Right under our noses: The wonders of NYC’s Municipal Building— check it out

PATRICE GREANVILLE

The late 19th century and the first decades of the 20th saw American capitalism on the ascent, with a vitality and confidence seldom seen again. The financial part of the system naturally played a big role, as usual, banking being the nerves of the whole arrangement. That said, frenzied parasitic speculation as we see it today was not the dominant feature, since the manufacturing phase of modern capitalism was reaching maturity (think the days when the captains of industry, GM, USS Steel, etc., commanded the heights of power). This stage was to peak in the early 1960s, slowly yielding to finance capital and rapid degeneracy in the decades that followed.

The construction of the Municipal Building in New York City reflected the epoch described above. Chicanery was not yet the rule, and people still took pride in their accomplishments. The capitalist class also presented from time to time leaders that thought and planned with a measure of social responsibility and vision. This building is an ode to capitalism’s own high opinion of itself, but as is often the case, although conceived within the matrix of a rotten system, human talent, when allowed a measure of freedom, can accomplish great things. Imagine what great things humanity could accomplish under a different system in which self-seeking was not the primary or only drive.

In any case, this program is part of a series produced by New York City’s public media and we wish to bring it to your attention. It’s a small oasis from the torrents of offal distributed by the commercial networks around the clock.

NOTE: If you wish to view this program in “full screen mode” simply double click inside the video frame.

Patrice Greanville is TGP’s founding editor.