Some of the staffers at Gawker, the New York-based website that specializes in gossip and media news, were chatting online
Tuesday when the subject of Detroit came up. Strong, nutty, ironic, funny, dumb and radical opinions ensued. Then they decided to post their chat on the site.
This was the introduction on the Gawker site, posted by Hamilton Nolan:
Detroit is bankrupt. The once-great city languishes deep in debt, unable to provide basic city services, as it debates cutting pensions and selling off the city's art collection. What's the right move? We, the writers of Gawker, have very strong opinions.
"I wanna write a thing saying Detroit should sell the art in their museum," I said in our internal "Campfire" chat this morning. The following debate ensued.
Samples:
Tom S. Why not just appropriate money from the rich people and keep the art?
John C. give the art to the poor
Tom S. It feels like your Peter Singer stuff is getting in the way of your communist principles, Hamilton.
Max R. burn the art and kill the rich
Cord J. build homes for the poor with the unused paintings
Hamilton N. basic city services are more important than opulent art
Hamilton N. if you were building a city, would you build it with a billion dollars of art in a museum and no street lights?
Hamilton N. my only argument is an art museum is not as important as, for example, a fire department. when it comes to city services.
Hamilton N. I'm afraid detroit needs all the help it can get and it's sitting on a billion dollars of art
so get that money you can always make more art
Max R. fyi oakland county, the detroit suburbs, is among the wealthiest in the US
Tom S. You are literally arguing the Koch position, Hamilton.
Max R. macomb isn't too shabby either
there's plenty of money around detroit
Hamilton N. your position is: let's maintain this crumbling city as it is as its residents starve and die, for nostalgia's sake
why feed them lentils when we could let them STARVE instead, while looking at art?
Max R. are ppl in detroit starving?
Taylor B. looks like i missed some fun stuff in campfire
Tom S. My position is that you are trying to propitiate the forces that have destroyed the city by doing more damage to the city.
John C. there are starving people everywhere
Max R. not seeing a lot of stories about people in detroit starving
Hamilton N. the forces that destroyed the city besides capitalism in general are: corrupt city govt.
Taylor B. ban detroit, problem solved
Max R. "besides capitalism in general" is a hell of a clause
Tom S. Banning Detroit is not bad.
Hamilton N. they're a loser in post industrial america
