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Law and Disorder in Philadelphia
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The intrepid Louis Theroux does his thing in one of America's most dangerous cities. This latest investigation by Louis is certainly his riskiest yet.
Dec 3, 2008 2:47 AM
Re: Law and Disorder in Philadelphia
Link not working (for me) mirror added. Still no joy..
Re: Law and Disorder in Philadelphia
The owners killed it. Just about all Theroux documentaries have been yanked off the 'Net. It won't do them any good, however. It's a pity they don't understand. The 'Net is actually beneficial to sales (in the long run).
Re: Law and Disorder in Philadelphia
Wait. Actually, I see that the mirror is working just fine. Maybe if you allow it to buffer for a minute and then move the (how do you call that thing?) bar at the bottom end of the screen slightly to the right.
Re: Law and Disorder in Philadelphia
I wonder what would happen if the government came in there with 100 million dollars and just said, let's build this. Let's say they employed thousands in the construction and built stores and homes, how quickly would life change there?
By: theWorm
Re: Law and Disorder in Philadelphia
Quicker than the time it took you to write that comment.
Re: Law and Disorder in Philadelphia
Look up a TED talk by Bill Strickland. He talks all about how people will display million dollar behavior if you give them million dollar surroundings and a little respect. I have no doubt that the situation would change rapidly if these people had a different environment, grew up under different circumstances, and had the same resources as everyone else. Call me an idealist, but I actually listed greater Philadelphia and Camden as one of the places I want to teach in with Teach for America. I highly recommend it if you think these things and have an urge to take it a step further, to put your money where your mouth is, as they say.
By: boyblunders
Re: Law and Disorder in Philadelphia
But are they really that different from us? Let's say they play the game how we on the outside play it? What is life then? Being a wage slave? Being owned by someone who controls the flow of the thing that you want, and dictates the nature of the life you live, your perception of reality, of what is normal, what is free, what is right? what it is to be a breathing beating sweating fucking chewing mass of inanimate material come together in an immaculate system suspended by the intake of energy? Can you believe that they want to cheapen us so? With drugs, with money?
I don't think that it should be about drugs, or money. What is normal to us shouldn't be in the first place, just like death and discontent should not be normal for Philadelphia. There's something wrong with everything, from the top down. People should be valuable to people, beholden to people, and should seek to possess the love of people, using nothing but their personhood. No drugs, no money, no imposition of objects that remove us from our humanity. That is the definition of objectification, and it is a true tragedy when we voluntarily objectify ourselves. Surely, the system demands that we have money and use money, and there's no sense in trying to change that. But is there such a thing as moderation?
It isn't survival of the fittest when the system in which the organism is surviving is an artificial construct. We will not endure by the dint of powerful individuals, but by altruism and cooperation. Drug lords and CEOs are sufficient, but not necessary, and already they are tending towards insufficient and unnecessary based upon current trends.
I don't think that it should be about drugs, or money. What is normal to us shouldn't be in the first place, just like death and discontent should not be normal for Philadelphia. There's something wrong with everything, from the top down. People should be valuable to people, beholden to people, and should seek to possess the love of people, using nothing but their personhood. No drugs, no money, no imposition of objects that remove us from our humanity. That is the definition of objectification, and it is a true tragedy when we voluntarily objectify ourselves. Surely, the system demands that we have money and use money, and there's no sense in trying to change that. But is there such a thing as moderation?
It isn't survival of the fittest when the system in which the organism is surviving is an artificial construct. We will not endure by the dint of powerful individuals, but by altruism and cooperation. Drug lords and CEOs are sufficient, but not necessary, and already they are tending towards insufficient and unnecessary based upon current trends.
By: boyblunders
Re: Law and Disorder in Philadelphia
If you haven't lived in or near a really poor urban neighborhood (e.g. housing projects, gangs, cradle-to-grave welfare for several generations), it's hard to understand how truly dysfunctional the urban poor often are.
They are obsessed with status, frequently self-deluded and rationalizing about their own motives, short-sighted, more or less incapable of delayed gratification, and almost entirely ignorant of the world outside their neighborhoods.
When you have a whole culture like this, you can't just say it's the product of individual character, although the converse is often true: that dedicated individuals do manage to transcend these origins and become highly successful.
There are a lot of things that can be done. Infusing money and jobs into these neighborhoods is a good idea, but in my opinion, the best chances of success come from within -- community building efforts from schools, churches, and other institutions, as well as vocal community leaders. Those are the places where money should be put.
But it is also often a matter of urban structure as well -- the housing projects of the 60s and 70s are a disaster. Vertical slums. Better housing, community gardens, and -- very important -- getting the youth of the community outside of the neighborhood to understand the possibilities that are available to them.
Those of us from the middle classes tend to underappreciate our enormous social resources -- we come from cultures that value hard work, education, peaceful resolution of problems, etc. Even if you are poor but live in a middle class community, you have the benefit of that society, which teaches you, basically, how to be middle class.
I have taught the urban poor, and lived among them. I guess the thing that stands out for me most is how incredibly naive and ignorant they often are -- they simply don't know how to do things like prepare a resume, apply to college, apply for a loan, etc. etc. The models of success are often criminals. You really have to put yourself in their shoes before you can begin to imagine solutions.
And I've gone on long enough here, but don't underestimate the long legacy of slavery and oppression of black people. It has had an enduring generational effect that is difficult to fully comprehend.
They are obsessed with status, frequently self-deluded and rationalizing about their own motives, short-sighted, more or less incapable of delayed gratification, and almost entirely ignorant of the world outside their neighborhoods.
When you have a whole culture like this, you can't just say it's the product of individual character, although the converse is often true: that dedicated individuals do manage to transcend these origins and become highly successful.
There are a lot of things that can be done. Infusing money and jobs into these neighborhoods is a good idea, but in my opinion, the best chances of success come from within -- community building efforts from schools, churches, and other institutions, as well as vocal community leaders. Those are the places where money should be put.
But it is also often a matter of urban structure as well -- the housing projects of the 60s and 70s are a disaster. Vertical slums. Better housing, community gardens, and -- very important -- getting the youth of the community outside of the neighborhood to understand the possibilities that are available to them.
Those of us from the middle classes tend to underappreciate our enormous social resources -- we come from cultures that value hard work, education, peaceful resolution of problems, etc. Even if you are poor but live in a middle class community, you have the benefit of that society, which teaches you, basically, how to be middle class.
I have taught the urban poor, and lived among them. I guess the thing that stands out for me most is how incredibly naive and ignorant they often are -- they simply don't know how to do things like prepare a resume, apply to college, apply for a loan, etc. etc. The models of success are often criminals. You really have to put yourself in their shoes before you can begin to imagine solutions.
And I've gone on long enough here, but don't underestimate the long legacy of slavery and oppression of black people. It has had an enduring generational effect that is difficult to fully comprehend.
By: StrangeAttractor
Re: Law and Disorder in Philadelphia
Riskiest investigation yet... until the Johannesburg episode airs on Sunday.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00g1vdq
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00g1vdq
By: gypo
Re: Law and Disorder in Philadelphia
These are great, I think I've seen every single one of them ...thanks to M&C.
By: mongojazz
Re: Law and Disorder in Philadelphia
The one thing that would at least get rid of the violence is getting rid of the war on drugs. Legalize the drugs, regulate and tax them. Use that money (including the money spent on the drug war) to improve impoverished quality of life. Socialize medicine so people with drug problems will have places to go to seek help. It used to be Capone in Alcohol prohibition now its the gang bangers in drug prohibition. There are ways to fix the problems but fear of the unknown are keeping them from being solved. http://www.leap.cc/cms/index.php
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB122843683581681375-lMyQjAxMDI4MjA4NTQwMzU2Wj.html
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB122843683581681375-lMyQjAxMDI4MjA4NTQwMzU2Wj.html
By: SeaOfTea
Re: Law and Disorder in Philadelphia
Fear of the unknown? Nah, the War on Drugs is big business, you know. Also, most people are indoctrinated to believe drugs are bad, bad, bad, never mind they probably use some of the more dangerous ones such as alcohol and nicotine themselves. More big business.
Anyway, the other stuff you say is good. I just wanted to add a little nuance.
Anyway, the other stuff you say is good. I just wanted to add a little nuance.
