The Times takes a tour of tent cities across the country, which are springing up at an alarming rate because people keep losing their houses. Today, Arnold Schwarzenegger opened up a fairgrounds in Sacramento so the homeless community that has started in the state’s capital can move into a safer place. In Seattle, they call their tent city Nickelsville, after their mayor. But if this is a national problem, we’re going to need a national name.We had Hoovervilles during the Great Depression. So, if we take the historical analogy to assume that Obama is FDR, then we should be calling these Bushvilles. I imagine many other people who don’t feel the stimulus is working so well would find Obamatowns a more appropriate moniker. And then there are the people who might actually be responsible. Perhaps you’d like to set up your new tent in a Greenspancity, or a Paulsontown, or a Dick Fuldistan. Any ideas, what should we call these new tent cities?Photo by Jim Wilson / The New York Times
Tags
advertisement
More for You
-
14 images of badass women who destroyed stereotypes and inspired future generations
These trailblazers redefined what a woman could be.
Throughout history, women have stood up and fought to break down barriers imposed on them from stereotypes and societal expectations. The trailblazers in these photos made history and redefined what a woman could be. In doing so, they paved the way for future generations to stand up and continue to fight for equality.
-
Why mass shootings spawn conspiracy theories
Mass shootings and conspiracy theories have a long history.
While conspiracy theories are not limited to any topic, there is one type of event that seems particularly likely to spark them: mass shootings, typically defined as attacks in which a shooter kills at least four other people.
When one person kills many others in a single incident, particularly when it seems random, people naturally seek out answers for why the tragedy happened. After all, if a mass shooting is random, anyone can be a target.
Pointing to some nefarious plan by a powerful group – such as the government – can be more comforting than the idea that the attack was the result of a disturbed or mentally ill individual who obtained a firearm legally.
advertisement

