so-treu:blackamazon:auradacity-of:theatlantic:
The Hideous Inequality Exposed by Hurricane Sandy
Divides between the rich and the poor are nothing new in New York, but the storm brought them vividly to the surface. There were residents like me who could invest all of their time and energy into protecting their families. And there were New Yorkers who could not.
Those with a car could flee. Those with wealth could move into a hotel. Those with steady jobs could decline to come into work. But the city’s cooks, doormen, maintenance men, taxi drivers and maids left their loved ones at home.
Read more.[Image: Reuters]
THIS!
I am …..
It’s so hard for me to read this right now. Not because it is in any effect,or stretch ,wrong per say.
But because the sentiment is so .. delayed.
I have been a new yorker all my life, raised on the floors of rich people’s houses to attend it’s best schools, and serve it’s uber wealthy, while being stolen from by it’s intellectual class.
It can only happen in New York.
But the complexities of this, aren’t wistful thought pieces to me as we reflect.
It is a stark reality, that has shredded our hope, demanded nothing less that miracles from some, and choked out some of our possibilities.
And those who slept in their cars, cleaned homes, and made it an adventure have BEEN speaking, have been raging and planning .
And the focus even by bastions of liberalness like the Atlantic has been this continued , kind hearted , wistful, but ultimately detached superiority , focusing on the sadness of it rather than the structure.
Sandy exposes for a moment a world where even people who knew better, could not save themselves yes. It exposes a world where we realize some people with all the opportunities can not assure that they will act accordingly or be saved if they do.
But MOST importantly TO ME , is are we gonna start asking better questions? Are we going to look at the world (city) we have created that makes marvels and magic for it’s visitors.but can’t support it’s citizens doing better for themselves.
And how that supports a world where we are not prepared for changes , for disasters, for evolution .
Ruminations on this are GOOD but what’s next is nots omething we ask only of Obama or Romney .
It’s what we need to ask of ourselves
“are we gonna start asking better questions?”