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[Order a copy of Robert Spencer’s forthcoming book, Muhammad: A Critical Biography, by clicking here.]
In the once-fine city of Oakland, California, these days, we can all watch how a nation can move from the first world to the third world, right under the noses of its elected officials and most of its people, while hardly anyone dares to talk about what’s going on.
Great civilizations can be destroyed in a day. The conquest of Constantinople on May 29, 1453, marking the end of the Roman Empire after over two thousand years as a continuous polity, is a case in point. More often, however, once-powerful empires expire gradually, becoming a shadow of their former selves little by little, without attracting much notice, until it is undeniable that the former glory is gone, never to return. A case in point for that is the demise of the Western Roman Empire, which according to the historians fell in 476, yet without anyone much noticing until decades later. And in our own age, the decline of the United States of America in these dark days of the Biden regime can be seen vividly in Oakland.
For several years I lived a short drive from Oakland, and went there often. Although it had its bad areas, it was for the most part a delightful place. There was the zoo, and Jack London Square, where the greatest jazz artists in the land could be seen at Yoshi’s. There were the Oakland Athletics and Raiders, as well as the Golden State Warriors. Oakland had beautiful weather, lovely scenery, and world-class attractions. Now the Raiders and Warriors are gone, and the A’s are woeful and despised and on their way out as well. Yoshi’s is still there and still first-rate, but every day it gets harder to justify wanting to spend an evening in downtown Oakland.
The reasons for this are the usual effects of far-left rule. They can be seen all over America, but in Oakland they’re as bad or worse as they are anywhere. Fox News reported Sunday that “violent crime in Oakland increased 22% this year, according to the most recently available police data, which also show a nearly 10% increase in commercial burglary.” Even in the far-left Mecca that is Oakland, many business owners are fed up: “In September, over 200 business owners shut down their stores to strike against the government’s handling of public safety amid rising crime. The protest was held days after city officials admitted to missing a deadline to apply for state funding to fight retail theft.”
And now the city is taking down traffic lights. Oakland, Fox News explains, “has been experiencing high crime and theft, including people stealing copper wires and the city’s infrastructure.” The city tried to stop this by putting up cement barriers around electrical boxes, but the brigands proved resourceful enough to overcome that. And so now the wise Communists who rule the city have “taken to removing the traffic lights at a busy intersection and replacing them with stop signs.”
A nearby business owner spells out what this signifies. Tam Le of Le’s Auto Body & Engine Repair said: “It’s just telling us that the city is giving up on us.” That’s right, Tam Le. That’s exactly what it’s telling you. Tam Le continued: “If you really want to fix the stop sign, I think you really have to clean up this homeless encampment.” Yes, but there is no chance that Oakland officials will do that. It would go against so many leftist dogmas that they would be impeached and removed from office within minutes. And so the traffic lights have to go.
They won’t really be much missed. They haven’t been working, anyway: “The lights had been working on and off for months due to criminals tampering with the electricity and stealing the wires, the report said. One local, Mason Young, said it was becoming extremely dangerous to drive through the intersection, and noted an accident that recently occurred there.” Now, of course, there will just be more accidents, but at least the thieves won’t be able to steal copper wire anymore. They’ll have to content themselves with strolling into the remaining local stores and carrying out $949 worth of merchandise.
Rampant theft. Declining city services. Rising violent crime. This is not the sunny Oakland that I once knew, that was so inviting and delightful to visit. This is a crime-ridden hellhole dominated by potentially violent homeless people and criminals who know they can act with virtual impunity and go unpunished. Decent people are following the city’s old sports teams on the way out the door. Soon enough, no one will be left in Oakland except those who are willing to live by the law of the streets. The rule of law will be a dimming memory. Oakland is a case study for what has gone wrong with America. This is an American city under decades of far-left rule. And it’s only going to get worse.
The only thing they’re missing is me. I pledge to run your town with anarchy, with me in charge of it. Vote early, and vote often. I am your only hope.
What is worth stealing about copper wire?
Scrap copper wire, stripped of insulation, sells for about $3.50/pound. The effort of breaking into a junction box, pulling out the wire and stripping insulation, taking it to a scrap dealer just isn’t worth it, but to a homeless junkie. ??
Thank you for the clarification
Exactly the same is happening in Britain, after decades of not being a problem, mass immigration and drug abuse has led to increased copper wire theft.
All again, thanks to CIA/Globalist drug trafficking to ensure $$ to put dictators in power, thus controlling the world’s resources.
This stop light solution reminds me of the typical commie non-solution. Remove the clock when people complain how long being forced to await government mandated (ie. Post Office) line.
Its all so incredibly impractical and destructive, only the seriously deranged -and apathetic/sociopaths-are ok with it.
Correct.
It’s a copper mine.
On new construction in Washington State, thieves have been steeling newly placed copper wire. for a couple decades or maybe more. That that was new wire, not yet charged. A couple thousand feet of wire at a time. These Oakland thieves are playing with the devil unless they know electricity. Of course, they probably do know it, heck, it’s probability electricians there who are stealing it.
Without doubt, the Dems in CA are overseeing the decline and fall of CA if not the nation. It’s so dumb, it does not have to be like this.
The jerk jerking the wire out of the traffic lights is probably just flipping it to a volume dealer. He will collect half a tomme and bring it in to the buyers.
Many copper products are now being markedwith code numbers that identify the original urchanser. High voltage ransmission lines were a HUGE theft target but the manufacturers began “rolling” a serial number into the side of the bare wire. Valid scrap buyers would check those numbers against a database. When stolen wire is found (that punk with a a pickup ruck load is NOT the regiol=nal Power and LIght company who bought the wire for their lines three years ago). I know of a few incidents of such honest yards delaying the “seller” and calling the cops who come quickly and arrest the thief. The wo bit junkine ripping wires out of streetlights and such are the real nuisance… they almost always damaage far more than the wiring itself.
Oakland simly do not care… they value the presence of the “pweshis homeless” above their constituents who elect them. As Oakland increases the velocity of their spiral down the vertical black pipe eventually terminal velocity will be attained and everything will come flying apart.
MY question is WHO will be held accountable? (most likely answer is “NO ONE”)
Oakland needs removed from the Map of America Period
Napalm can be very effective.
Dat’s ray-cist…
California is no longer part of the United States, it’s a democrat atrocity.
Metal theft by illegal immigrants is endemic in California.
Oakland’s historic purpose has been as a human sewer drawing miscreants, criminals, degenerates, the deranged and hopeless losers away from San Francisco, the delightful city across the Bay. Now that SF is in terminal decline there is no need for Oakland to exist at all. What we are seeing are the death throes of the thereless there.
I suppose certain libertarians will happy that there are no more traffic lights in Oakland. But to drivers and pedestrians who value their lives, this is bad news.
When a vessel a sea is taking on waer at an increasing rate, the ONLY wise course is to bandon that ship. Far too dangerous to remain aboard. Especially when Captain and crew are deranged mental cases.
Most of Oakland has been a crime ridden hell hole for decades.
Frankly, I see Oakland as California in microcosm. Cal native here…
They are stealing copper wire all over Las Vegas.
So the city is replacing copper wire with aluminum
wire and stringing it differently.
Smart move. Not surprising to see in a city with some intelligent folks running it and living there. Al is far cheaper to buy, but has some ling term issues when used in electrical systems. Dry Ls Vegas is a decent environment on that basis, though. Oakland is often quite humid. But Al fetches around eighty cents the pound when “clean” (bare aluminium), whilst Cu fetches about five times that, and can often be sold with insulation intact for almost that price.
The REAL issue is that Oakland REFUSE to take decisive punitive action against these derelicts.
This is great news for Personal Injury Attorneys.
Yeah, wait until one of the thieves gets electrocuted. The cave dwelling relatives will probably sue the city.
And the City will pay up … hell, it’s not THEIR money – and it furthers their ‘Solidarity with the Underclass’ status.
my guess is few in this category will eve HAVE any relatives who are aware of the whereabouts of the now justly rewarded miscreant.
“ city officials admitted to missing a deadline to apply for state funding to fight retail theft.”
That’s good news because it almost certainly would have been worse.
When I saw the column’s headline I thought I was going to read that Oakland was eliminating traffic lights because they’re racist. At least it’s just a simple case of theft of copper wire.
Bring back felony convictions. Make stealing infrastructure a capital offense.
If you seriously believe that will happen….I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. 🙂
there is no ” continues to slide into the third world ” , it has already achieved that status . traffic lights and stop signs are no impediment to career criminals [ politicians ] and illegals . no amount of building hospitals a the base of cliffs will fix the problem . enforcing already existing laws will . but we know that laws are racist , sexist , homophobic , transphobic and islamophobic . the death of america is now complete . iran has got its wish with the help of feckless dementia joe and his band of miscreants .