I know it's not completely on-topic but there is a relationship here to the overall auto industry and its history. Got this link below from a friend, showing how Detroit and much of its once-beautiful buildings and businesses has fallen into decay. While I live more than 50 miles outside Detroit, I've seen many of the buildings shown in this story. When I was a kid fifty-some years ago I remember going to 'downtown' Detroit - is was a special occasion, we only did it once or twice - the place was awesome, especially for a 'country boy'. We lived closer to Pontiac (I was born there) and did a lot of shopping there in the 50s&60s. And I joined the AirForce there, in '71. That city looks as bad or worse nowadays than Detroit - it's sad to drive thru it. Many of the auto industry related businesses are gone, leaving very liitle to support or sustain that once-bustling city. My first ride on the Bob-Lo ferries (docked near then-new Cobo Hall) was in 1959, I remember it very well. Once regarded as the "****nal of Democracy", it's kinda sad to see what's become of this city. Don't get me wrong, there's still a lot of good stuff in the Detroit area, Big 3 is still here, the Henry Ford (museum and village), and more. And oh - the heritage of this area! Derelict Detroit (link): http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-63754.html Be sure to read the captions under all 36 pictures, they tell a very sad story.
These photos are hard to look at, but are symbolic of our culture I'm afraid. There's little doubt that these and other American treasures would, for the most part, still exist if our country's leaders would pull their collective heads out of their ***, look around and recognize the true greatness of our country: its people. Americans don't need handouts, bailouts, welfare or affirmative action. We need a government that will step back, see us for the divinely inspired people that we are and get the hell out of the way. Once-thriving industries have been crippled, then driven away, by an ever-expanding network of government regulations, environmental and energy, many of which make absolutely no sense in the real world. The other primary industry-killer is the over-taxation of these marvelous job and national wealth creators, reducing once-vibrant hubs of creativity into the dead and rotting skeletons pictured in this pictorial. These buildings, this city and its population are crumbling for one reason and one reason alone: "We are the government, and we are here to help." Sorry. I'll step down off my soapbox now.
What's next? "It's people. Soylent Green is made out of people. They're making our food out of people. Next thing they'll be breeding us like cattle for food. You've gotta tell them. You've gotta tell them!"
I have never been to Detroit either but I remember seeing so many of those great building in books and TV when I was so young . All the beauty and gorgeous building really leave a knot in my stomach ! Seeing all the beautiful building and the history they still hold that made Detroit what it used to be and not what it is today ! It really sickens me to see what they let happen to out country . Not just in Detroit but all over this great country we have . We have grown up to be such a disgusting throw away country and have everything replaced by these big fancy building that no one can ever pay for so after a few years of operation they close their door and throw all their employees out in the dirty roads to fend for them selfs . They treat you like discarded trash to be cleaned up and hauled away with no remorse or care for anything anymore . There is NO reason those building that should be in that condition they are today . Those building were once the back bone of our countries economy where every an had a job and could take care of his family with an honest days work . Those building housed all the greatest things that were made by this great country . The beautiful train stations that once everyone took to travel with , bring us our good and food to buy , is now such a disheartening thing to look at . All that our grandparents worked for and now nothing to show for all the hard work they did to build this great country so we could have a better life than they did . Now we just let everything crumble and die off as they did and no one would do anything to carry on the great heritage that they so proudly build . There was a time when there was so much beauty and craftsmanship that was used to build such a great , strong empire . Now we let it all crumble away just like all the jobs that were there to let another country decide on the quality of good we as Americans have to buy now that NON -AMERICANS have made for us . Just because of the all mighty dollar , everything that our grandparents build has been sold off to china and other asian countries for them to prosper from that our grandparents fought against in the big war so that we would be safe at home with our families . The ones that wanted to rule the world we fought so hard to stop has now once again taken over not only many parts of the world but all the good that the American people have to buy to survive . This vicious circle has come back to haunt us and now has taken over our country by the people we fought and killed so we could be FREE and live a good healthy life . Our country as we speak is crumbling faster than those buildings that our grand parents and great grand parents fought so hard for us to have . As I wrote all this and looked at all those disturbing pictures of our great countries history , I wonder what this country will look like in another 50 to 80 years after seeing what this country has done to all that was build for use from the 1930's to the 1960's . At this rate there will be nothing to have & own , to work for or enjoy for our labor but maybe just see what once was the greatest country in the world ! Is this what we want for our children's children ? Big corporations need to be stopped from driving this country into the ground so they can make more money that they will never , ever be able to spend . They take the food and our homes from use and feed the world with once was our food and jobs . As we are moving along today with the economy the way it is , if we don't stop them from giving our jobs away and letting every other damn person from any other country to come on in with open arms and take our land , jobs and food away from our families we will have nothing in the next 30 years ! We will be just like they were because we let them take it all away from us with out one of us trying to stop it or fight to keep what little bit we have now . We have to make our country great again and make products that once filled all those crumbling building like in Detroit that we sold to all the other country's instead of letting all the products come from their countries and we have nothing to give them in return . History is changing for the worst faster than it ever has been in history . Well I guess I have spoken my peace and maybe said to much but it is really disturbing to see what we stood for and fought for crumbling right before our eyes and no one in the government is doing anything to stop it ! But do they really give a **** ? Jim
Ron- depressing pictures indeed. I graduated from what used to be GMI in Flint in 2004, and that city has suffered the same fate. While I'll agree that the govt. isn't doing us any favors, I'm not seeing much resistance from the main ingredient- the citizens of this counttry. Take a walk in Detroit- the people there don't care. They'd rather ***** about how the people in the suburbs don't care about them than take proactive steps to better their city and lives. My opinion here: 21st century Americans are detached from hardships and have lost their drive and desire to succeed and exel. Too many people are content to do the minimum, or feel en***led to the luxuries and things that they take for granted. What propelled this country was drive, commitment and work eithic, things that have been lost through successive generations having it easier than the previous, and the increasing standard of living and luxuries that come with it. Until the citizens decide that they want change, the current trends will continue. End rant...
Yes they do take way too many things for granite ! I wouldn't take a walk through the streets of Detroit for the love of money now days ! I see so many people not give a **** about anything anymore but they will be the first in line to ***** and complain about everything . Yes the people need to take back what they let go before it's way too late ! I worked hard for everything I ever had . Nothing was given to me but the the advice and the drive to work hard for what I want . I take nothing for granite either because what you have today may not be here tomorrow ! Things are much different now than when I grew up thought the 60's & 70's . We were taught much different than today and with everything working with the push of a ****on , it's hard to explain to someone how to make something with your own 2 hands ! Many children are raised with the give me , give me at***ude that it taught by their parents . We had ONE TV and ONE radio , one car . We had bikes to go places and a treat was a ice cream cone from the Good Humor man IF we were good . What ever we got HAD to last because we didn't have the money to buy another pair . Yes we were poor so everything I get and buy today will last me and I throw nothing away if I think I can ever use it for something else . Jim
There's certain parts of Detroit I'd have no problem walking - as long as there were 2 or 3 or more of us. Several of us coworkers go down to Eastern Market (old part of Detroit) for lunch on a semi-regular basis. And we go to see the RedWings play hockey, and to the Fox Theater once in awhile - all downtown and relatively safe if you're careful. It's probably not unlike many other big cities these days. We'll be heading down there again in a couple weeks for the Autorama at Cobo Center. When we were inducted into the service the recruiting center was downtown Detroit and the NCOs there told us not to go anyplace alone after dark. Great advice. When we got to Lackland AFB (TX), the NCOs told us not to go anyplace alone in San Antonio. We went there and maybe except for accents - and the heat! - it wasn't that much different than Detroit. As a generation, we have to take responsibility for this stuff - it's happening on our watch. As community and school activities participants, as citizens and especially for those of us lucky enough to be - as parents. We all hear too much about the blame game these days, but really - shouldn't we be looking in a mirror to find who's to blame? Seems it's always somebody else's fault - NOT. I really didn't post this thread to make it political - I don't and won't do to much of that here, since there are many other places - including a social group on the HAMB - to vent politics. More just to show how the cities have changed over less than a lifetime.
Pretty much any big city is the same way . You have entered their turf and you must be careful and always walk in groups . Not 25 mins from me is York , Pa. There are many streets I wouldn't walk down in the daytime ! It's rough all over . Where there are no jobs , no money and people make their money by stealing or selling drugs you have to watch out ! Then most of the buildings they live in are slum rental property's and if they fix something , they just have no respect and trash it anyway . Really sad but that's the way it is . It's really sad to see all the older building falling apart that once made many things we used all the time . It's the change of time I guess but then I see farm houses falling apart on big farms in my area also . There just isn't the pride or respect anymore that we were all taught when we were younger . I hate to see the old go away . I have always enjoyed the older homes , buildings , farms and so on . The style and the way the building looked were so beautiful with so much beauty added to the outside of the buildings . Today we see flat shapes with tons of blue and green gl*** . They all look the same to me . I really enjoyed drafting when I was in high school back in the early 1970's . I would have never thought things would have changed as much as they have in such a short period of time . I guess that what gets to me the most about the country today . I read in history how 40 years would change things for the better but if you told me that in less than 40 years that this country would have so much unemployment and people loosing their home and gas being $4.00 a gallon , I would have bet anything that it would have never been this way . I remember when my school had the first computer in Baltimore City Schools and it was huge . The teachers said this is the way of the future . So they taught us Key Punch ! That paid very good money back then for about 4 years and then that was history . If they told me that a computer would be taking a mans job away I wouldn't have believed you . As fast as times have changed since I graduated high school in 1972 , I am afraid to see what the next 20 years will be like . Think about it . What will the streets be like living in the city or country . I don't think it will even matter ! I don't see us driving our cl***ic cars either unless we make changes to our engines to run off something else . I think most will be electric and the old building will still be falling down because no one wants to buy the building because there are no market for selling something here in the states . Anyway I have enjoyed visiting many places in my life . I have seen the entire east coast because my parents always traveled when we were young so we could see how the other 1/2 lived and also learn how history has changed so many thing from when the white man first came to this country . I am glad I had that chance to see all that . I am also glad to have been able to walk the streets of many major cities after dark . Anyway there are still a lot of very nice cities to visit and see even as you look through the empty building that are falling down and have big fences around them . I still try to see as much as possible because I always want to see and learn something new everyday of my life ! No matter how small or big it might be , take time to look around on your way to work or the drive to the grocery store to see if there is something you never have seen before and always try to learn something new each day . That way you will never be living in a shell ! Jim
This is sore topic with me, apologies for the rant. Getting back to your original post Ron, some if it deals with historically significant architecture falling into decay. One of the most historically significant cities, Rome, had the same thing happen. It wasn't until the 60's and 70's that the government started to take steps to preserve some of the iconic landmarks around the city. Up to that point, the residents were so used to them, they were just buildings. They would pave roads over and through them and made no attempts to preserve them! Kind of makes me think that, in Detroit anyway, the people take for granted that some of the landmarks will always be there, but they won't without upkeep and preservation. It is such a shame to see some of the craftsmanship and avant-garde designs fall into ruin. Some of the wood and trim work in those ballrooms and theatres is amazing, who knows how many craftsmen are still capable of work like that? Such a shame...
I totally agree ! The truly great craftsman are long gone and only a handful are still around . I guess because it takes so much time to make something so beautiful that no one wants to pay a man or woman that much money for their skilled talents that their hands can do . It seems that the only time anyone gives a hoot about the old buildings is when a developer buys the land or is trying to buy the land for something else to build and they want to tear the old buildings down . Then people start to wake up and maybe if we are lucky they will get the money to preserve those beautiful buildings . After being a mechanic for a long time I got into the building industry and started working for a place that remodeled old homes back to their original beauty . I am talking about those big beautiful homes that had the tall ceilings with a fireplace in every room that sat like a haunted house on the end of the street . I loved all the beautiful wood work and stairs that went forever to get to the second floor . Anyway it's a shame to see it go . That time in history will never with such craftsman ship will never come around again . it's getting to be a lost art and a real shame . I miss doing those old buildings and hope that they will be rebuilt to all their glory once again ! Jim
Yeah, sad indeed to see those magnificent buildings in such decay. Recently a couple of us went to an old Irish pub over on Michigan Avenue (downtown) and we p***ed the old train station - such a sight! It must've really been something in its day. Now it's become a hangout for druggies and other bad elements. It's destined for the wrecking ball. We can thank ol' Henry, not only for the cars but also for his foresight and efforts to preserve so much of our heritage and make it accessible to the public at the Henry Ford (Museum and Village). If any of you visit Detroit, that place is "must see"! Not just for car people, it's a great example of Americana. Plan a minimum of 2 days - 1 for the museum and 1 for the village. More if you have the time, it's time well spent.
>>quote missysdad1 These photos are hard to look at, but are symbolic of our culture I'm afraid. There's little doubt that these and other American treasures would, for the most part, still exist if our country's leaders would pull their collective heads out of their ***, look around and recognize the true greatness of our country: its people. Americans don't need handouts, bailouts, welfare or affirmative action. We need a government that will step back, see us for the divinely inspired people that we are and get the hell out of the way. Once-thriving industries have been crippled, then driven away, by an ever-expanding network of government regulations, environmental and energy, many of which make absolutely no sense in the real world. The other primary industry-killer is the over-taxation of these marvelous job and national wealth creators, reducing once-vibrant hubs of creativity into the dead and rotting skeletons pictured in this pictorial. These buildings, this city and its population are crumbling for one reason and one reason alone: "We are the government, and we are here to help." Sorry. I'll step down off my soapbox now.quote<< I can't agree more with you statement missysdad1. Pull your soapbox up to the microphone anytime.
The Jalopy Journal
