“Infrastructure” Scenes From Main Street In Northeast Ohio That Biden And Media Didn’t Depict
Ashtabula, Ohio
Exhibit A Of The Neoliberal Nightmare: Disinvestment, Deregulation, And Neglect
I heard on the radio that Joe Biden was in northeast Ohio the other day to talk about his “bi-partisan infrastructure” bill and “promise of restoration”.
Having swung through that region recently and been stunned by the devastation – of the human and built infrastructure – we thought we’d post a few scenes you won’t see at a Biden press conference with all those corporate folks. (or hear about the role of the Democrats in creating the economic conditions we now face).
We all know about the “media transcriber” role mocked by TV comics, but does the national media stray from the perimeter of a Biden press conference? Are they “visual transcribers” too?
If might be good if they got out more often and talked to people and took a look around. This is what Neoliberalism looks like!
Scenes below are from Main Street, Ashtabula, Ohio: the downtown had the same feel as Salem, NJ (scroll down for photos).
(Note: I cheated: the photo above is from another Great Lakes town, but one that’s doing well, Marquette, Michigan and it is good demolition of an old coal power plant!)
Deindustrialization Kills Jobs, Working Class Morale, and The Local Tax Base
(poor people warehoused at the edge)
(“North American Dismantling Corp.”)
Decay Of Downtown
(when the jobs go and Walmart and Dollar General come)
“Creative Destruction” – Despair Prompts New Business Opportunities
(used appliances and drug markets)
Dismantling Of The Social Safety Net Is Replaced By Private Charity
Parasitic Banks Privatize Local Government
Military Becomes The Only Opportunity For Escape For Kids
Religion Becomes The Only Source Of Hope
Even History Is Commodified And Gentrified For Upscale Tourists
Homelessness, Suffering And Deaths Of Despair Explode
Obsolete and Hollow Business Institutions No Longer Inspire “Spirit, Mind, Body”
The Right Wing Neoliberal War On Government, Planning, “The Commons”, All Things “Public”, Civic Virtue, Progressive Taxation, Egalitarianism, Tolerance, Cosmopolitanism, Solidarity, Unions, Secularism, Humanism, Science and Enlightenment Values – Replaced By A Policy Of “Free Markets”, Corporate Subsidies, Deregulation, Privatization, Competition, “Individual Responsibility”, Nationalism, Authoritarianism, and Religious Dogma – Leads To Pollution, Poor Land Use, Gross Inequality, And Social Collapse
*sorry, no local photos of all the crap “development” along the interstate interchanges and the decrepit 1970’s -80″ era strip malls and fast food chains.
Crappy land use, crappy food, crappy jobs, crappy public services, crappy housing, crappy schools, crappy public transportation, crappy health care, crappy libraries, crappy parks, crappy arts, crappy entertainment, crappy media, crappy culture, crappy opportunity, crappy environmental quality, crappy quality of life, crappy right wing politics.
Loads of drugs and alcohol and guns and police and prisons and military.
A literal Death Spiral.