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STEP_ON_THE_CRACK

                                         October  3, 2016

                          http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/07/new-york-1percent-stifles-creative-talent

   David Byrne tries to be reasonable,
   but I think misunderstands urban history:

  "Some folks believe that hardship breeds
  artistic creativity. I don't buy it. One can put
  up with poverty for a while when one is young,
  but it will inevitably wear a person down."

     Well... I think this is an area where
     you're stuck with a need for "balance".
     Human beings don't really do that well with
     zero resources *or* with infinite reasources.

     But Byrne is thinking about something else,
     he likes things about present-day New York,
     but also worries about it:

  "I don't romanticize the bad
  old days. I find the drop in
  crime over the last couple of
  decades refreshing. Manhattan        G_IN_THE_AIR
  and Brooklyn, those vibrant
  playgrounds, are way less scary
  than they were when I moved       Byrne is dismissing
  here. I have no illusions that    as bullshit the         Even if he's
  there was a connection between    idea that a dangerous   right, he's
  that city on its knees and a      life leads to           missing that
  flourishing of creativity; I      inspiration...          the connection
  don't believe that crime,                                 went the other
  danger and poverty make for       I might agree with      way: the middle
  good art. That's bullshit."       that, but I think       class was convinced
                                    the converse is         that the cities
                                    (or was) true:          were dangerous
                                    the "safe"              and "escaped"
                                    suburban life           to the suburbs,
                                    was stultifying,        where, they were
                                    a life there            told, the living
                                    could wear anyone       would be easy.
                                    down far faster         Or at least
                                    and far worse           Nice.
                                    than any life
                                    of urban                This decline of
                                    "poverty".              the cities opened
                                                            up cracks in the
                                                            walls where things
                                                            could happen...
                                                            young freaks like
                                                            himself could
                                                            perform at CBGBs
                                                            *because* the
                                                            area was regarded
                                                            as too nasty for
                                                            anyone normal.

  "But I also don't believe that the
  drop in crime means the city has
  to be more exclusively for those
  who have money. Increases in the
  quality of life should be for all,
  not just a few."


      Well okay, but how?

      Public housing for artist freaks,
      allocated on a lottery basis?




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