I don't like to make much information about myself available online, but I will say that you can find a lot of those where I used to live as a young child. Most of the city lived in the shadow of the economic collapse of Bethlehem and some parts still do. It was a rusty, salty shithole.

Seeing the skeleton of the industry that was the very economic foundation of the Rust-belt and the city laid out in a display for a corpo-festival (looks like) is quite hollowing in a way that can't be described. Imagine the greatest pieces of Soviet industry laid out at a rave for rich, older adults, best comparison and I don't even think that's quite apt as much of Soviet industry survived. That era is long-gone in the U.S.

I can't say I mourn it either. Bethlehem piled slag feet deep on the bottom of Lake Erie, near-irreparably destroying the environment as any mediation efforts will disturb the literal tons of slag and toxic materials at the bottom of the lake. They also hung thousands of people out to dry with nearly no warning, all for greed as well.

In the wake of one of America's greatest steel industries it left nothing but ruin.

[–] 666@lemmygrad.ml 23 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

there was also the Canal also a nearby asbestos factory remediated into a nuclear waste storage that ended up in obvious environmental disaster. The area is riddled with them.

In my opinion the city is still a unique shithole and it's gotten SIGNIFICANTLY better (due to migration, much to the chud's chagrin) but it's got one of the lowest income rates out of any major city in the U.S with some areas still entirely abandoned/demunincipalized with rampant drug-use, alcoholism and violence. Average income is 30k.

[–] Ekranoplane@hexbear.net 21 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yeah that canal is currently a homeless encampment with 100 people the city is trying to displace because it's a flood plain. It probably actually is a flood plain. Oh well, not like there's multiple rotting office building or anything we could put the people in.

[–] 666@lemmygrad.ml 19 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

no no you see we need to spend a record-breaking billion dollars in federal funds on condos in a city with an average income of 30k and then retire as a casino executive. (actually fucking happened)

[–] Des@hexbear.net 12 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

it's so mind boggling how some of that old Soviet industrial infrastructure can just be dusted off, some paint slapped on and just reactivated

built to last when there's no profit incentive

not going to happen here