Inconvenient Truth Number 678: Are blacks worse than Atomic Bombs?

Are blacks worse than Atomic Bombs?

by Vox Day @ Vox Popoli August 14, 2016

I was drawn to look into this for myself after Snopes tried to dismiss a meme that was going around comparing Hiroshima to Detroit on the basis of some rather spurious grounds, so I thought I'd have a look at the evidence myself.

Now, some have argued that because Detroit's core downtown is still intact, this proves that the decay of the city surrounding it is irrelevant. But a city is more than its downtown, as the comparative population figures demonstrate the same contrast that the pictures do.

Detroit population 
1950: 1.8 million
2016: 680,000

Hiroshima population
1945: 260,000
2015: 1.2 million

Note that this is the most favorable possible comparison for Detroit, as the 1945 Hiroshima population is post-bombing and is based upon the smallest reported casualty count. Moreover, Detroit filed for bankruptcy in 2013, which was the largest municipal bankruptcy filing in US history.

The claim that the pictures are misleading is a dishonest and knowingly deceitful response. The fact that the downtown still exists merely indicates the destructive process is not yet entirely complete, as that downtown is now "a tiny urban island" in a grass-covered, depopulated sea.

"Detroit teacher sick-out closes more than 90 schools"

Former bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes, who was appointed this year to oversee the district, also said Saturday that DPS would be unable to fund summer school or special education programs after June 30.

On Sunday night, he said in a statement that the union's "choice for a drastic call to action was not necessary" and said that a sickout is "counterproductive and detrimental" to the efforts of those trying to help the school district.

"I understand the frustration and anger that our teachers feel," Rhodes said. "I am, however, confident that the Legislature will support the request that will guarantee that teachers will receive the pay that is owed to them."

Teacher strikes are illegal under Michigan law. Sick-outs earlier this year caused tens of thousands of students to miss class.

GOP Debate

Are you watching?

Chinese Investors Snap Up Property In Bankrupt Detroit

China is experiencing a massive migration of its wealthiest citizens and their money to other countries, especially the United States.  Until the recent decade, few Chinese had any wealth; this is a new phenomena.  But now China has a rapidly growing middle and upper class, and an increasingly shaky economy, and wealth flows toward more secure environments.

If they could buy Broadway and Park Avenue, they would.  Rich Chinese investors are the biggest buyers of high-end luxury real estate in New York. And on a national level, they replaced Canada as the leading foreign buyer of American properties.

“The Chinese like anything new, and they like brand named locations like Central Park South,” says Dottie Herman, CEO of Douglas Elliman, one of the leading real estate brokers in the city.

The property market in China, coupled with a stronger currency, is also enticing Chinese millionaires to buy homes here. Beijing no longer permits individuals to own more than two properties, even as an investment. So a growing number are going abroad as cash buyers.

But what do you do if you're a Chinese millionaire who isn't millionaire enough to buy property in Manhattan?  Or Hollywood?  Or Hawaii?

You buy property in Detroit.

With family homes regularly selling for around $10,000, the beleaguered Motor City is now the number-four destination for Chinese housing investors in the U.S. Bigger spenders have already snapped up some of Detroit’s most iconic commercial buildings.

A Chinese company named SouFun lists thousands of abandoned Detroit properties on its website at a price of $10,000 each.  Buyers snap them up, sight unseen.

“700,000 people, quiet, clean air, no pollution, democracy — what are you waiting for?”

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has made several trips to China for the purpose of encouraging Chinese investment in Detroit.   Chinese investors are listening.

In Sept. 2013, property developer Dongdu International Group of Shanghai (DDI) shelled out $13.6 million — the price of one of Shanghai's upscale apartments — for three iconic structures in Detroit, including the Detroit Free Press building and a complex built by Kmart founder Sebastian Kresge.

“Detroit is like Shanghai in that it has many classical and iconic buildings," the company said on its website.  "DDI through its successful history has had had great experience in bringing these types of buildings back to life.”

Ask not for whom the Dongdu, the Dongdu for.........never mind.   Momentary lapse there.

The Chinese are awash in capital and see opportunity in Detroit.  American companies, some of them, are likewise awash in capital and expertise, and have not invested in Detroit.   The long-term question becomes:  Who has the better vision of Detroit's future, the Chinese or the Americans?

KLEM FM

Diana Ross is by far my favorite Diva.

"Come See About Me," recorded 50 years ago and released in October 1964, was the third consecutive #1 single for The Supremes. KLEM FM already covered the first and second. Two more followed in 1965. All five were written by the legendary Holland-Dozier-Holland team, and were musically supported by The Funk Brothers, and recorded at Hitsville USA.

"Go Vegan, Get Your Water Bill Paid?"

"The water shutoffs in Detroit have gained attention from around the country — including PETA. The organization is offering to pay one month’s water bill for 10 Detroit residents."

"In return, those residents have to go vegan for a month."

"It's a life-or-death situation"

“You're going to do what you have to do to get water back on in your home,” said Valerie Blakely, a community organiser and mother of five whose overdue bill stands at more than $1,000. “As far as I'm concerned, what the city is doing is the illegal activity. You're not going to come and put us in a life-or-death situation and not have us act like we are fighting for our own survival.”

“There are severe consequences,” said Bill Johnson, a spokesman for Detroit's water and sewerage department. “People are making things worse for themselves. The penalties may be more than the actual bill." (read more)

Quotable Chickelit: "Chardonnay is a great way to get sauced!"

Come to the Detroit area and I will treat you to Chicken Chardonnay. You'll be back. pic.twitter.com/6DZUOu4kiD
— Tari (@uncommentari) March 29, 2014

"Volkswagen Vote is Defeat for Labor in South"

"In a defeat for organized labor in the South, employees at the Volkswagen plant here voted 712 to 626 against joining the United Automobile Workers."

The loss is an especially stinging blow for U.A.W. because Volkswagen did not even oppose the unionization drive. The union’s defeat — in what was one of the most closely watched unionization votes in decades — is expected to slow, perhaps stymie, the union’s long-term plans to organize other auto plants in the South.

Standing outside the Volkswagen plant, Mike Jarvis, a three-year employee who works on the finishing line, said the majority had voted against U.A.W. because they were persuaded the union had hurt Detroit’s automakers.

“Look at what happened to the auto manufacturers in Detroit and how they struggled. They all shared one huge factor: the U.A.W.,” said Mr. Jarvis, who added that he had had bad experiences with other labor unions. “If you look at how the U.A.W’s membership has plunged, that shows they’re doing a lot wrong.”

Mike Burton, a VW worker who led the anti-union drive, said many workers felt that they were paid well and treated well without having a union and thus saw no need to have one. He said many workers objected to the U.A.W. having initially sought unionization based on what it said was having a majority of cards signed favoring a union.

“We don’t need the U.A.W. to give us rights we already have,” he said. “We can already talk to the company if we have any problems.”

This story appeared in the NY Times without a comments section for their readers.

The Infernal City

 "a man who lives by exhibiting to travellers his grandmother's corpse" 

~James Joyce's personification of Rome. 

 And yet, Rome is eternal

Like love is.