rant · moment 4 of 18
Global Capital, Nationalism, and the Death of Old New York
from Growing Up Gottschee with Dan St. Germain · #122
Audio-only archive episode — no video to seek.
5 minThe conversation widens into why global real estate speculation fuels nationalism and populism like Trump, then nostalgia for old, dangerous New York and how the city has become a 'global capital' rather than a city for New Yorkers.
- 14:01New York City's bankruptcy in the late 60s and early 70s created the economic despair that made the artistic scene of that era possible.
- 14:35The global rise of nationalism and figures like Donald Trump stems from people displaced by wealthy foreigners buying property through shell corporations and routing profits offshore.
- 15:21When governments hand trillions to companies like Amazon while infrastructure and healthcare remain broken, people reasonably ask what the actual benefit is.
- 15:50High-end real estate prices have been artificially inflated and are now softening, which is why the city wants Amazon's jobs and tax revenue.
- 16:20New York stopped being a city for New Yorkers after Giuliani took office and began Disneyfying Times Square.
- 16:38Giuliani was responsible for making the city safer by reducing street violence, which was a genuine improvement despite the loss of grit.
- 17:23That old New York identity has already been lost and squeezed out of the city.
- 17:42Conservative critique: tax dollars are being used to build yoga studios for cloud analysts and make neighborhoods palatable for tech workers.
- 18:06The underlying question is how crowded a city can actually get before infrastructure breaks down.
- 18:29Tim jokes about Chinese subway crowds and wanting someone to shove him in so he wouldn't feel guilty about crushing a small girl.
- 18:45Even in absurd moments of crowding, people rationalize their own complicity in the chaos.
AmazonDonald TrumpNew York CityTimes SquareRudy GiulianiLou ReedDavid AngeloBill de BlasioAndrew Cuomo