Of all the gleamy eyed people I’ve heard speak with wonder and awe at New York’s new “Freedom Tower”, I’ve yet to meet any that actually live in New York. The secret, one kept hidden from our countrymen by politicians, is that the plan, design, and execution of this titan has been despised by city dwellers since it’s inception.
The reconstruction of the World Trade Center has been a small disaster in it’s own right: since days after search operations were officially stopped, it’s been plagued by starts and stops, restarts, halts, and numerous ‘back to the drawing board’ moments. The whole time, while architects from around the world were competing to snag the post-modernist design assignment, the feeling on the street was, still is, will be for some time, “Why not just rebuild the originals?” The answer to this question, as reported by so many American newspapers, was simple: “It would just be too dangerous”. Well, so much for standing tall.
What we got instead of courage and defiance was pettiness, gimmick, and cynicism. The “Freedom Tower” named so because our President decided it would be easier to decimate an entire country if he kept using the word “Freedom”–good to know our city’s most hallowed ground will have all the maturity of “Freedom Fries”–will be be, like a theme park, 1,776 feet tall. For those of you outside of America, 1776 was the year we declared independence (in Philadelphia!). What does a building, located in a city that’s not the capital, in a global financial center, and built on top of the final resting place of thousands of civilians, have to do with our independence? Absolutely nothing.
But, it turns out, the building’s first commercial tenants will be neither the progeny of ‘76 or free. A major Chinese developer is currently in the running to become the building’s first private-sector resident. Yes, The Freedom Tower, with it’s 1776 feet and–I’m guessing–flags flying everywhere, will strongly represent America’s values and ideals by becoming a launchpad for those who abhor, detest, and consistently violate those very values. More ironically, this company, Beijing Vantone Real Estate, will be establishing a ‘China Center’ there to help Chinese businesses acquire more of our country, control more of our debt, and work towards abrogating the very event from which the building culls it’s measurements. Welcome to the new ‘Ground Zero’!
No, if there’s anything this monstrous aberration can truly be said to stand for, it is not September 11th, but September 12th. Like the the history of the tragic event itself, the tower has been taken from those who are most closely effected by it and used, cheaply, to sell bad ideas to Midwesterners. Like the tragedy, it’s being exploited for a political agenda that’s not our own. And like the wave of patriotism and goodwill that swept the nation after this atrocity, it’s as empty, meaningless, and disposable as a house of cards.
Have you considered Subscribing to all of this madness?
Seth they are only leasing 5 floors. I am sure Chinese nationals died in the original tower collapse too.
Tom, I have no doubt that many Chinese people died on 9/11. As did many Saudi Arabians, Iranians, etc. I’m not saying that they, or anyone, should be barred from renting space–frankly, I don’t care about the “Freedom Tower” or it’s occupants. What I care about is building a memorial to a major event in this city’s history, this country’s history, that is little more than a tribute to insurance companies and big business: Two things which are not benefiting Americans anymore but foreign companies. Like I said, in this sense, Chinese Developers are a perfectly logical choice.
That’s well put Seth, your point about it being a tribute to commerce and not the people who died there is spot on.