Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Enlightened Discourse

I know many readers don't bother with the comment section, but you really should check out the feedback on my post about three seemingly mild-mannered, well-intentioned architecture students visiting Flint on bikes. It's fascinating to see how a rational discussion of reinventing post-industrial America can quickly segue into claims that rabble-rousing Ann Arbor types almost handed World War II to the Nazis.



8 comments:

  1. I'd like to see a vote up/down feature. Some comments are really great. Some less than great.

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  2. I don't feel qualified to comment until I go back and watch more Star Trek episodes.

    At the same time, I'm a Michigan alum and politically wide left of center, so I may not understand their true meaning.

    Maybe I'll just go decontaminate my drains instead.

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  3. I'll do some investigation of the up/down feature, which I like as well.

    I'm not so sure I'll do more investigation of the true meaning of Star Trek.

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  4. The up/down feature is just one more way for all you lib Obamatrons to manipulate the conversation. Gordon is a card-carrying member of the Blame America First crowd. You trust him as the gate keeper? This reminds me of an old episode of Battlestar Galatica...

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  5. Hey, Gordie!

    Sorry for the scandal. It's been good fodder for camp-fire conversations, though.

    Don't worry, we always clear our campsites of pollutants before continuing on our way!

    -Ashley, Jamie & Sam

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  6. You took nearly every statement out of context, rather than show how it related to the topic.

    If these types of policies and attitudes prevail, then there will be no further use for the factory land and that's a shame.

    What is it you expect to save the area economically? The economy can only support so many college towns. When you print money without value added, it just devalues the money, so stimulus packages are at best a short term solution.

    Cleaning up these sites economically and putting them to good economic use is the only way Flint or any other city can survive.

    I never realized that those of you who post here are hopeless for the future. The only hope there can be for Flint or the USA is for the playing field to be levelled world wide. Listening to naysayers from Ann Arbor, or any other area that has an inaccurate view of how economics work, is a mistake.

    I'm sorry if I singled these young students out, as they are just parrotting the hopeless views they have been taught.

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  7. Anonymouse with umlaut: you missed an opportunity that I just can't resist... why not just put Obama with Blame America and call it a day... OblameA-merica.

    I must admit, I fear for America's future history when blogs become news sources, youtube links are ways to communicate, and (shudder) TV episodes become analogies in political dialogues.

    As for Gordie being the Gatekeeper... I hearken you to watch Ghostbusters (am sure it's on youtube somewhere), and most certainly, he's the KeyMaster. LOL. :D

    Let's see what other pop-aganda we can refer to..."anyone... anyone?"

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  8. Now you've done it. Don't mess with our gate keeper!

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Thanks for commenting. I moderate comments, so it may take a while for your comment to appear. You might enjoy my book about Flint called "Teardown: Memoir of a Vanishing City," a Michigan Notable Book for 2014 and a finalist for the 33rd Annual Northern California Book Award for Creative NonFiction. Filmmaker Michael Moore described Teardown as "a brilliant chronicle of the Mad Maxization of a once-great American city." More information about Teardown is available at www.teardownbook.com.