What Jadxia said about “how New York City often seems to set precedents for other cities around the world” really struck a chord with me. For one thing, I completely agree, especially having read the article about New Orleans, etc. New York City is the Rome of today, the center of our world in many ways.

As much as I admit to the veracity of that claim, it still troubles me, as it evidently troubles Jadxia as well, if we can judge by her statement that “[i]t’s kind of scary that a city with such careless treatment of its middle and lower classes often sets the precedent for cities nationwide and worldwide.” Yet again, I agree with Jadxia–the lack of regard that the Big Apple shows for its inhabitants who are anything but ultra-wealthy is awful, and that it could be used as a precedent elsewhere verges on horrifying.

Nevertheless, I’d like to take Jadxia’s consternation one step further. It is bad enough, yes, that New York’s flaws are disregarded when it comes to setting precedents for other cities, but I think it is also bad that, in a world as globalized as ours, nobody can look past New York. Sure, it’s the financial capital of the world, but who ever said that it’s the capital of anything else? The capital of moral and ethics? The capital of environmental cleanliness? The capital of health and safety? Please, don’t try to convince me that this city is the capital of fashion.

It’s perfectly understandable to use New York City as a precedent–if you’re trying to run a successful financial company, that is. But if you’re trying to find the best example of, say, environmental friendliness, you’d better look in a dozen other places. I remember learning in my high school AP Environmental Sciences class that Chattanooga, Tennessee, was a great example of a city that has taken strides to reduce pollution and whatnot.

There are hundreds of cities around the world, each with its own magnificent specialty to show off to the rest of the planet. Why do we always turn to New York? Maybe it is the Rome of today, the capital of society and civilization, blah blah blah, but Rome had forced its lifestyle on all of its conquered territories. People who looked to Rome often had little choice. We have choice today.

Stop choosing New York.