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When our cities start to come apart and people say it seems like 1968 all over again, that can only mean one thing: time to get in touch with Fred Siegel. Among Fred's many fine books is The Future Once Happened Here: New York, LA, DC, and the Fate of America's Big Cities, which explained the high cost of incompetent liberal rule of our major cities in the 1960s and 1970s, which included soaring crime rates, physical decay, and economic decline. Reversing urban decline was one of the great achievements of the last 25 years, but it appears we may be about to throw it all away, and start a new cycle of leftist urban rule and decay.
Why has this happened? It can't be just because of one shocking instance of police malfeasance. There must have been something latent in our political culture that has been triggered. Fred's explanation: "The sixties never ended." Are we fated to repeat that cycle, and now have to look forward to 10 or 20 years of unleashed leftism? We treat these and other questions, including the question of whether our universities have passed the point of no return, and what must be done to counter their increasingly malign influence on America as a whole.
Discussion (3)
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Terrific podcast. Love Fred Siegel and his son Harry, who I sometimes hear on the Batchelor Show. Tell-it-like-it-is reporting from them both. With insight. And heart. I imagine that family dinners in Brooklyn are not to be missed. Very nice convo, Steve.
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Haven't finished listening yet but had to tell you Leslie. When I first read your comment I thought you were saying that the son was on The Bachelor (reality show). Realize now you meant John Batchelor. ☺
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Agree. Well done. I wanted to hear more of his stories about DeBlasio. Also, good insight on Bloomburg and the problems that he has caused for NYC. I think the city really is running on Guiliani fumes at this point.