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View Full Version : Lawn mowers, Detroit, and anarchy




shane77m
09-23-2013, 10:42 AM
http://reason.com/reasontv/2013/09/23/the-mower-gang-anarchy-in-detroit-part-i





http://youtu.be/rJEzCN5kfJE

We all know Detroit's in trouble: A bankrupt city full of crumbling houses, abandoned factory buildings, and a dwindling population.

But while politicians, unions, and investors slug it out in bankruptcy court and grasp for their share of what little cash is left, ordinary citizens are left to fend for themselves in a city with no functioning government. This is Reason TV's coverage of what happens when people are left to their own devices and forced to come up with creative ways to pick up the pieces and find solutions in a city they once loved.

This is #Anarchy in Detroit, a four-part series showcasing what actual Detroit residents are doing to make the Motor City a better place to live.

In Part I, Tom Nardone is tired of seeing Detroit's public parks go unmowed by the city government. He thinks that children should have a place to play. So, he hops on his mower and does it himself. Then, he invites others.

"I was surprised when the first person showed up. I was like, 'All right. I guess someone's as crazy as I am,'" says Nardone.

Hence, the Mower Gang is born.

Watch the video above, and check out the rest of the series here. Part II profiles Detroit Threat Management, a private security firm supplementing the efforts of the city's beleaguered law enforcement. Part III explores Fireweed Universe City, a neighborhood of anarchist squatters. And Part IV takes a look at one man's wild idea to purchase an island in the Detroit River and turn it into a libertarian paradise. Or, watch the whole thing here.

Approximately 3 minutes. Produced by Zach Weissmueller. Shot by Tracy Oppenheimer and Weissmueller. Music by Cassiopee Asphodel and Treaty.

Cabal
09-23-2013, 10:49 AM
But who will build the roads?!?

Root
09-23-2013, 10:52 AM
How long before the State puts an end to this?

jbauer
09-23-2013, 10:56 AM
How long before the State puts an end to this?

Surprised they haven't yet. They are destroying public property. They haven't applied for, paid a tax and received their "mommy note" that says they can be present.

They are also using motorized vehicles in an area that they are illegal.

And most importantly they are TAKING a JOB away from a UNION employee.

angelatc
09-23-2013, 10:56 AM
How long before the State puts an end to this?


In Detroit? The unions will definitely push to destroy the concept of voluntaryism.

Lucille
09-23-2013, 11:25 AM
How long before the State puts an end to this?

I posted reason's piece on Mayor Bing's Operation Compliance in the MI subforum (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?427991-Operation-Compliance-Detroit-s-War-on-Small-Business):


"Someone breaks in, they never show up. Yet still, they want to come and blackball you and close your business," says Derek Little, owner of an auto shop along Detroit's Livernois Avenue.

He's one of many business owners in Detroit who's faced what he says amounts to harassment from the city's overzealous code enforcement. Amidst a bankruptcy and a fast-dwindling population and tax base, the city has prioritized the task of ensuring that all businesses are in compliance with its codes and permitting. To accomplish this, Mayor David Bing announced in January that he'd assembled a task force to execute Operation Compliance.

Operation Compliance began with the stated goal of shutting down 20 businesses a week. Since its inception, Operation Compliance has resulted in the closure of 383 small businesses, with another 536 in the "process of compliance," according to figures provided to Reason TV by city officials.

He'll probably run on the number of small businesses and jobs he destroyed in his last term, and win.

Occam's Banana
09-23-2013, 11:29 AM
How long before the State puts an end to this?

They've already started. It's just a matter of time before they get around to "vigilante lawn mowers" ...

"Operation Compliance: Detroit's War on Small Business"
http://reason.com/reasontv/2013/09/17/operation-compliance-detroits-war-on-sma