Glenn Beck plans city

[Takeda Shingen]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Now he's moved on to the idea of self-sufficiency, now I'm fully behind this, a city should be self sufficient in both power and food supplies, it's common sense, and it provides local employment and lowers the cost of living. Well, in theory it does, but it's more likely that without any form of regulation some money maker will push up the bills.]

Except that it has never worked that way. People became prosperous and cities became wealthy when they started trading with each other. London, Tokyo, Moscow, New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Mexico City, Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, Paris, Madrid, Venice and every other city on Earth became prosperous through trade with other settlements. It is the reason that people moved to those places. Beck's fantasy of prosperity through internal trade is just that, a fantasy.

The residential area seems to be a bit far away from the market place, I expect some form of mass transportation would be connected between the two. I like the idea of removing 'class' although this whole city is starting to make me think of something, more on that when I reach the end of these vids.
Oh, I see, the roads will be underground, thus leaving the front of the houses for a green area...not a bad idea, would need to be well ventilated, but it would have a nice effect not to have to look out on traffic all the time. Again though, I ponder about his grip on modern family and children, but it's a noble idea, although there is still a need for privacy in ones backyards.

There are two business districts. The one near the entrance is the showy one for his apprenticeship scheme. There is also one near the residential district for the, well, residents. The showy one is more akin to Main Street USA in the Disney Parks. And if you have ever been to a Disney park, the first thing you notice is that those shops are corporate, and sell liscenced products. I would expect the same, as the market's position clearly dictates that the district is intended to be a revenue generator, and a generator through tourism, otherwise the settlement's economy is stagnant. I imagine that those shops will have to end up selling Beck merchandise, as I can't see people flying 3000 miles and paying to have their 10-year-old son apprentice to a guy making wagon wheels.

The resident market is a silly idea too. So Joe Sixpack works on the city ranch raising cattle. On payday he goes to the resident supermarket to buy beef for his family. The supermarket then pays the ranch for the beef, who in turn pays Joe his wage so that he can buy more beef. Pointless work for pointless pay is what made the Soviet Union fall apart. And that concept is anything but free market.

In regard to transportation, as far as I understood him, there are no automobiles permitted within the city, period. Aside from the incredibly creepy notion of 'no way out' that this gives, it does make it clear that Becksburg will need a large mass transit system. And, of course, the city will have to pay for the construction and upkeep, which means that taxes will have to be collected. Uh oh.