[sudo-discuss] Oakland gentrification is very well planned & executed

[Yar]

On Sun, May 11, 2014 at 2:38 PM, Ryan Bethencourt
<ryan.bethencourt at gmail.com> wrote:
>> http://www.npr.org/2014/01/22/264528139/long-a-dirty-word-gentrification-may-be-losing-its-stigma

On Sun, May 11, 2014 at 3:16 PM, Sam Tepper <sam.tepper at gmail.com> wrote:
> I don't think people doubt that gentrification has its upsides

Gentrification is absolutely awesome ... for some people. At the
expense of other people. Even if the data in that study is reliable (I
have my doubts), the overall analysis reduces people to numbers. It
suggests that some of us are expendable for the "financial health" of
others. It's not "a rising tide lifts all boats". It's more like a
rising tide lifts 70% of boats, so let the others drown.

It also does not ask why some neighborhoods are undervalued in the
first place, when in fact divestment and gentrification are two faces
of the same system. I would never blame people for doing what they
need to do to survive, but we can never gentrify our way to justice.
We need to address problems at their root, remain critical of the
system, and work towards a society where EVERYBODY can prosper.

On Sun, May 11, 2014 at 3:39 PM, Ryan Bethencourt
<ryan.bethencourt at gmail.com> wrote:
> Saying that, I'm just not a fan of how the term gentrification is being used, it seems divisive to me, them and us, if we're a community space, surely we should embrace all of those who wish to add to the community and share their skill sets (regardless of race, income, creed or gender preferences and hold to non-discrimination). Google engineers are being vilified ...

As much as I love my Googler friends, I  bristle at comparing
anti-Googlism to racism, or oppression based on "creed" or "gender
preferences". I'm not even sure what "gender preferences" are.