Posted by Isis at d3145.dialup.cornell.edu on June 20, 2000 at 19:47:07:
In Reply to: Perhaps you don't recall ... posted by Darth Dobbin on June 20, 2000 at 13:38:53:
...as you couldn't pay me enough to live in that hellhole of a city.
I would submit that we can allow NO segment of society to entirely dictate what that society's resources will be directed at and in what way -- the weak or the strong, the lower castes or the authorities. Personally, if I am to have any faith in a government I expect better solutions to NY's ills than scraping up every sad wretch off the street and tossing them in jail, further taxing the overcrowded prison system and by extension the whole social structure.
Regardless of how extraneous some portion of the community may seem to those whose position is more protected, there is no moral way to justify the ruthless treatment of the weak. Machiavelli was not a moral man, nor from my standpoint is Giuliani. Now, perhaps neither one of them are claiming to be so; perhaps they are merely purporting to rule, and I am reconciled to the fact that those with the ambition to seize power are naturally those most likely to abuse it. I am not at all concerned about what will ensure the continued pseudo-stability of our current socio-economic system. I see no sign of enlightened rule or honor in making the city prettier for tourists and rich folk while the ghettos and prisons bloat like the big oil monster that tragically swallowed Tasha Yar and destroyed the spunky spirit of the new generation, dooming us to years of Riker swinging his way through the galaxy humping the empathic leotard-wearin' chick when we were all just really waiting for Picard to get his groove on with Beverly Crusher.
But all that is beside the point. Anyways, let's not fall prey to the worst of worst sins against hipsterdom (and heaven knows we are hipper than Elvis around here)...debating POLITICS. It's just so cliche. I do not in the least feel that anyone should believe what I believe. It was a throwaway joke, and I was honestly hoping everybody would let it slip by without comment. Ah well, that's what I get right?
-- Isis
: The Hiernomous Bosch-like scene that was Grand Central Station in the era B.G... Or the teeming hordes of squeegie-folk who would assail the unsuspecting windshields of folk entering the city with stale buckets of rainwater and urine.
: Keeping this on-topic(kinda sorta, not really), I would imagine that the scenes intended to depict hell in the uncut DOGMA script would be vaguely analogous.
: I respect your views and perspective and ideals, but submit that on a more operational, Machievellian Prince-like level, that you cannot allow the fundimentally disturbed and broken to dictate the tone of the city you govern, especially when it must act as capitol for the world.