A TALE OF TWO CITIES
I n 1859, Charles Dickens wrote a novel entitled A Tale of Two Cities , set during the French Revolution’s slide into darkness. Oddly, the title fits our times. Increasingly, we have become a nation characterized by “a tale of two cities,” one painfully “woke,” the other intentionally not. With 100,000 cities to choose from, picking for contrast is like picking a floating duck at the fair, hoping to get a match. Cities divide by political, geographic, economic, ethnic, and countless demographic lines, some coastal and “progressive,” some inland and traditional. Portland, Oregon, and San Francisco, California, are paradigms of “woke” culture, followed by other Demo- crat-led cities. Their leaders are
work, and prosperity — or “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Data is revealing. Which approach often promotes what most Americans imagine as the “good life,” that is, one safer, mutually respectful, healthy, happy, and pros- perous ? Beyond instinct, let’s look at data. While a dozen variables could be lofted, consider big ones — crime, homelessness, poverty — along with “progressive” policies, like dimin- ishing the police and welcoming illegal aliens. While populations vary, big cities enjoy economies of scale, big tax bases, diverse industries, infrastruc- ture, and more federal support —
disenchanted with law enforcement; relatively anti-business; unapologet- ically disparaging toward traditional families, faith, and patriotic values; often against parent involvement in schools; and tolerant of higher taxes, illegal immigration, and activism. By contrast, cities like Naperville, Illinois, or Glendale, Arizona, much like Wyoming, West Virginia, Utah, Idaho, Arkansas, Alabama, and North Dakota, are thoughtfully conservative, led by reference to a wholly different philosophy of life and management. Starting from the premise that government exists to foster the greatest possible liberty consistent with everyone else’s liberty, success is measured by public safety, oppor- tunities for a good education, hard
32 • AMAC Magazine
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