How the radical Left turned America's cities into “slums” | Michael Shellenberger interview
The Telegraph・46 minutes read
Public drug use and defecation in cities like San Francisco are serious issues contributing to homelessness and crime, with people leaving big cities like California due to high housing prices and the ability to work remotely. Radical left policies in San Francisco have led to increased crime rates and homelessness, pushing for alternatives like universal psychiatric care and drug rehabilitation to tackle addiction and mental health issues.
Insights
- California's housing prices have not significantly decreased despite people leaving the state, with Texas being a popular relocation choice, indicating a persistent affordability crisis.
- San Francisco's worsening drug addiction, homelessness, and crime issues have prompted the city's mayor to announce a crackdown on open-air drug use and homelessness, influenced by the author's book advocating for law enforcement intervention.
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Recent questions
What are the popular states people are moving to from California?
Texas, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Washington, Oregon
How has the pandemic impacted people's decisions to leave big cities?
Accelerated trend due to high house prices and remote work
What factors have contributed to the rise in homelessness in California?
Drug use, public defecation, crime, housing prices
How has San Francisco been impacted by drug addiction and homelessness?
Severe impact on beauty, culture, crime due to addiction
What are the consequences of radical left policies on crime rates?
Reduced consequences, increased crime, lack of accountability
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Summary
00:00
"California's Urban Exodus and Housing Crisis"
- Public drug use and defecation in downtown San Francisco and Los Angeles are prevalent issues.
- Michael Schellenberger, an American environmentalist, discusses the phenomenon of people leaving big cities in the United States.
- Despite people leaving California and big cities, housing prices have not decreased significantly.
- People leaving California relocate to various states, with Texas being a popular choice, along with Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Washington, and Oregon.
- The pandemic has accelerated the trend of people leaving big cities due to high house prices and the ability to work remotely.
- California policymakers believe the state's desirability will prevent residents from leaving, hindering policy reform.
- The "Curley effect" in California has led to a self-reinforcing cycle favoring certain individuals and contributing to the state's issues.
- San Francisco, known for its beauty and cultural significance, has been severely impacted by drug addiction, homelessness, and crime.
- California has seen a significant increase in homelessness, with issues like drug use, public defecation, and crime becoming widespread.
- Visiting San Francisco now guarantees encountering street addicts, tent dwellers, public drug use, and filth due to the worsening situation with addiction and mental illness.
15:52
"San Francisco's Drug Crisis and Radical Policies"
- Fentanyl, a potent opioid, has replaced heroin in San Francisco and other cities, being 50 times more potent and cheaper, allowing for a $10 daily addiction maintenance.
- Meth addiction can also be sustained for $10 a day, leading to a rise in poly drug use, combining meth and fentanyl, resulting in mental illness and brain damage.
- Climate is suggested as a factor in drug issues, but cities like Miami have controlled drug problems by disallowing public camping and enforcing rules in homeless shelters.
- Radical left prosecutors in San Francisco have reduced consequences for crimes, leading to increased crime rates and lack of accountability for offenders.
- The United States has a history of high incarceration rates, followed by a push for alternatives like drug rehabilitation, but radical left policies have led to leniency without accountability.
- Increased spending on homelessness in San Francisco has not reduced homelessness, indicating a "magnet effect" attracting addicts with free services and lenient laws.
- Proper psychiatric care and rehabilitation are costly but necessary, yet the current approach allows individuals to refuse care even when breaking the law due to addiction or mental illness.
- San Francisco's wealthy status contrasts with its high levels of human misery and poverty, with policies aimed at compassion leading to worsening conditions.
- Radical left ideologies blame societal systems for individual problems, promoting victimhood and removing personal responsibility, as seen in the demonization of institutions and capitalism.
- Interviews with key figures in San Francisco reveal a trend of defending open drug scenes and addiction proliferation, influenced by ideologies that shift blame from individuals to societal systems.
32:56
Racial inequality, policing, and renewable energy debates
- Meritocratic testing leads to racial inequality in schools, with progressives also targeting policing and the criminal justice system.
- Claims that police don't prevent crimes have led to efforts to defund the police, contributing to a rise in homicides in the United States.
- Europe faced consequences from relying solely on weather-dependent renewables for power, leading to divestment from reliable sources like oil, gas, and nuclear energy.
- Ideologies from Foucault, Marx, and Rousseau advocate for dismantling institutions without viable alternatives, impacting policing, psychiatry, and electricity provision.
- Conservatives and moderates have not effectively opposed progressive policies in cities like San Francisco, lacking proposals for universal psychiatric care or drug rehabilitation.
- The Netherlands is held up as a model for treating addiction and mental illness, with a center-right party in power addressing open-air drug scenes effectively.
- Progressive criminal justice agendas, including defunding the police, have faced backlash as homicides spiked in cities like New York after police withdrawal.
- Good policing, community engagement, and positive relationships with potential criminals are proven to reduce violence and homicides, contrary to radical left beliefs.
- Police violence has decreased significantly over the last 30 years, necessitating more police funding for continued improvements.
- Calls to replace police with social workers in mental health crises overlook the danger of many situations, leading to a misleading narrative around defunding the police.
49:49
Police Resignations, Book Response, SF Governance Challenges
- Anti-police protests and budget cuts led to significant police resignations, withdrawals, and demoralization, impacting police officers' actions over the past few years, as noted by criminologists.
- The response to the author's book, particularly in San Francisco, has been mixed, with initial attacks and skepticism from progressives and liberals, but some have come to realize it aligns more with liberal views advocating for universal psychiatric care and a compassionate approach alongside law enforcement.
- The San Francisco mayor recently announced a crackdown on open-air drug use and homelessness, attributing the shift in policy partly to the author's book, which highlighted the need for law enforcement intervention.
- The lack of loyalty among San Francisco's elite, particularly in the tech and capitalist sectors, poses a challenge in addressing the city's issues, with a decline in solidarity and a national embarrassment due to governance failures, prompting some Democratic leaders to consider rebranding to counter negative perceptions.
