Progress Isn't Everywhere

When we think of progress in the world, we think of new technology or the booming economies of countries like China or India. But what of our own country, America? While indeed we in America are often the first to experience new technologies, whether they be computers, cell phones, or iPods, the majority of these technologies are manufactured outside the United States.

So what of the classic American companies, the companies that were a major part of America’s once booming economy? Many turn to look at the American auto industry, an industry that once thrived and dominated the market, but is now struggling to stay alive amidst fierce competition from foreign car companies. To examine the domestic auto industry, one must look at Detroit, “Motor City”, the home of America’s Big Three, GM, Ford, and Chrysler. And thus, I come to an interesting slideshow I found recently in the news: The Remains of Detroit. This grim look at the current state of a once grand industrial city sheds light upon the current state of our domestic industry, a state that unfortunately portrays quite the opposite of progress.

Here are, in my opinion, some of the more potent images of the slideshow (From Time):



Michigan Central Station
Once the city's primary passenger depot, Central Station has not been used since 1988. Photographer Hemmerle sought out Detroit's derelict buildings as part of a project exploring how far America has fallen. "Industry is one of the things that we let go that we need to get back," he says.



Fisher Body Plant #21
Abandoned in 1991, the Fisher plant was originally built to produce Buick and Cadillac bodies.



The Michigan Theatre
Built in 1926, this glorious building functioned as a performance space until 1976, when it was converted into a parking garage.



Packard Automobile Manufacturing Plant
Many of the derelict structures are used by homeless people.

Overall, these images portray an eerie theme of abandonment and lost splendor. Is this the fate of the American Industry as a whole? Or perhaps a warning of what will come if we are not careful? In either case, I believe that these images show that while perhaps we may experience a feeling of industrial and technological progress, such a reality is does not exist everywhere.