Miami: Third World Country, Capital of the Americas

Posted Thu, Nov 30, 2006 at 3:10 am
As discussed, Rep. Tom Tancredo called Miami a "third world country", setting off a firestorm of (largely manufactured) outrage, including a missive from Our Leader's brother, Jeb Bush.
"What a nut," Bush told reporters [Wednesday]. "I'm just disappointed. He's from my own my party. He's a Republican. He doesn't represent my views."

...In his letter to Bush, Tancredo states that Miami-Dade School District's graduation rate is 45 percent, that the English language is falling out of usage in the city, and that "fewer and fewer Miamians think of themselves as Americans." He cites a November Time Magazine story that describes Miami as "a corrupt, exorbitant mess." ["There's Trouble--Lots Of It--in Paradise", link]

Bush on Tuesday called Tancredo's statement about Miami "naive." Tancredo swung back today.

"It is neither naAZve nor insulting to call attention to a real problem that cannot be easily dismissed through politically correct happy talk," Tancredo wrote to Bush...
Once again, I've thankfully never been there, but in addition to the Time link above, apparently the county used to have to clean santeria-related dead chickens off the courthouse steps, which were sacrifices for those who were going through the justice system (also here and here).

More Tancredo-related info on Miami here. At least two people - who, frankly, might be travel agents or similar - call Miami third world here.

In 1998, Joan Didion wrote a book called "Miami"; from the description: "As Didion follows Miami's drift into a Third World capital..."

In 1993, Time offered "Miami: the Capital of Latin America". From even earlier back comes this scary flashback.

And, in 1998, the Washington Times' Insight Magazine offered "A Miami vision of our future?"
Miami, a microcosm of cultural diversity, is plagued by corruption, racism, poverty and drugs. The city's problems may be a precursor of tumult in a multicultural America.

According to Travel and Leisure magazine it is "the most unfriendly city in America." Fodor's International says it's the country's "most unsafe" destination. And George dubbed it the "most corrupt city in America." Judging from these and other "Wish you weren't here!" postcards, America's long honeymoon with Miami seems to be over, a casualty of the city's serial political scandals, a history of corruption in high places, rampant crime and a chilling climate of alienation and violence...

Tags: 
time magazine

Comments

alsbutt (not verified)

Thu, 12/14/2006 - 04:03

Miami A Third World County You Tell Me .. A mayor who changes the county

eh (not verified)

Sat, 12/02/2006 - 05:24

It has nothing to do with ethnicity.

Actually, it does, at least in part.

The third world like squalor you can find in Detroit is largely due to Blacks who are citizens, and whose parents etc were also. While I do not know the full context of Tancredo's remark, I will make a general point for him: the fact that you can find, in the US, an increasing number of places where you can see poverty etc that may remind some of the third world is largely due to the fact that we are experiencing large scale Hispanic immigration. In other words, this is a problem we are importing, or inviting via non-enforcement of immigration law. Parts of Miami being one specific example.

In other words: one big reason (not the only one, though) Mexico is a shithole is that...wait for it...it is full of Mexicans.

He does this because of his anti-Hispanic bent.

Having an "anti-Hispanic bent" is aka citing demographic statistics about Hispanics, e.g. how likely (in comparison) they are to be criminal, how unlikely (") they are to attend college etc etc.

Slim (not verified)

Sat, 12/02/2006 - 00:34

The term "Third World" is often used to denote nations with a low UN Human Development Index (HDI). The HDI considers factors such as life expectancy, literacy, education and standards of living. It has nothing to do with ethnicity.

But Tancredo comments on Miami meanwhile not mentioning Detroit or Cleveland.

He does this because of his anti-Hispanic bent. Miami has a lot of Hispanics. Therefore, he criticizes Miami indirectly criticizing Hispanics. If Detroit had a lot of Hispanics in it, you can bet he'd be harping about that too, but it doesn't.

Jeebie (not verified)

Fri, 12/01/2006 - 18:15

Fred, right as usual. Perroazul del norte, you, too, are so correct. New codespeak for toilet/septic is "hospitality" and "vibrant". In my never ending quest to remain politically correct, I say thanks for the tip! Hey, Jeb! Your state is so...hospitable! vibrant! And no one speaks English, so they never bothered with me during my vacation. Of course I couldn't buy anything, either, same reason.

perroazul del norte (not verified)

Thu, 11/30/2006 - 09:55

MORE FACTS:

Miami is like a Third World country: Governor Jeb Bush got huffy the other day when Tom Tancredo said that Miami is like a Third World country. Bush and other Florida lawmakers responded with the usual doublespeak, using words like "hospitality" and "vibrant."

Like always, we must ignore what the politicians say, and must rely on data. According to the Census, here is how Miami compares to the rest of the country:

Percent Hispanic
Miami 65.8
USA 14.1
Percent speaking something other than English at home
Miami 74.6
USA 17.9

Percent of people ages 25+ with high school degree
Miami 52.7
USA 80.4

Homeownership rate
Miami 34.9
USA 66.2

Percent poor
Miami 28.5
USA 12.5

Let's see: the city is a place where most people are Hispanic, Spanish-speaking, 1/2 never finished high school, few own homes, and many are poor. Sounds like the Third World to me. And it's coming to your neighborhood next.

eh (not verified)

Thu, 11/30/2006 - 06:10

In his letter to Bush, Tancredo states that Miami-Dade School District's graduation rate is 45 percent,...

You mean he (and others) actually cite facts?

And what do his critics do?

"What a nut," Bush told reporters...

Employ ad hominem and name calling. How novel.

Fred Dawes (not verified)

Thu, 11/30/2006 - 06:07

total evil corruption is Miami that is what the third world is! don't people get it, a people make a culture a people can kill a culture.