Capitalism
How Did Nearly Every American City End Up Like This?
Submitted 4 days ago by lazycouchpotato@lemmy.world to videos@lemmy.world
Comments
Dadifer@lemmy.world 4 days ago
AviAdi@lemmy.world 4 days ago
Progressives ushered in these changes. It wasn’t capitalism that destroyed cities, it was the government!
Capitalism provided amazing public transportation before the government destroyed it all. European countries copied what we had before the federal government funded highway construction (socialism) and the public transportation companies couldn’t compete (capitalism) so they went bankrupt
scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 4 days ago
No, the private sectors failed at public transit. The reason we have Amtrak is quite literally because private rail failed, and it failed because the private companies realized they made more on freight than passengers, so they quite literally enshittified their own rail service so they wouldn’t need to continue it. In NYC the IRT and the BMT were both on the verge of bankruptcy so the state bailed them out and bought them. In the cases of rail, including Amtrak and the MTA, the government bailed them out, and then politicians continued to cut funding over and over, which is why rail in America is so terrible. Because idiots think rail = socialism now.
You are right with the interstates though. Those were purely the government, funded by the taxpayers, but lobbied for by oil and car companies, who also helped governments buy streetcars so they could then rip out the tracks in favor of roads. So now we have taxpayir subsidized roadsthat help private carriers and businesses.
Ain’t no history like a train nerd history knowledge.
You are so incredibly wrong that I need to take an advil.
Malica@lemmy.zip 3 days ago
Wild to be defending capitalism in this age
daychilde@lemmy.world 3 days ago
One of the root causes, yes, but you can see places where this is overcome by… heavily regulating capitalism.
What we need is to overthrow our oligarchs and solve wealth inequality, then educate people how to think for themselves and care for others, and we could get to the point of wider support for alternatives. Even now, there are places (examples given in the video) where some progress is being made. We could make so much more.
Dadifer@lemmy.world 3 days ago
And the word we use for solving wealth inequality is - socialism
daychilde@lemmy.world 3 days ago
I didn’t learn a whole lot because i know much of what was in here - but this is a GREAT video with those concepts. And as someone who grew up in DFW, it was nice to see Dallas.
The only thing I’d say is that Dallas has been expanding DART light rail for 30 years. It’s slow to expand. But if you are near light rail and need to go to a place near light rail, it’s great. The bus service? Well, last I had to use it was around 1998, so I don’t know how it is these days, but it was decent for service, but bus service is difficult.
In 1998, where I worked was about 45 minutes away from where I lived during off hours; 1h15m or up to 1h30m during rush hour. But when my truck broke and I had to take a bus to light rail to another bus? It was nearly THREE HOURS each way. That’s not workable.
Actually, I just checked and to arrive by 8:30a on Monday from where I used to live and work, it’s a little less than two hours. So maybe they’ve made some improvements. heh. I know that first bus only ran every hour and that was part of it. Hmm, looked up the schedule - runs every half hour. So maybe I was just unluckier back then. heh.
Anyway, what we need is more of converting stroads into slower streets where we can, but we REALLY need medium density mixed development to take off everywhere possible. And also to embrace remote work where possible, creating incentives to do so.
I want to live at a place where I, in my wheelchair, can use the elevator to get down to the street and wheel myself to local shopping and restaurants, with high enough density for delivery services to make sense. I don’t mind going a block or two to get to my car to drive when I need to go places (even though for me, as a dialysis patient, that would be three days per week). I want community spaces to meet my neighbors. I want pretty streets and public spaces. And charging ports for all the parking spots.
But then again, I want a pony an a sports car an an an a whole bunch of candy an… so yes, I get the idea that it’s a dream, okay? lol. But I still want a better city for all of us.
SteveLeo@piefed.social 3 days ago
AviAdi@lemmy.world 4 days ago
Never forget what “progressives” did to our cities.
DmMacniel@feddit.org 4 days ago
when? where? who?
AviAdi@lemmy.world 4 days ago
The progressives of the early 20th century deemed public transportation as old fashioned and welcomed new technology that destroyed our cities. Those same progressives sold the idea we can “help” black communities by declaring blight and providing government housing. How did that work out?
How did that new deal work out for you folks?
Edges@lemmy.zip 4 days ago
I never thought the anti car movement would go anywhere. Its been incredible to see my city building bike lanes and starting other, more ambitous projects.
scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 4 days ago
I think it’s finally been rooted out as one of the major causes for a lot of North American’s frustrations. All the talk about gas prices are root caused by not having walkable cities. Big corporations and their enshittification is made worse by main streets closing up with smaller shops being pushed out for big box stores. The lonliness epidemics have in no small part been tied to the loss of third spaces and the isolating design of suburban sprawl.
I’m all for it, let’s get at these problems. The auto & oil industries have been profiting off of the slow decline of our cities, it’s time we push back.
(Note I know all of those issues are complicated and nuanced, but the thing I can guarantee is that they are all exacerbated by dominant car culture)
LarryBetraitor@lemmy.world 3 days ago
To be clear, Nintendo and their shills are the “Quit Having Fun” people, not me. If I was against fun, I wouldn’t be against Nintendo.