Letters to the Editor
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Rise of the Creative Class
What GK points out about iPoddy innovation in gay-friendly locales is not entirely new. Farhad Manjoo summarized it thusly in a "War Room" posting 5/6/2005: "The kind of people who are drawn to software engineering tend to be progressives on issues like gay rights (that's why, incidentally, the tech economy is centered in California, not Kansas)."
The topic had also been explored further in an earlier Salon review of Richard Florida's book "The Rise of the Creative Class."
http://dir.salon.com/story/books/int/2005/04/21/florida/index.html
"The United States of America is on the verge of losing its competitive advantage," economist Richard Florida wrote last fall in a Harvard Business Review article based on his new book, "The Flight of the Creative Class: The New Global Competition for Talent." "It is facing perhaps its greatest economic challenge since the dawn of the industrial revolution." Even more provocatively, he later declared that "Terrorism is less a threat to the U.S. than the possibility that creative and talented people will stop wanting to live within its borders."
[ ... ]
For cities to remain strong, or to rebound from postindustrial neglect, Florida prescribed artistic and cultural development; this would attract members of the new flourishing, prospering class. His emphasis on a thriving, music-filled nightlife and a populace of artists and scenesters ignited the imaginations of developers and planners around the country. His book provided tables that ranked cities on the key components that, according to Florida, make up the trinity of successful development: technology, talent and tolerance.
and from http://dir.salon.com/story/books/feature/2002/06/06/city_list/index.html
Top 10 Cities on Richard Florida's Creative Class Index (June 6, 2002):
1. San Francisco, Calif.
2. Austin, Texas
3. Boston, Mass.
4. San Diego, Calif.
5. Seattle, Wash.
6. Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
7. Houston, Texas
8. Washington, D.C.
9. New York, N.Y.
10. Minneapolis, Minn.
Bottom 10 Cities:
39. Detroit, Mich.
40. Providence, R.I.
41. Greensboro, N.C.
42. Oklahoma City, Okla.
43. New Orleans, La.
44. Grand Rapids, Mich.
45. Louisville, Ky.
46. Buffalo, N.Y.
47. Las Vegas, Nev.
48. Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Va.
49. Memphis, Tenn.
The "Rise of the Creative Class" website is at http://www.creativeclass.org/ci.htm
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But which one to pick?
"There are plenty of things wrong with the Republicans, just pick one and lay off the Nazi references -- it's lazy."
You're absolutely right. Aside from the concentration camps, disappearing people, domestic spying, propoganda, bigotry, crazy religious beliefs, looting of the Treasury, rampant criminality and corruption, suppression of freedom of speech, government-controlled media, the destruction of those who dissent, and the criminalization of different classes of its citizens, what in the world does the Republican Party have in commone with Nazis? Nothing, I'd say. How lazy, Mr. Keillor!
In fact, the current occupant of the White House is the exact opposite of a Nazi: Hitler, after all, was democratically elected.
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Hey...I'm a high school wrestling coach!
I do resent that remark, Mr. Keillor. I am the JV wrestling coach at an inner-city high school in Phoenix, AZ and I have a B.S. in Environmental Biology. I am also the least educated of the coaches on our staff. Both the Varsity coach and the Freshman coach have B.A.s and M.A.s in Education. In addition, the Varsity coach has a Masters degree in Theology. We also have a volunteer coach who is a well-respected local surgeon. In fact, I could name wrestling coaches at many of our rival high schools with equally impressive credentials.
I dare say we are all quite a bit smarter, and more well-rounded, than Rep. Hastert.
Football coaches, on the other hand...
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The smart one.
The smart one's coming in '08, Garrison.
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To Gratefule Live:
"Go ahead, refute me, libs....explain how libs/progs do not make fun and constantly put down the folk in the heartland."
Many of us in the heartland are progressive liberals. Your remarks are a ridiculous generalization apropos to nothing.
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Not To Mention~
The role gay men have played in revitalizing run-down, blighted neighborhoods, and creating "historical districts" from "old" buildings, adopting special needs children; traditionally difficult to place among hetero families, and other generous and charitable contributions they make as a group.
But, the easiest way to hide your deficiencies is to point out (however unfairly) the percieved flaws and failings of others. As long as doing so keeps working for the Republicans, they will keep making sexual orientation an issue and a moral failing for those who are gay.
It's up to the voters to realize that their lives, future and freedoms are at stake in the coming elections, and to make their priorites not so much about what individuals do in their bedrooms, but what they do as representatives of us, the citizens, in the Whitehouse, and everywhere else.
Thanks for your of your succinct, apt (and, as always, well-written) point of view on this, Keillor.
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Wrestling Coaches
Why insult high school wrestling coaches? That comes across as snobbery.
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uh, hello, ed
have you been paying attention??
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file under 'wish i'd said that'
Garrison's comment about the ipod and Baptists in Waco, Texas was one of the truest statements I can recall reading in recent memory.....channeling the best of both Mark Twain and Alice Roosevelt......terse and to the point.....I have already quoted this reference to many friends......and may just email it to my (Baptist) Sunday School class........
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Depends on what the definition of "thrive" is...
whetstone, thanks for pointing out to poster wheadley that I was responding to poster Ikpo's letter and not to Mr. Keillor's remarks.
Oh by the way Ikpo, thanks for sending me this through my website contact page. As you did not leave any contact info (other than your IP address) I will respond here. Besides, this is the forum you should stick to as it started here...
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// Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted by
() on Friday, June 09, 2006 at 11:28:53
name: lkpo
comments: Just saw your disrespective post to my salon post on Keillor. No, not "utter nonsense",
what I wrote. I now quote from the OED:
thrive, v. Of a person or community: To prosper; to increase in wealth; to be successful or
fortunate.
Yes, it pans out; creativity can thrive under authoritarianism, just as it can thrive in
non-authoritarian societies. The effects may (or may not) be different, but you're still mighty hard
pressed to defend against the loads of examples of creative artists living in authoritarian societies.
And they are a great plenty. Contrasted with some college towns some of whose inhabitants may think
they are creative, when they are not-- just flaky. \\
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Thanks for the dictionary definition of thrive. And sorry Ikpo, no disrespect towards you personally, just commenting on your opinion. My position is simply that I do not think authoritarianism creates thriving artists or communities. I never said creative artists did not live in authoritarian societies. They do however often escape from such societies, where they then may "thrive". Under authoritarian regimes only art that is approved by the regime is allowed public space. Certainly "flaky" art would not be allowed. Are you the authoritarian who will decide what art is? Me? Or the marketplace of free ideas and free thought?