Detroit: A City Destroyed by “Progressive” Statism
By David J. Theroux • Sunday December 27, 2009 10:04 PM PDT • 9 Comments
Pajamas TV has just released the excellent video, “A City Destroyed by Liberal Idealism,” which discusses the ruin of the City of Detroit as a result of “liberal” (i.e., “Progressive”) statism. And this disastrous story is repeated in major cities across the U.S. to the extent that government, urban, collectivist policies have been imposed.
For excellent examinations of the destructive effects of such policies and the need for privatization and marketization of urban enterprise, housing, education, security/policing, transportation, and welfare/charity, please see the following books:
The Voluntary City: Choice, Community, and Civil Society, edited by David T. Beito, Peter Gordon, and Alexander T. Tabarrok
Housing America: Building Out of a Crisis, edited by Randall G. Holcombe and Benjamin Powell
Street Smart: Competition, Entrepreneurship, and the Future of Roads, edited by Gabriel Roth
To Serve and Protect: Privatization and Community in Criminal Justice, by Bruce L. Benson
Out of Work: Unemployment and Government in Twentieth-Century America, by Lowell E. Gallaway and Richard K. Vedder
Tags: Books, Business, Civil Society, Corporatism, Drugs, Economics, Education, Employment, Free Market, Government subsidies, Housing, Labor, Land use, Morality, Nationalization, Police, Regulation, Socialism, The State, Unemployment, Urban Issues, Video, Welfare 
I don’t understand the UAW reasoning behind the downfall of Detroit. Many large cities have Unions (given a few in the south don’t) and strive. There are a lot more reasonings behind the downfall of Detroit (cheap import autos, the fall of 2nd & 3rd tier auto suppliers after the big 3 fell, etc.). Detroit also put too many eggs in one basket with the auto industry. Cannot just point fingers at the unions.
Detroit Divorce Attorney | Apr 20, 2010 | Reply
Yes it was my understanding that one of the biggest contributors to the ‘destruction’ of Detroit was the mass importing of cheap Asian autos.
Car Cleaning Guru | Jul 24, 2010 | Reply
As far as I know Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County and as well the fact that Detroit was received federal funding as a “model city” is itself worth spreading around.
Anne, Divorce Attorney | Aug 25, 2010 | Reply
Mr. Theroux,
Thanks for pointing out this great video on Pajama TV I had not been familiar
Perhaps out of the devastation of Detroit will rise again.
adult footie pajamas | Sep 27, 2010 | Reply
I have heard a lot about Detroit. Regardless of it’s bad rap and history of dirty politics, Detroit is actually a city rich in culture and history (good and bad, but rich). Detroit also is one of the United States’ best sports cities for which all of its teams have a good history of performance, not to include the Lions who hopefully some day will come around as a franchise.
mach | Oct 13, 2010 | Reply
All I can say is that out of all devastation comes the revival. A chance to re-model it self. Change history, this is what America is all about.
Richard in Paris | Nov 17, 2010 | Reply