"... at the very moment they touch down at J.F.K., determined by both their income level and how flagrant their desertion was. (If someone spent the entirety of their exile on the crystal waters between Monaco and Sardinia, he can expect to pay up.) That money will be used to fund a public good ascertained, through a special election, by those of us who never left.... We saw the videos from the Joshua Tree ranch, OK? You can’t just march back in here as if you own the place. Once sufficient contrition is expressed, exiles may return to their normal New York existences, so long as they promise to never vacate the city in its time of need ever again.... All the values I was taught about New York, from elementary school onward, came true last year: the solidarity, the saltiness, the stubborn resilience whenever outside voices declare the city dead and buried.... The deserters escaped all the horror that comes with living in America’s largest population center in the middle of a generational crisis, but they’ll also miss out on the brilliant, unchaining joys of what comes afterward, this great unburdening of New York City. I almost feel bad for them. Almost."
Writes Luke Wilkie in "They Escaped the Pandemic/Now They Must Pay" (NYT).
This is one of those "modest proposal" essays. The comedy is clear if you read the whole thing. But what's real is the hostility toward the rich — the rich who could and did buy their way out of the struggles of city life. It was more obvious than usual, but people always use what money they have to ease their own suffering. Rich people get out of town all the time. They leave just because summer is hot.
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Awesome! They’ve gone from “how to stop the depopulation?” to “let’s make it harder to move back!” already. Fucking geniuses in NYC aren’t they?
This is one of those "modest proposal" essays.
So, irony. I just assumed Cuomo had turned everyone in the state into little tyrant Karens.
Taxes - which are nominally an income stream for necessary governmental functions - used instead as a punishment mechanism once again.
In case you didn't notice, Luke, 'solidarity, saltiness and stubborn resilience' are for the peons - the rich can do as they like, when they like. Including paying ~80% of the taxes that keep your wonderful city running.
I left NYC 45 years ago. Best decision I've ever made. The money I lost by moving away from the money river was a fair exchange for not having to put up with the NYC ethos. I hope those who left during the pandemic will draw the same conclusions.
They weren’t just escaping the virus.
Remember... NYC was torched twice by BLM last year. With the approval and assistance of the city government. The city (and the state) are moving toward refusing to prosecute black on white (or Asian) violence. You’re on your own to protect yourself, your family and your home.
Many people have fled for good. And, it’s not just the rich. Housing prices in Ulster, Duchess and Orange County have inflated dramatically as middle class people search for safety and decent schools for their kids... not to mention schools where their kids won’t get beat up by gangs.
You can call it "comedy" if you want, but most of us are very tired of hearing a New Yorker demand that someone else give him money.
Let's make sure those rich people never come back.
That should work.
Khrushchev called it "voting with their feet."
"Whether you're rich or poor, it's nice to have money."
If the schools were any good, maybe they could offer opening them up as an enticement.
Rich people get out of town all the time. They leave just because summer is hot.
The real reason the rich, and anyone who could, left town during the summer was because all of the horseshit and piss on the streets turned into dust that you were forced to breath if you stayed in the city. It became customary and persists today.
Rich people get out of town all the time. They leave just because summer is hot.
Same with Paris in August, even though they love Paris in the summer when it sizzles.
I wonder if it's crossed his mind that the rich might not come back?
When I lived in Maine, which, since the death of industry, has become basically a vacay playground for Boston and NYC rich folk, I didn't like being part of the servant class. If the wealthy understood that their ease killed the livelihood of regular people, I wouldn't have minded it so much. It's their smug entitlement that pisses the rest of us off.
Are you worried about liberals moving to your state? Well then write your legislators and suggest...
I proposed in Texas to have a $25,000 residency fee. Those moving to Texas and claiming residency be taxed $25 grand... or they cannot register to become Texas citizens. No vote, not able to pay in-state fees (like college or hunting licenses), no running for office as they are not Texas citizens. No homeless registering for 'free stuff' given out by Texas Government unless they pay the $25,000 tax!!!!
DO IT NOW TEXAS!!! Pass the legislation.
And no... it is not a joke!
The thing is, it wasn't New York that was harmed by rich New Yorkers fleeing their flu-infected city. It was all the rest of the country, where countless clusters were seeded by infected New Yorkers. If we're talking modest proposals, we should impose a special levy on all New Yorkers, paid out to the rest of the country.
Well, poor lil' Luke has something to learn- they do own the place.
Because I won't read the whole thing at the NYT, I can't evaluate the claim that this is an ironic piece. But I do question whether readers of the NYT will uniformly see it that way.
I mean, with some California legislators absolutely unironically proposing a relocation penalty on rich Californians who move away - taxing them for years after they move, no idea how that can work legally but that's what they want to do - is it really "having the Irish eat their surplus babies will solve that pesky starvation problem"-obvious that this is a "modest proposal"?
Last night I caught a little clip from Kids In the Hall - I hadn't seen it when it was new. It was a guy who was born with a speech impediment: he always sounded sarcastic. He's at a party, and no one talking with him can figure out whether he means what he says or not. It's kind of brilliant.
And it makes me wonder if this writer was just keeping his options open.
Can we tax all the criminals that robbed people during the pandemic and the Soro's DA's refused to prosecute because they might get COVID in jail? I'd say tax the murderers too, but that won't help the families that lost their loved ones. The least they could do is impeach Cuomo.
I trust nothing in the NYT.
I trust nothing in the NYT.
Even the recipes can be misleading.
The comedy is clear if you read the whole thing.
Aggressive passive aggressiveness.
Balfegor said...
The thing is, it wasn't New York that was harmed by rich New Yorkers fleeing their flu-infected city. It was all the rest of the country, where countless clusters were seeded by infected New Yorkers. If we're talking modest proposals, we should impose a special levy on all New Yorkers, paid out to the rest of the country.
3/13/21, 9:40 AM
If anything, the filthy New York elites have used the $1.9 trillion to bail out their pet projects. So not only have they not failed, but they've been wildly successful.
Who the hell is Luke Winkie, and how has this cretin been successful enough to write for Vice, WaPo, The Atlantic, and now the NYT? Given that he's unreadable, I just assume he does a lot of knob polishing.
Once sufficient contrition is expressed,
A phrase I skimmed over at first. There ought to be a keyboard shortcut for this, in this Year of Public Remorse 2021.
Of course, maybe this is the real tell that the piece is ironic, since a common factor of all the things we're supposed to apologize for is that there is no "sufficient" level of contrition.
So, I read it, and because of Poe's Law, I honestly don't know if it is comedy. There are actual, spiteful people who actually suggest things like this. I decided: Maybe I did somehow miss the joke since what was being written was... not exactly different than other make the rich pay proposals put forward by other people. So, I found some other articles by the guy. For example: https://slate.com/culture/2021/03/space-jam-2-lola-bunny-redesign-reddit-pepe-le-pew.amp?__twitter_impression=true
The more I read, the more I think that it was the sort of "comedy" assholes do, where they read the room, realize people think their "hot take" is crazy/stupid/mean, so they just laugh and say it was just a joke. It might not be his fault that other, crazier people than him ruined his joke though.
"Given that he's unreadable, I just assume he does a lot of knob polishing."
-- I actually went through his Twitter and skimmed his other articles. He's the exact mediocrity you'd expect, but he hustles. He will write anything people ask him to write, and he is "young, cool, and hip." He works hard, from what I can see, even if thus far, nothing he's written is amazing and stands out to me. But, I'm also not his intended audience, so it really is unfair for me -- guy who doesn't care about social media and memes -- trying to judge the guy who writes about podcasters, Hearthstone, and the memes of 2009. Maybe people who are interested in what he writes have a higher opinion of it?
People of means leave in no small part because of stupid government and stupider bureaucrats. Will the essentials ever realize it's about freedoms?
The way NYC is now because of the policies of two Progressives who decimated it, I doubt I will ever go back...and I used to go quite often. THEY made it the shithole it is today.
The rich who would leave NYC because the summer is hot will also leave Palm Beach for the same reason. Will they end up in the Hamptons or Martha's Vineyard this year? Bet on it.
https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/sportsball-guy-meme-cringe <-- Ok, this was legitimately amusing, because I took hate that people think "I dislike this thing you like," means they should have a long conversation about that. No! Let's talk about something we both like! But even here, his comic style doesn't match the NYT article; I really think maybe he was trying to be funny... but just didn't realize that his parody is... other people's actual opinion? It would be like if I was like: "The minimum wage should be $15! Ha ha ha, isn't my parody funny? Who'd actually think that!"
The sad thing is that reading Althouse's excerpt, I thought the writer was serious. Unfortunately, it's where the country is headed.
@ Ann: the rich who could and did buy their way out of the struggles of city life. It was more obvious than usual, but people always use what money they have to ease their own suffering. Rich people get out of town all the time. They leave just because summer is hot.
Makes me ponder what options those wealthy types (Zuckerburg, Bezos, Gates, Hollywood types, et al) that interject their massive wealth into political games and things like donations to BLM for bail have when the shit gets real and society becomes frayed at the edges.
Do they escape to their fortresses? Have private islands? Residences in other countries? Their own jets? Their own armies to protect them?
I think the Capitol "insurrection" hit home - there are "real" people out there that might get a bit too close for comfort.
The rest of us are trapped - we have no escape options.
Royal Adviser: Your Highness, the peasants are revolting!!
King: You can say that again.
Try the veal...
"Same with Paris in August, even though they love Paris in the summer when it sizzles."
The Wehrmacht concurs.
Speaking of which...
Why are the streets of Paris lined with trees?
So German soldiers can always march in the shade.
Kate said If the wealthy understood that their ease killed the livelihood of regular people, I wouldn't have minded it so much.
Are you suggesting that the rich NY'ers/Bostonians are the ones who are responsible for the death of industry in Maine? Not pushing back, seriously want to know the thought process.
We stayed in Lincoln Park the whole time to support local restaurants and merchants. When we could go to a place (we ate outside in Dec, Jan, and Feb in Chicago), we left huge tips.
Illinois has the putziest governor in the USA (worse than Cuomo, Newsome, Whitmer? it's a contest) and Chicago's mayor is not up to the job. I can't blame anyone for leaving.
Because I won't read the whole thing at the NYT, I can't evaluate the claim that this is an ironic piece. But I do question whether readers of the NYT will uniformly see it that way.
Agreed. were comments enabled? Would love to see what the readers think.
The comments, the bit I skimmed, were... a mixed bag of people being in on the "joke," people not (Both supporting and disagreeing.) The people on the author's Twitter seemed to uniformly think it was a joke, so I think it was just that he, being totally unaware real people propose things like this, didn't realize that his parody would be ineffective because it would also be nearly impossible to recognizer as such.
that's a nice trope, but the reality was the french people were not loyal to blum's socialist govt, certainly the leading businesses like l'oreals founder, (name escapes) who funded the cagoule, the pre vichy militia,
And those wonderful restaurants are for poor people? Hate the rich all you want jackass, but if they leave they are taking their delicious food with them.
The problem with satire is that things that were clearly satirical quickly become honestly intended propositions. Mostly it is political or quasi-political stuff, but even the mundane is at risk. The Onion did an article in 2004 titled "Fuck Everything, We're Doing Five Blades". It was a spoofed opinion piece from the CEO of Gillette which was mocking the seeming arms race of the number of blades in razors going on. Funny thing is Gillette did launch of 5-bladed razor a couple years later, outdating their Mach 3 and one-upping the competitions 4-bladed razor. A resettlement tax does sound like something a revenue hungry fiefdom could come up with. And politically taxing a group of people seen as naughty is one of the safest ways to implement it.
I also just started watching Downton Abbey, on Amazon Prime. I never watched it when it first came out. The rich there also are quite entitled and get special treatment using their wealth and connections. However compared to the current batch many of them seem to have the redeeming quality of a sense of noblesse oblige. They will use their wealth for the good of many during times of need.
"The sad thing is that reading Althouse's excerpt, I thought the writer was serious."
I didn't want to copy too much and I chose to exclude the most obviously comical stuff because, frankly, it wasn't good enough. So I chose to just inform you that the proposal was comic. The part of the proposal I left in wasn't easily recognized as comic, but it was better than what I left out.
Let me wildly guess- the clearly comical proposals contain provisions where the returnees are stripped naked and forced to march down 5th Avenue being pelted with tomatoes and insults?
I hate to tell you this- but that would also be a serious proposal for a lot of progressives.
This is one of those "modest proposal" essays. The comedy is clear if you read the whole thing. But what's real is the hostility toward the rich
1: I'll care about their hostility to the rich when they start voting Republican, and against the Party of the rich, the Democrats.
2: What makes them think the rich are actually going to come back? Why would they?
"Matt Sablan said...
"I actually went through his Twitter and skimmed his other articles."
Thanks for saving the rest of us the trouble.
The problem with satire is that things that were clearly satirical quickly become honestly intended propositions. Mostly it is political or quasi-political stuff, but even the mundane is at risk. The Onion did an article in 2004 titled "Fuck Everything, We're Doing Five Blades". It was a spoofed opinion piece from the CEO of Gillette which was mocking the seeming arms race of the number of blades in razors going on. Funny thing is Gillette did launch of 5-bladed razor a couple years later, outdating their Mach 3 and one-upping the competitions 4-bladed razor. A resettlement tax does sound like something a revenue hungry fiefdom could come up with. And politically taxing a group of people seen as naughty is one of the safest ways to implement it.
Poe's Law: Without a clear indicator of the author's intent, it is impossible to create a parody of extreme views so obviously exaggerated that it cannot be mistaken by some readers for a sincere expression of the views being parodied.
It doesn't matter how satirical it is, some will see it as a "how to" manual.
Planned Parent/hood with "benefits".
"... at the very moment they touch down at J.F.K. ...”
So the trick is to fly back via Newark, LaGuardia, or Teterboro? Maybe land at Reagan National and take the Acela up?
Illinois has the putziest governor in the USA
I need to introduce you to Jay Inslee.
Why stop at taxing returnees? Ultimately New York will find a way to tax all of us to support its endless profligacy, regardless of whether we've ever lived (or even visited) there.
Besides, the real rich fly private planes into private airports, not JFK
"Besides, the real rich fly private planes into private airports, not JFK"
Only losers fly commercial...
A reasonable person would see this piece as satire, but don't assume that the NY Times editor who cleared it for publication has the same perception.
There is also an argument to be made for taxing the hell out of the idiots who stayed in town under the merciful and humane governance of Grandma Killer Cuomo and Mayor Maniac DeBlasio, but kicking New York City residents when they're down is considered unsporting.
The never-ending rag on the rich.
Hey, worry about yourself, save what you make and stfu.
Any resettlement tax will be stolen by your 'elected officials'. When they have filled their beaks, they will escape the hellhole of degradation you and they created.
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