Great post Eleni!

First off, I found your questioning of the moral implications of Moses’ decision-making to be really interesting. When, thinking about Moses, I am inclined to try and put myself in his position. As a leader and decision-maker, it seems super complicated and difficult to make choices that positively benefit everyone; I’m pretty sure it’s impossible. Even if the leader him/herself truly believes that their choices positively impact almost everyone, there is no way that it ever actually true. Additionally, leaders have a habit of deciding what they think is best for other people. It think another important question to ask is, “Can your decision for others be right even if they neither disagree with the decision nor have any control over it?” I do believe that Moses thought the things he developed for the city benefited many people, but he failed to take into account the people he was hurting.

When Moses built the Cross-Bronx Expressway, did he realize that he was separating the Bronx into a North and South, effectively cutting it in half and creating a strong economic divide that causes issues to this day? I don’t think he did, because he didn’t seems to be sympathetic to the plight of the poor or colored communities. Moses had a vision that he thought would certainly benefit white people; and even if he though it would ultimately benefit poor people or people of color, their comfort or wellbeing were not his primary concern. I found this interesting quote that was in Robert Moses’s book: “the first prescription for slum dwellers in the ghettos of the big cities is total, immediate, uncompromising, surgical removal.” This just doesn’t seem like a guy who is concerned with the plight of those less fortunate than he was.

As for your pondering as the end of your post, regarding whether or not there is ever a way to make a decision without leaving certain groups out, I’m unsure as well. However, if a leader makes one decision that negatively affects a group, then I think it is reasonable to make sure the next decision made helps them out. It may not be possible for every policy to be all-inclusive, but if who bears the brunt of different decisions is alternated, perhaps some sort of balance can be found.

Thanks for your post! Really made me think.