Decadence
I was in Chicago this week. I love Chicago. For those readers who have not been there --it is not at all like ( at least we Canadians) perceive it as. I am sure there are bad parts, rugged parts like all large cities but downtown is fabulous. The architecture is striking. It seems that most building from early in the century were built to be striking. The restaurants, the buzz..the people...it is a destination.
In the early 1800's Chicago was smaller than St. Louis and it looked like St.. Louis would be the gateway to the west. Today downtown St. Louis is no comparison. Lots of plywood boarding up places, the striking architecture present but not nearly as plentiful. Chicago brought the worlds fair in 1933 to celebrate 100 years as a city. The remnants are striking today. http://www.chicagohs.org/history/expo/finearts.html
But it was not architecture and fine dining that struck me this trip- it was this personal dilema that asks if our society is too decadent.
The picture above is a five bedroom brownstone just north of downtown. Its 106 years old. On the market for 4.8 million. On the realtor listing it says that the payments would be 24000$ a month. In this area there are 38 properties on the market for between 4 and 5 million US$.
Who has this money? Across from here there are 1 bedroom condos that sell for 1 million. I asked the doorman ----who pays a million for a one bedroom. He said most are for downtown business people who have their real place in the suburbs but want a downtown place if they have to work late or the weathers bad.
Do the rich make too much? is it time for there to be more sharing? Those who know me would probably put we as a conservative-- but enough is enough. I believe that hard work and skill should be rewarded but enough is enough. We need more sharing.
I believe that those who take risks create work for others should be richly rewarded, but I think it is a fine line that balances hope and opportunity for poorer people and an overabundance of rewards for the rich.
Maybe we should fight the decadence and send a few bucks to people like this http://www.vivid.ro/index.php/issue/78/page/diary ( thanks Traveller one...)
posted by hockeyman @ 8:55 AM
2 Comments:
Can I give you another link to one fabulous woman?
http://www.vivid.ro/vivid65/pages65/talk65.htm
This is my friend Leslie Hawke- the mom of actor Ethan Hawke. She's doing unbelievably amazing things in Romania!
Interesting... You do seem to know the celebrities. An obviously driven woman.
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