(ai-g) rust belt cities, politics & crime - "the dei dance"  > donald j. trump for president inc. v. secretary of state   3c0/siteassets/case-documents/uploa ds/coa/public/orders/2020/355397_6_ 01.pdf ``` "better than the rust" - one final (god, i hope) borrello story "to go" (unless critical new stuff is found, but i think i'm finally getting bored of borrello, desu)   memorial_cup remembering the saginaw memorial cup 2024 (ai-g short, 12/28/24) ``` this mural, proudly announcing "welcome to saginaw, home of the spirit and 2024 memorial cup," is a masterclass in unintentional irony. the image, carefully cropped to feature a pristine blue sky and omit the ground below, serves as a metaphor for the citys desperate attempt to mask its harsh realities. if the photographer had pointed their lens downward, wed likely see cracked, weed-infested sidewalks, crumbling infrastructure, and the telltale signs of neglectplastic toys strewn across unkempt yards like the aftermath of some apocalyptic garage sale. this image epitomizes saginaws penchant for cosmetic fixes to systemic problems. the towering facade of this building acts as a literal wallblocking the reality of a decaying cityscape while promoting a major junior hockey event that failed to deliver on its overhyped promises. the idyllic sky is nothing more than a distraction, a flimsy backdrop to a community grappling with poverty, crime, and hopelessness. the audacity of pairing such aspirational language with the grim state of the city encapsulates the tone-deaf optimism of its leadership and the empty grandeur of events like the memorial cup.
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