Comments

1
The Space Needle is a vastly underrated tourist destination. As a lifetime resident, I had never gone up until I came back and visited a few years ago. I was blown away at how rad it was (we didn't dine)
2
F'n grand, CM. Loved it.
3
The spheres are not for you. These are not your spheres. The Space Needle is open to everyone, and always has been. Indeed, that’s its purpose.
4
Don’t overlook the appeal to Bezo’s vanity.
Who’s got the biggest balls in town?
5
Here's Laurie Anderson's take on that Walter Benjamin reference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMj-icLH…
6
Stellar essay CM
7
Word salad needs dressing.
8
Also, the Space Needle (and Bubbleator), not Amazon's spheres, inspired Gravity's Rainbow:
http://seattlemag.com/how-thomas-pynchon…
9
This is an amazing essay, Mudede, far ranging, thought provoking, lyrical, erudite.

Don't agree with you, but great writing!

If you want my opinion on your premise: Socialist management for housing, healthcare, transportation doesn't work well, see Venezuela. Neither does capitalism, see USA, UK.

What the modern world needs is some new system or systems. Perhaps cherry picking from the best functioning models. We should look to Singapore for housing: the land owned by the state (communism) but the apartments owned by the people (99 year leasehold) and priced for average-income to buy (socialism), and private companies competing to build them at a profit (capitalism).

Healthcare, maybe Germany. Private insurance companies heavily regulated by the state and limited in their profits, universal coverage, high enough taxes to pay for it.

Transportation: much of Europe and East Asia. Large networks of high speed trains connecting cities with excellent subways. Eminent domain to take back private land and build new transport corridors. Can co-exist with increasingly electric vehicle ownership.

There is a strong role for ideas from capitalism, socialism, and communism but definitely not one or the other.


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