Comments on: Oakland’s Better Half http://www.eastbayconservative.com/2008/05/19/oaklands-better-half/ Words from a Non-Leftist Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:10:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Deckin http://www.eastbayconservative.com/2008/05/19/oaklands-better-half/#comment-1779 Deckin Fri, 23 May 2008 01:16:06 +0000 http://www.eastbayconservative.com/2008/05/19/oaklands-better-half/#comment-1779 I think you've definitely got half the problem right: A manifestly knee jerk and faith based progressivism ladeled up with generous helpings of guilt. But the thing that separates Oakland from cities like Berkeley (which take already absurd progressivism of Oakland and raise it to theatrical levels) is that they don't have the critical mass of persistent urban poverty. The combination of the two is civic catastrophe. Berkeley can get away with the Code Pink loonies and Zachary Running Wolf faction because their slice of the flat land blight scape is proportionately small. Oakland has no such luxury. Still, without the liberal contagion, Oakland could and would be world class; plenty of other cities do it: Chicago, New York, Los Angeles. Oakland itself did it too, before the socialists took over. Oakland is unique, in cities with a large section of urban pathology, in that its official policy actually implements the nonsense that city leaders in those other cities only pay lip service to. Daley in Chicago talks the progressive game, but when push comes to shove, he knows which part of town is paying the bills. As we prove over and over again, the only thing worse than the idea of a socialist government (or what Dellums likes to call the 'burdens of governance'--anyone know when he's going to actually take a stab at it?) is the actual practice of it. I think you’ve definitely got half the problem right: A manifestly knee jerk and faith based progressivism ladeled up with generous helpings of guilt. But the thing that separates Oakland from cities like Berkeley (which take already absurd progressivism of Oakland and raise it to theatrical levels) is that they don’t have the critical mass of persistent urban poverty. The combination of the two is civic catastrophe. Berkeley can get away with the Code Pink loonies and Zachary Running Wolf faction because their slice of the flat land blight scape is proportionately small. Oakland has no such luxury. Still, without the liberal contagion, Oakland could and would be world class; plenty of other cities do it: Chicago, New York, Los Angeles. Oakland itself did it too, before the socialists took over. Oakland is unique, in cities with a large section of urban pathology, in that its official policy actually implements the nonsense that city leaders in those other cities only pay lip service to. Daley in Chicago talks the progressive game, but when push comes to shove, he knows which part of town is paying the bills. As we prove over and over again, the only thing worse than the idea of a socialist government (or what Dellums likes to call the ‘burdens of governance’–anyone know when he’s going to actually take a stab at it?) is the actual practice of it.

]]> By: East Bay Conservative » My Thoughts on Improving Oakland http://www.eastbayconservative.com/2008/05/19/oaklands-better-half/#comment-1776 East Bay Conservative » My Thoughts on Improving Oakland Thu, 22 May 2008 19:44:03 +0000 http://www.eastbayconservative.com/2008/05/19/oaklands-better-half/#comment-1776 [...] past couple days I’ve been considering the question I posed in the previous posting, about what Oakland can do to change the nature of its killing [...] […] past couple days I’ve been considering the question I posed in the previous posting, about what Oakland can do to change the nature of its killing […]

]]> By: below580 http://www.eastbayconservative.com/2008/05/19/oaklands-better-half/#comment-1774 below580 Tue, 20 May 2008 20:19:09 +0000 http://www.eastbayconservative.com/2008/05/19/oaklands-better-half/#comment-1774 I have to admit I used to be pretty liberal, but living in Oakland has changed me. My husband and I see the problem pretty much as you do. There are tons of guilty white people here in Oakland and because of their guilt they feel that it is wrong to ask anything from people of color. So people of color here don't have to adhere to any laws, they can't be expected to do well in school or ever support themselves financially. All kinds of anti-social behaviors are accepted because many Oaklanders feel that we can't possibly expect poor minorities to function well in our racist society. Frankly, if we had understood this crazy attitude we would never have moved to Oakland, but that is certainly water under the bridge. However, I am supportive of more cops. Until we get the crime rate under control we will never be able to sell our house, get our financial investment out of this town and move someplace normal. Thanks for writing about this subject, in the past I have only discussed this with my husband as Oaklanders are way too politically correct to talk about this subject, which can't happen soon enough for me. I have to admit I used to be pretty liberal, but living in Oakland has changed me. My husband and I see the problem pretty much as you do. There are tons of guilty white people here in Oakland and because of their guilt they feel that it is wrong to ask anything from people of color. So people of color here don’t have to adhere to any laws, they can’t be expected to do well in school or ever support themselves financially. All kinds of anti-social behaviors are accepted because many Oaklanders feel that we can’t possibly expect poor minorities to function well in our racist society.

Frankly, if we had understood this crazy attitude we would never have moved to Oakland, but that is certainly water under the bridge.

However, I am supportive of more cops. Until we get the crime rate under control we will never be able to sell our house, get our financial investment out of this town and move someplace normal.

Thanks for writing about this subject, in the past I have only discussed this with my husband as Oaklanders are way too politically correct to talk about this subject, which can’t happen soon enough for me.

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