josh995 saidI temporarily live in middle america and fucking hate it. Used to live in NYC, Paris and LA. I cannot complain because these rubes think they I am dissing their city. Well I am. They are heathens with bad taste. Planning a move to civilization aka NYC in 1 year, cannot believe I am stuck here until then.
In the late 1960s I used to commute toward NYC every morning, though usually not crossing the Hudson from New Jersey, my business on the other side of the river. And as I drove east on US Rt 3 (for those who know it), I came down from the Watchung Mountains out of Montclair, and caught my first morning glimpse of the New York City skyline, some 20 miles away.
To me it was the Emerald City, the center of the world, as you say. I thrilled daily to see that famous outline of skyscrapers against the morning sun, the WTC Twin Towers to the south growing taller every day. The United States truly was the world's greatest superpower in those days, certainly economically, and this was one of our iconic centers, along with the capitol of Washington, both almost too wonderful to behold.
The power behind NYC is mostly gone now, though most Americans fail to realize it. Gone to inadequately restrained corporate greed, and ill-advised military adventurism. Not to mention the destructive rise of Christian fundamentalism, that places arbitrary religious theology ahead of good old American common sense, practicality and fairness, the true source of our wealth & power. A Biblical straightjacket that constrains our creative national genius to the illogical words of a single book of questionable origin.
And yet I lived in Middle America for many years. Saw the weaknesses & drawbacks you see, but also many strengths. I like people as much as spectacular skylines and Broadway shows, and I can introduce you to civilized people in every corner of this country of ours. Perhaps you weren't looking hard enough to see past stereotypes, and into the corners to know the other America.