Worst Cities on Earth

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Here is an entertaining, though inflammatory post. The author, one Robert Lindsay, is a strange case: he claims to be a hardcore left-winger, but he is very un-PC in the way he expresses himself. Some of the cities listed don't really seem to belong there (Osaka?!?), but other of his choices are hard to dispute.

http://robertlindsay.wordpress.com/2009/06/10/bad-place-to-visit-wouldnt-want-to-live-there/

We've had "best places to visit" threads on here; what are some of the worst places you've visited or lived in?

[Opus106]

The Hindu religion keeps crime down because believers fear they will be punished by returning in the next life as something terrible, like one of the huge rats you see scurrying about.

Where did he get that from, The 3-year-old's Guide to India, 1784 Ed.?

[Florestan]

Bucharest, all of Romania: Stalinist pollution covers the whole country.

That's an exaggeration. There are areas where pollution is indeed horrible (Bucharest is not one of them, it's moderately polluted and certainly not worse than Athens) but to say that "it covers the whole country" is a ludicrously false claim.

and everyone seems depressed.

Not everyone but a good deal of people, due to poverty.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

That's an exaggeration. There are areas where pollution is indeed horrible (Bucharest is not one of them, it's moderately polluted and certainly not worse than Athens) but to say that "it covers the whole country" is a ludicrously false claim.

I've never been to Romania, but my impression is that it actually contains many natural beauty spots and picturesque old towns, particularly in Transylvania.

Personally I thought his mention of Gdansk was ludicrous. I spent several days there, and found it fascinating and quite charming, at least the Old Town.

On the other hand, post-communist Europe is indeed dotted with dreary, clapped-out industrial towns.

[Florestan]

I've never been to Romania, but my impression is that it actually contains many natural beauty spots and picturesque old towns, particularly in Transylvania.

That's true, especially the mountainous areas.

See here, here, here or here.

On the other hand, post-communist Europe is indeed dotted with dreary, clapped-out industrial towns.

No doubt. Romania has its share of these monstrosities.

[Cato]

Interesting that the author immediately blames capitalism: many of these places are in countries where freedoms are restricted (China, Mexico) or where Socialism (France, Belgium, etc.) is in charge.  Then there are incompetent governments unable to control crime - or unwilling because they are part of the larger kleptocracy.

India actually is more prosperous than ever with more people leaving poverty because of their market-based reforms.  Cleaning up their cities will depend on civic pride being built by competent politicians.

See Arvind Panagariya's analysis called The Triumph of India's Market Reforms

http://www.scribd.com/doc/13673344/-The-Triumph-of-Indias-Market-Reforms-The-Record-of-the-1980s-and-1990s-Cato-Policy-Analysis-No-554-

As far as the U.S. is concerned, the Federal Government has thrown hundreds of billions of dollars at the city governments of Detroit, New Haven, East Saint Louis, etc. over the last decades: left-wing liberals control these cities and have for decades. 

Whose philosophy is therefore proven in error?

[Cato]

Interesting that the author immediately blames capitalism: many of these places are in countries where freedoms are restricted (China, Mexico) or where Socialism (France, Belgium, etc.) is in charge.  Then there are incompetent governments unable to control crime - or unwilling because they are part of the larger kleptocracy.

India actually is more prosperous than ever with more people leaving poverty because of their market-based reforms.  Cleaning up their cities will depend on civic pride being built by competent politicians.

See Arvind Panagariya's analysis called The Triumph of India's Market Reforms

http://www.scribd.com/doc/13673344/-The-Triumph-of-Indias-Market-Reforms-The-Record-of-the-1980s-and-1990s-Cato-Policy-Analysis-No-554-

As far as the U.S. is concerned, the Federal Government has thrown hundreds of billions of dollars at the city governments of Detroit, New Haven, East Saint Louis, etc. over the last decades: left-wing liberals control these cities and have for decades. 

Whose philosophy is therefore proven in error?

P.S. By the way, how many people in Florida are packing up and sailing off to Cuba in lifeboats because its cities are so wonderful?

[Dr. Dread]

Hell City, Hell

Oh, you said on Earth...

[Haffner]

Lewiston, Maine and even worse next door in Rumford
Still in Maine Biddeford was pretty bad. Loved Rockland, Bar Harbor and Sydney.

I wasn't wild about Atlanta, Georgia or New York City, but I generally can't stand big cities anyhoo.
.

[DavidRoss]

Here is an entertaining, though inflammatory post. The author, one Robert Lindsay, is a strange case: he claims to be a hardcore left-winger, but he is very un-PC in the way he expresses himself.

If he's a leftist, then I would not expect him to be PC, as that is the language of contemporary "liberalism," handmaiden of the status quo and chief obstacle to the sort of radical reform that "hardcore leftists" are inclined to advocate.  If only they understood that capitalism is not the enemy, but their ally, and that statism and extreme concentrations of wealth and power--combined with rampant ignorance and spiritual bankruptcy--are the real enemies of their humanistic ideals.  Sigh.

If only fellows like Lindsay cared more about facts than ideology.  His sense of justice--admirable in itself--might then be deflected from dreamy idealism to real-world pragmatism, after which it ought be very clear that some forms of economic organization may result in greater disparity between richest and poorest, but nonetheless create conditions in which the poorest are still much better off than under competing systems with less disparity.

Worst places I've been?  I've seen a couple that could use improvement.  Uganda in the '70s under Amin probably takes the prize.

[Haffner]

Uganda in the '70s under Amin probably takes the prize.

Now that's SCARY.

[Mozart]

I live in a city where the air is quite toxic, the cars are all from 1963 and let out enough fumes which leave me in wonder how I am still alive. People are decapitated, and their heads and bodies just left in the street...people are quite fat, unhealthy, uneducated...there is not a single tree, streets are full of potholes and crammed all the time, the government is incredibly corrupt, and there is absolutely no entertainment.

[DavidRoss]

I live in a city where the air is quite toxic, the cars are all from 1963 and let out enough fumes which leave me in wonder how I am still alive. People are decapitated, and their heads and bodies just left in the street...people are quite fat, unhealthy, uneducated...there is not a single tree, streets are full of potholes and crammed all the time, the government is incredibly corrupt, and there is absolutely no entertainment.

And that city would be...?

[Brian]

Contrary to what he says, Istanbul is a good city - or at least a far better city than Ankara.

He's dead-on about Detroit, Gary, and Hammond, though! Pasadena, Texas is also worth mentioning.

[DavidRoss]

Contrary to what he says, Istanbul is a good city - or at least a far better city than Ankara.

He's dead-on about Detroit, Gary, and Hammond, though! Pasadena, Texas is also worth mentioning.

Long ago I almost spilled my drink when a comic--Paul Rodriguez, I think--said something like:

"You gringos think having a city like Tijuana on your border is bad...imagine how the Canadians feel about Detroit!"

[Christo]

No doubt. Romania has its share of these monstrosities.

... as it has of some of the most breathtaking landscapes of all of Europe, and of a series of unspoiled, very beautiful cities as well. This type of superficial verdict on "all of Romania" and indeed much of Eastern Europe, is extremely uninformed, nothing but a superfical, perhaps even malicious, prejudice, and better ignored completely. 

[Christo]

Contrary to what he says, Istanbul is a good city - or at least a far better city than Ankara.

Istanbul is easily in my top-list of European cities - and I've seen many myself, including all capitals and much more. I often name it in one breath with Rome and St. Petersburg, to mention just two other contenders.

[Dundonnell]

Istanbul is easily in my top-list of European cities - and I've seen many myself, including all capitals and much more. I often name it in one breath with Rome and St. Petersburg, to mention just two other contenders.

As it is the city that I intend to visit next I am delighted to read your comments

[Christo]

As it is the city that I intend to visit next I am delighted to read your comments

(My only comment being, that's it's just great - but you should find out that for yourself.  I did so in 1985, twice in 1987, again in 1994 and 2001, perhaps more often.  0:)

(Now back to Arnold Cooke's delightful First, third listening this evening  0:) )

[The new erato]

A thumbs up for Istanbul here as well.