The problem here is, you’re making a lot of sense. We can’t be having that!Paladin wrote:I loath NYC. The streets smell like a toilet. I don't believe people are meant to live in concrete jungles. And I hate New York calls itself "The Empire State". Imperialism is the creation of an unequal relationship between states through domination. America fought against the British Empire to get away from imperialism. It reflects horribly on our nation to have a large state call or think of itself as "The Empire State".
I lived in Manhattan twice: for about a year and a half down in SoHo in the early ‘70s; and then for 3 years back in the ‘70s, mostly at 232 E. 83rd St, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, but before that for a few months over on W 87th, between West End and Riverside Drives. While it is true that some areas smell more like a toilet than other areas, NONE of them smell good. Ever since I left there for good, in December of 1978, it’s been my belief that NYC is a great place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there. For 40 years now, I haven’t found the motivation to want to visit NYC.......so I guess it’s not even a great place to visit like I thought it was.
I hadn’t honestly considered the “Empire State” aspect, but you’re absolutely right. The fact that Al Qaeda thought that attacking the WTC would cripple the entire nation’s economy is significant. Fortunately, it wasn’t as mighty a blow as they had hoped. Yes, it did hurt us, but it didn’t completely wipe out the national economy. Yet the fact that it even hurt the economy to the degree that it did is disturbing to me.....that all that economic power should be concentrated in one city..... and that city isn’t even the nation’s capital. My guess is that they call themselves the ‘Empire State’ because they are, and always have been throughout most of our history, the seat of the world’s economic empire.
But like you, I hate the notion of empire, and the sickness of the empire mentality permeates NYC.