The Problem with the Liberals Today

A friend posted a pair of articles to his FaceBook account today. As I read each article, I noticed that not only did the two articles talk about similar issues, they both define what is wrong with Liberals today.

The articles, from today's Boston Globe, and the New York Times on March 25, discuss urban renewal, advocating the dumping huge amounts of money into revitalizing cities, reversing decades of decline.

But, after spending thousands of words and rhetorically spending trillions of dollars, both authors fail to mention one thing -- does anybody want this?

Nicoloi Ouroussoff, in the NY Times article, assures us that the "experts" are all in favor of these grandiose plans and pretenses.

And it demands listening to people who have spent the last decade imagining and in many cases planning for more sustainable, livable and socially just cities.

It doesn't, apparently, demand listening to real people. Nowhere in the nearly 3,500 word article is the phrase, the people are demanding these changes. The entire article is based on the notion that the American people are longing for the days when they were trapped in the "density" of the cities rather than enjoying the "sprawl" of the suburbs.

Over at the NYT's sister paper, the Boston Globe, Robert Campbell assures us the urban density is a wonderful thing that we all should aspire to. Somerville, MA, Campbell tell us, is one of the most densely populated cities in North America (that's good, not bad). Campbell breathlessly assures us that Somerville is a magnet for the Creative Class.

What Campbell fails to mention is the high percentage of folks who makeup this "good" urban denisty is the college students who attend on of the three great universities on (Somerville's) borders.

According to Somerville's own website, the population of residents aged 18 or above is 65,983; the percentage of people 25 or over drops quickly to 53,693. A drop of 12,000 residents. Nearly 70% of residents are renters.

While I am no sociologist, it seems to me that a large part of Somerville's population leaves when they graduate from one of these three great univeristies.

My point is not to disparage Somerville, MA, but to indicate that not everyone endeavors towards living in urban density.

But, it would seem, the authors of these articles have no concern for what people want. They only celebrate what they want.

Here, we see the problem with the Liberals in this country. They don't seems to care what the folks want. As long as they want it, then everybody else must, too.

Ouroussoff tells us that the reason the middle-class left the urban density for the suburban sprawl was based upon falsities:

...middle-class families would flee perceived urban threats — racial friction, potential Soviet bombs — for the supposed security of the suburbs.

In the Globe, Cambell complains, effort to revitalize the cities could create neighborhoods that would attract the wealthy and push out the poor. But, have no fear, government will ensure that the rich and poor live together, whether they like it or not.

One (problem facing urban renewal is) gentrification, the threat that the moneyed class will drive out the less fortunate, destroying diversity and opportunity. Only action by government can keep affordable housing in the city.

The fact that the rich don't want to live with the poor and the poor don't want to live with the rich is irrelevant.

Again, I am not sociolologist, but a quick review of American history show that people don't want to live in urban density. Quite the opposite. Since the very beginning, the American people have shown a propensity towards expanding outwards. Americans have sacrificed everything -- their vey lives included -- to move to new territory in an effort to get away from the closeness of urban life.

Roy Rogers, along with Bing Crosby, David Byrne, Ella Fitzgerald, and others, sang about the desire towards more space between people than the urge to live in a "the place where we meet strangers."

Oh, give me land, lots of land
Under starry skies above,
Don't fence me in.

Let me be by myself in the evening breeze-
Listen to the murmer of the cottonwood trees,
Send me off forever, but I ask you please,
Don't fence me in.

Think about this attitude as you consider the moves made by the President Obama administration. Have you ever heard Obama telling us how much the average person is clamoring for the latests multi-trillion dollar program? Nope.

If put to the test, how many Americans would want an $800 billion "stimulus" package; a trillion dollar bailout for homeowners facing foreclosure; a multi-billion bailout for automakers; a second "stimulus" package.

If you ask that question, you are far ahead of the Obama administration, who doesn't seem to care what the people want.

To quote Massachusets Governor -- and Obama protege -- Duval Patrick, those who are cynical of the liberal vision think they are smart, but they're just pretending to be.

Not only does the Obama administration not want to hear what you think, they don't care.