Detroit as ground zero of the post-industrial future from Time, Inc.

[darksumomo]

Crossposted to darksumomo

The stories below are part of a planned year-long series in Time and other publications in the Time-Warner media conglomerate entitled Assignment Detroit. More stories, including a blog, can be found at the link.

Time: Assignment Detroit: Why Time Inc. Is in Motown
By John Huey

This summer the editors at Time Inc. did something a

Comments

[volksjager]

Goes for the whole state of Michigan. You will see a "grapes of wraith" style exodus from it in the next few years.

[darksumomo]

Yes, but heading where? Texas? That happened in the 1980s. A lot of them came back when the oil patch collapsed and autos recovered. People have long memories in Michigan and I think they'll remember the experience well enough not to make that mistake en masse again.

California? I'm from California. Note the icon. I've lived in Bakersfield and I've lived in Detroit; I'll take Detroit. Bakersfield is, to quote nebris, a third-rate L.A. at the ass end of nowhere, while Detroit was a great city once and will be again, even if it's great in the sense of Medieval Rome, a magnificent but still inhabited and important ruin of past glory. As for the rest of the state, I'd rather have Michigan's problems than California's. At least Michigan has enough water and arable land to support its population. California, should things really go south, does not

[theheretic]

The Midwest. Houses are cheap. If industry can be convinced to give up the Bay Area and relocate to places like southern Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Iowa, then company towns can form up with $40K houses instead of $480K houses, plenty of water and food supply close by. That makes sense. If a brain drain starts in the West, particularly in the Bay Area, it could start the commercial/corporate Exodus. That's where the real change will happen. When corporations pull out of California. They might just move into the Central Valley though, rather than leave entirely. Trouble is, the weather is so awful there it would be a hard sell for the workers, and its not much harder to move a couple thousand miles as it is a hundred. You still have to pack up everything and put it on a truck.

[nebris]

What industry? It's all been outsourced.

~M~

[theheretic]

If you were right about that, there would be no rush hour.

[nebris]

Traffic's been light lately. ;)

~M~

[theheretic]

On Fridays, yes, I agree. Very light on Fridays. All those people not going to work has cut down on the traffic. The four-day workweek has made commuting a bit odd. Still, there's traffic to deal with. At some point enough industry will leave the SF Bay area that most of the population can't work and will leave. That means only the rich guys remain and its likely cheaper for them to build their own utilities for themselves and their servants than try and support the big utilities and services meant for millions of people and consuming enormous amounts of energy. Energy we don't have anymore. Perhaps someday, with cheap solar, we will again. Until that happens there's more and more reason for both the population and the companies that hire them to pick up and leave the area.

[nebris]

Your awfully chatty all of a sudden. Lose your job?

~M~

where do you think the exodus will lead?

[nebris]

Personally, I don't care. I'm sticking it out here cause I can. Let folks flee from California. That'll leave more for those of us who stay.

'Georgia and the Carolinas?' The Age of Storms is gonna make shit mighty unpleasant there.

The harsh true is there really is nowhere to run...

~M~

Re: where do you think the exodus will lead?

[theheretic]

An interesting plan. You must be very resilient. If the drought continues you could end up bathing from a washbasin with a rag twice a week because there isn't enough water for showers and that's all the water you can spare. The fewer people in the state, the more elbow room, true, but also the higher the taxes as the broken water mains and shattered highways demand restoration. How much can you afford in taxes? If you were hoping for any kind of socialist revolution, well, think again. California could go the way of Detroit, emptying out as people leave, abandoned by govt, with only the rich people and their servants remaining. Are you rich? No. Are you willing to be a servant? Perhaps a valet? Or a grape picker? Perhaps a plumber or repairman. You would have to be the best in your field, and never speak a word of opinion against the Master, as he likes to be called. If you forget, you could get fired and have nowhere to go, since the railroad is mostly shut down, in this future with no population, and the airlines charge $2000 per

You must be very resilient.

[nebris]

I'm a Cult Leader. We'll take what we need.

~M~

Re: You must be very resilient.

[theheretic]

Wow. So you're exactly the sort of person both the survivalists AND the FBI are armed against then. Your first illegal actions will fall under conspiracy, racketeering, and homeland security. Perhaps you'll want to rethink that strategy? Maybe modify it to "go where the work is"? Just a thought. A suggestion, if you will. I'm sure the state's farmers, those still operating despite the drought, would pay experienced farm laborers. Are you experienced farm labor? How about a road crew? The competition for those contracts is fierce, but if your bid is low enough you might just get the job. Enough to buy food from the farmers to keep your Cult going. Will they accept and love you if you work them hard fixing roads, smelling tar all day or stooped over in the field getting sprayed with pesticides or dropping dead from heat stroke.

Re: You must be very resilient.

[nebris]

I'm a Cult Leader. We'll take what we need...but I did not specify how such would happen, and I sure ain't gonna tell you. lol

~M~

..and I'd say you're the one who'd wind up in the fields except I think you'll probably eat your gun before that..

Re: You must be very resilient.

[theheretic]

Pray to your god. Maybe it will reward you.

Re: You must be very resilient.

[nebris]

..said the dining room table. ;)

~M~

Re: where do you think the exodus will lead?

[volksjager]

Unless your in housing construction, then it's constant work every year.