carter's
talk on greening the ghetto. Hopefully more ideas will come that are not
limited to the obviously ineffective backlashes of social-welfare
movements.
