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View Full Version : DETROIT long but worth the read if you care.


fesler
02-01-2011, 06:35 AM
Once the automotive capital of the world Detroit is now a modern day waste land and some argue a microchosim of America's future.....worth the read.

By Frosty Wooldridge

(Frosty Wooldridge (born 1947) is a US journalist, writer, environmentalist, traveler)


For 15 years, from the mid 1970's to 1990, I worked in Detroit , Michigan . I watched it descend into the abyss of crime, debauchery, gun play, drugs, school truancy, car-jacking, gangs, and human depravity. I watched entire city blocks burned out. I watched graffiti explode on buildings, cars, trucks, buses, and school yards. Trash everywhere!

Detroiters walked through it, tossed more into it, and ignored it. Tens of thousands, and then hundreds of thousands today exist on federal welfare, free housing, and food stamps!

With Aid to Dependent Children, minority women birthed eight to 10, and in one case, one woman birthed 24 children as reported by the Detroit Free Press, all on American taxpayer dollars.

A new child meant a new car payment, new TV, and whatever mom wanted. I saw Lyndon Baines Johnson's 'Great Society' flourish in Detroit . If you give money for doing nothing, you will get more hands out taking money for doing nothing.

Mayor Coleman Young, perhaps the most corrupt mayor in America , outside of Richard Daley in Chicago , rode Detroit down to its knees... He set the benchmark for cronyism, incompetence, and arrogance. As a black man, he said, "I am the MFIC." The IC meant "in charge".


You can figure out the rest. Detroit became a majority black city with 67 percent African-Americans.

As a United Van Lines truck driver for my summer job from teaching math and science, I loaded hundreds of American families into my van for a new life in another city or state.

Detroit plummeted from 1.8 million citizens to 912,000 today. At the same time, legal and illegal immigrants converged on the city, so much so, that Muslims number over 300,000. Mexicans number 400,000 throughout Michigan , but most work in Detroit . As the whites moved out, the Muslims moved in.

As the crimes became more violent, the whites fled. Finally, unlawful Mexicans moved in at a torrid pace. Detroit suffers so much shoplifting that grocery stores no longer operate in many inner city locations. You could cut the racial tension in the air with a knife!

Detroit may be one of our best examples of multiculturalism: pure dislike, and total separation from America .

Today, you hear Muslim calls to worship over the city like a new American Baghdad with hundreds of Islamic mosques in Michigan , paid for by Saudi Arabia oil money. High school flunk out rates reached 76 percent last June, according to NBC's Brian Williams. Classrooms resemble more foreign countries than America . English? Few speak it! The city features a 50 percent illiteracy rate and growing.


Unemployment hit 28.9 percent in 2009 as the auto industry vacated the city. In Time Magazine's October 4, 2009, "The Tragedy of Detroit: How a great city fell, and how it can rise again," I choked on the writer's description of what happened. "If Detroit had been ravaged by a hurricane, and submerged by a ravenous flood, we'd know a lot more about it," said Daniel Okrent. "If drought, and carelessness had spread brush fires across the city, we'd see it on the evening news every night."

Earthquake, tornadoes, you name it, if natural disaster had devastated the city that was once the living proof of American prosperity, the rest of the country might take notice.

But Detroit , once our fourth largest city, now 11th, and slipping rapidly, has had no such luck. Its disaster has long been a slow unwinding that seemed to remove it from the rest of the country.

Even the death rattle that in the past year emanated from its signature industry brought more attention to the auto executives than to the people of the city, who had for so long been victimized by their dreadful decision making."

As Coleman Young's corruption brought the city to its knees, no amount of federal dollars could save the incredible payoffs, kick backs, and illegality permeating his administration. I witnessed the city's death from the seat of my 18-wheeler tractor trailer because I moved people out of every sector of decaying Detroit .

"By any quantifiable standard, the city is on life support. Detroit 's treasury is $300 million short of the funds needed to provide the barest municipal services," Okrent said. "The school system, which six years ago was compelled by the teachers' union to reject a philanthropist's offer of $200 million to build 15 small, independent charter high schools, is in receivership. The murder rate is soaring, and 7 out of 10 remain unsolved. Three years after Katrina devastated New Orleans , unemployment in that city hit a peak of 11%. In Detroit , the unemployment rate is 28.9%.

That's worth spelling out: twenty-eight point nine percent." At the end of Okrent's report, and he will write a dozen more about Detroit, he said, "That's because the story of Detroit is not simply one of a great city's collapse, it's also about the erosion of the industries that helped build the country we know today. The ultimate fate of Detroit will reveal much about the character of America in the 21st century. If what was once the most prosperous manufacturing city in the nation has been brought to its knees, what does that say about our recent past? And if it can't find a way to get up, what does that say about our future?"

As you read in my book review of Chris Steiner's book, "$20 Per Gallon", the auto industry won't come back. Immigration will keep pouring more, and more uneducated third world immigrants from the Middle East into Detroit , thus creating a beachhead for Islamic hegemony in America . If 50 percent illiteracy continues, we will see more homegrown terrorists spawned out of the Muslim ghettos of Detroit . Illiteracy plus Islam equals walking human bombs.

You have already seen it in Madrid , Spain ; London , England and Paris , France with train bombings, subway bombings and riots. As their numbers grow, so will their power to enact their barbaric Sharia Law that negates republican forms of government, first amendment rights, and subjugates women to the lowest rungs on the human ladder. We will see more honor killings by upset husbands, fathers, and brothers that demand subjugation by their daughters, sisters and wives. Muslims prefer beheadings of women to scare the hell out of any other members of their sect from straying. Multiculturalism: what a perfect method to kill our language, culture, country, and way of life.

I PRAY EVERYONE THAT READS THIS REALIZES THAT IF WE DON'T STAND UP, AND SCREAM AT WASHINGTON , AND OUR STATE, CITY, AND LOCAL LEADERS THIS IS WHAT AWAITS THE REST OF AMERICA . IF YOU FOLLOW THE NEWS AT ALL YOU KNOW THIS HAS HAPPENED IN ENGLAND , AND FRANCE AND SPAIN .

IF YOU THINK THIS IS JUST A BUNCH OF HOOEY AND YOU FEEL NO DUTY TO FIGHT FOR THIS COUNTRY, THEN I'M SORRY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WILL TAKE FOR YOU TO STAND AND FIGHT.


"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." -- Benjamin Franklin

Sieg
02-01-2011, 07:15 AM
"Good" read Chris. It will be in the hands of a city councilor, county comissioner, and chief of police before noon.

What's happening to this country is appalling.

fesler
02-01-2011, 07:41 AM
We have all got to start doing something or we won’t have a country left to do anything. They will take it away from us state by state and its time we put our feet down and stop this nonsense. For this to happen in the car capital of the world is crazy and I was there last year and it is a scary place, I have pictures of down town at 9am on a Friday and there is not a car around. I stopped at the intersection on a green light and got out to take a picture. I have never been to a city where you could just stop your car and get out to take pictures with no one around. Tiger stadium looked like it was in ruins it’s just amazing how a city in the US could look so run down.

cees67
02-01-2011, 10:38 AM
interesting stuff........every once in a while on the net i run across some photogs pics of Detroit . It shows how run down that city truly is and its amazing . We need to look out for whats ours and the younger generations need to toughen up....and im saying that as a 32 year old!

realcoray
02-01-2011, 12:20 PM
Once the automotive capital of the world Detroit is now a modern day waste land and some argue a microchosim of America's future.....worth the read.


Seems pretty racist to me. No one would suggest that Detroit doesn't have issues but this junk seems to suggest that it's all to blame on the blacks and muslims, oh don't forget the mexicans!

Maybe it's because GM, Ford and Chrylser sucked so hardcore for so long that their own destruction destroyed the city they called home, and people who happen to struggle to get by moved in to live in the wreckage.

Shmoov69
02-01-2011, 01:13 PM
Good read Chris, thanks for posting it. There are sooooo many reasons for the problem, that I can't get into it......that got another thread locked, so I won't comment! Lol.

And Realcoray, it may "seem" racist, but facts are facts. Black, white, brown, yellow or green. Most stereotypes are caused, not created IMO. I deal with stereotypes everyday at work.

realcoray
02-01-2011, 02:01 PM
Good read Chris, thanks for posting it. There are sooooo many reasons for the problem, that I can't get into it......that got another thread locked, so I won't comment! Lol.

And Realcoray, it may "seem" racist, but facts are facts. Black, white, brown, yellow or green. Most stereotypes are caused, not created IMO. I deal with stereotypes everyday at work.

The issue is they are portrayed as facts when they really aren't. I wouldn't even question that stereotypes have some basis in reality, but at the same time I know that it's rarely as simple as people make it.

The article blames people because of their race and goes on to suggest that there's some sort of ridiculous conspiracy to convert the united states to islam. Movies have more solid plot lines than this garbage.

In any event, if that were to ever happen we'll just do what we white folks have done before, go to someplace new, kill or round up everyone who is already there and move on with life.

Sieg
02-01-2011, 02:05 PM
The underlying issue is the trend in public sector growth that is not sustainable as they are dependant on diminishing private sector tax revenues.

jimbo
02-01-2011, 03:00 PM
In Detroit we have tail gunners on our beer trucks:unibrow:

Hiroshima vs. Detroit 64 years later. Interesting pics.http://www.fourwinds10.com/siterun_data/spiritual/pictures/news.php?q=1254861706

Reckley
02-01-2011, 05:51 PM
[QUOTE= Tiger stadium looked like it was in ruins.[/QUOTE]

That's because they were getting ready to tear it down...:lol: The Tigers have been playing at Comerica park since 2000.

I agree things are bad in Detroit but it's not as bad as He describes.

Mike

bdahlg68
02-01-2011, 07:56 PM
There are some cool places in Detroit. But, the city is a disaster. And I honestly think the actual citizens of Detroit would reelect Kwame tomorrow if they were given the chance. The population just doesn't seem to know how to help itself collectively. Unfortnately the city won't change unless the people do.

RECOVERY ROOM
02-01-2011, 07:56 PM
Interesting read, Thats sad to see

68KMARO
02-02-2011, 07:27 AM
people will not change unless the government changes. People need to wake up and see whats really going on.

rich

NOPANTS68
02-02-2011, 11:27 AM
people will not change unless the government changes. People need to wake up and see whats really going on.

rich

I think the government did change in 2008. It took a radical to create a Tea Party. The sleeping giant has been awoken.

ProTouring442
02-02-2011, 01:21 PM
Seems pretty racist to me. No one would suggest that Detroit doesn't have issues but this junk seems to suggest that it's all to blame on the blacks and muslims, oh don't forget the mexicans!

Maybe it's because GM, Ford and Chrylser sucked so hardcore for so long that their own destruction destroyed the city they called home, and people who happen to struggle to get by moved in to live in the wreckage.

If GM, Ford, and Chrysler have been so bad, why have they all sold so many cars?

And while I would agree that Detroit's problems cannot be blamed on a single factor, the fact that gang members are predominately Black and Hispanic must mean something.

http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Content/Images/Graphics/Graphs/gangChart_ethnicitygangmembers.jpg
(source: http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov)

My guess is that the problem is assimilation. A large non-American culture has arisen within these communities, and it is destroying cities. Add tot hat mix immigrants who also refuse to assimilate, and the cities become even worse.

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

realcoray
02-02-2011, 02:42 PM
If GM, Ford, and Chrysler have been so bad, why have they all sold so many cars?

And while I would agree that Detroit's problems cannot be blamed on a single factor, the fact that gang members are predominately Black and Hispanic must mean something.

http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Content/Images/Graphics/Graphs/gangChart_ethnicitygangmembers.jpg
(source: http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov)

My guess is that the problem is assimilation. A large non-American culture has arisen within these communities, and it is destroying cities. Add tot hat mix immigrants who also refuse to assimilate, and the cities become even worse.

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

The issue is if you correlate race with something, you neglect to understand what may really be happening.

Blacks and Hispanics are like 3x more likely to be below the poverty line, and the graph comparing all races in regards to poverty would be very similar to the gang or crime one.

I agree that assimilation is critical but people expect it to be instant which isn't reasonable. If you had to move to Italy for your job, do you think you could completely assimilate in the same time frame you expect others? Or, is it more likely that if you have children there, they will assimilate?

The same sort of knee jerk reactions to large groups of so called foreigners has happened over and over again in American history. Those dirty drunk irish, I hate them! Those italians with their ferraris and olive oil, they refuse to learn the language! They are all destroying our America!

Detroit was destroyed by the big 3, in the same way that numerous towns who relied on a single industry have experienced the downside of said industry leaving or dying. It's just the biggest city that's all.

Shmoov69
02-02-2011, 03:29 PM
Surely you are not saying that it was destroyed by the big three alone?? But rather all the issues that came with the big three?? Unions, greed, lazieness, wealth, entitlement, out of touch management etc...

DaveO
02-02-2011, 11:33 PM
(Frosty Wooldridge (born 1947) is a US journalist, writer, environmentalist, traveler)


Wow, almost sounds credible until you get past the Wikipedia credentials. Hitler was a well-known writer, too - doesn't make him right. This guy is extreme in his views on immigration and unfortunately, he appeals to xenophobes looking to assess 'blame' for the decline of Western Civilization. The fact is, the issues facing our country and our standing in the world are much more complicated than "immigrants". As for me, I'm a firm believer in the greatness of our country and our diversity is one of our greatest strengths that we can rely on to overcome adversity. United we stand, divided we fall.

DaveO
02-02-2011, 11:39 PM
Good read Chris, thanks for posting it. There are sooooo many reasons for the problem, that I can't get into it......that got another thread locked, so I won't comment! Lol.

And Realcoray, it may "seem" racist, but facts are facts. Black, white, brown, yellow or green. Most stereotypes are caused, not created IMO. I deal with stereotypes everyday at work.

Most stereotypes are caused by ignorance.

ProTouring442
02-03-2011, 02:30 AM
Most stereotypes are caused by ignorance.

Yes, and no. Yes, in that most stereotypes are the result of not being able to see a larger picture, but no in that many stereotypes are the result of someone's experience. My father owned a service station in Capitol Heights, Maryland, and someone who dealt with life in that area, and unable to see beyond that area, could very easily develop a negative stereotype of a certain segment of the population as defined by race. This does not mean that I agree with such stereotypes, or that I think that all people who fit the racial description also fit the stereotype, it only means that I can see how they can develop.

It is also true that negative stereotypes are present on both sides of any color line. I don't think there was a day that went by where I did not hear someone explain that some problem of one sort or another was caused because "all white people" are (fill in the blank).

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

ProTouring442
02-03-2011, 02:38 AM
The issue is if you correlate race with something, you neglect to understand what may really be happening.

Blacks and Hispanics are like 3x more likely to be below the poverty line, and the graph comparing all races in regards to poverty would be very similar to the gang or crime one.

I agree that assimilation is critical but people expect it to be instant which isn't reasonable. If you had to move to Italy for your job, do you think you could completely assimilate in the same time frame you expect others? Or, is it more likely that if you have children there, they will assimilate?

The same sort of knee jerk reactions to large groups of so called foreigners has happened over and over again in American history. Those dirty drunk irish, I hate them! Those italians with their ferraris and olive oil, they refuse to learn the language! They are all destroying our America!

Detroit was destroyed by the big 3, in the same way that numerous towns who relied on a single industry have experienced the downside of said industry leaving or dying. It's just the biggest city that's all.

You are most certainly correct, correlation does not mean causation. However, it would be just as foolish to say that certain segments of the population, as defined by race, do not have a problem within their ranks. As for assimilation, I would agree if it were not for the fact that some ethnicities display the same assimilation difficulties despite the fact that they are not, on average, first generation Americans. Instead certain ethnicities have, for one reason or another, developed a culture that is significantly different in both its outlook and its morality from that of what might be called a "mainstream" US culture. It is a shame that certain people defining themselves as so-called "leaders" of these extra-mainstream cultures, instead of working against the negative values and actions displayed therein, actually work to reinforce the negative actions and values in order to perpetuate their own power position.

"No greater injury can be done to any youth than to let him feel that because he belongs to this or that race he will be advanced in life regardless of his own merits or efforts." -Booker T. Washington

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

Sieg
02-03-2011, 08:51 AM
Wow, almost sounds credible until you get past the Wikipedia credentials. Hitler was a well-known writer, too - doesn't make him right. This guy is extreme in his views on immigration and unfortunately, he appeals to xenophobes looking to assess 'blame' for the decline of Western Civilization. The fact is, the issues facing our country and our standing in the world are much more complicated than "immigrants". As for me, I'm a firm believer in the greatness of our country and our diversity is one of our greatest strengths that we can rely on to overcome adversity. United we stand, divided we fall.
Sadly diversity is driving division resulting in lack of unity.

Shmoov69
02-03-2011, 09:04 AM
Very good writing Bill!! You did very good keeping it "PC", much better than I could have! LOL!:cheers:

On the other note..
I'm too black and white (not race) with not much gray. Facts are facts and I STILL believe stereotypes ARE usually brought on by the people being stereotyped. There are without question exceptions, but stereotypes are there because of a history of a certian thing. Good or bad.
What stereotype do you fill the blank in with?
Trailer trash?
7-11 clerks?
Cab drivers?
Pro football players?
Pro football QB's?
Pro hockey players?
Gang members?
NASCAR drivers?
Rednecks?
Blonde girls?
Cowboys?
Terrorists?
Olympic long distance runners?
Phone "tech support"?
Cheap labor?
Cheap goods?
Politicians?
Skinheads?
Televangelists?
Construction workers?
They ALL have a stereotype, some good, some bad and some just because. You get an image of a "stereotype" for everyone of those. That is because a good portion of those examples are a certian way.
Now, hopefully this isn't taken in a bad way and just discussion! :cheers:

Sieg
02-03-2011, 09:09 AM
but stereotypes are there because of a history of a certian thing. Good or bad.
The Aussies are pros at sterotyping in a quite hilarious way...........IMO

PS - You left out cracker. :rofl:

marks914
02-03-2011, 09:53 AM
As a lifer here in the D, I have lived here 40 years as of next week. While the metro area is quite nice with its lakes, parks and big houses, the city does suffer. Many things are to blame, things were on a slope long before the 67 race riots, which I have not heard mentioned, maybe I missed it.
Right now there is not a major department or grocery store in the city, and no jobs. Comerica is pulling out to go to Tennessee, and Im sure more will follow.
The big problems are education and jobs. Yes, there is a 75% drop out rate in DPS. There are not any jobs either. The next savior was supposed to be the movie industry, but the city keeps blowing that too.
Not sure what else there is to do, now they are talking about moving everyone, yes everyone to a more central location and "homesteading" the rest of the city.
While I live and work in town, I hope something happens to get things on the right track. Even Dennis Archer gave up, probably the best mayor in a long time. Its not so much about corruption, look at Chicago, the government is totally corrupt, but look, everything works and gets done.
Thats all I've got
Mark
One great thing for me, is we can get anything made in town, injection mold tools, glass, metal stampings, that part is great!
Yes our instruments are made in Detroit.

68KMARO
02-03-2011, 01:06 PM
2008 GOVT CHANGED? Not so the people in power represent big business only.
90% of the wealth of the USA is controlled by 10% of the people. Why should senators get their salary for life? And when the senator dies the spouse gets their pension, that is ridiculous. It all starts at the top democrat, republican, congress and senate. tea party is all about rhetoric, name calling, mud slinging, etc, no substance. No senator or congressman has backed up a promise except to big business. lobbiests are one of the many problems.We need concrete solutions not talk. Where to begin. If you are bleeding from a deep wound, what do the doctors do, they close the wound, stitch it up tight. This is what i would do to our border with mexico. We could put alot of people back to work constucting this wall. This is step one.

rich

T-Type
02-03-2011, 11:05 PM
Seems pretty racist to me. No one would suggest that Detroit doesn't have issues but this junk seems to suggest that it's all to blame on the blacks and muslims, oh don't forget the mexicans!

Maybe it's because GM, Ford and Chrylser sucked so hardcore for so long that their own destruction destroyed the city they called home, and people who happen to struggle to get by moved in to live in the wreckage.

let me start out by saying that the biggest reason i came and joined lateral g next to all the great info available on cars was that there is no talk of politics and religious beliefs here. it surprises me this thread was allowed to be kept open at all. as realcoray and a few others have pointed out, this article is racist and extremely biased. i'm glad there are sane people out there that can see this article for what it is. this article is nothing short of propaganda. to blame the demise of detroit simply on immigration and various ethnicities is pure insanity.

question for mr fesler. say mr. mohammad calls you up in his thickest accent wanting to buy parts for his camaro.....are you going to hang up on him for ruining america or look beyond his color and only see the color green?

camcojb
02-04-2011, 12:49 AM
yeah, heading political in my opinion also...........