Pro-Democracy Movement Rises Against 'Disaster Capitalism' in Detroit

[Jack Rabbit]

43. No, this isn't about integration

It's about democracy itself. It's about whether the people are sovereign. It is about whether the people will be governed by leaders of their choice or by a dictator of Governor Snyder's choice.

I sympathize with your problems, but this is not the solution. You did what you could do, namely, cease to do business with the city. I have no doubt that Detroit is in trouble. If it is true that the city cannot long function before filing bankruptcy, then let it file bankruptcy and the courts work with the city's elected officials to get it back on its its feet.

The state of Michigan gives the governor the right to determine that the city is insolvent and to appoint an emergency manager of his choice to make decisions without consulting elected officials. In fact, he gets to fire them. That is what is wrong here.

As soon as one says "Caesar should appoint a proconsul for Detroit because democracy has failed there," one is wrong. Detroit has problems, but this so-called solution gives the appearance of using those problems to create an opportunity for a crony capitalist and further corruption, not an honest attempt to help the city and its residents.

Michigan's draconian emergency manager law is an affront to democracy. There are other solutions to the problem of a city in financial straights that have worked everywhere else and could work in Michigan. Michigan's emergency manager system is authoritarian and has no place in Michigan or anywhere else.