From the initial pages of the introduction, I could feel myself wanting to resist Robert Moses, conclude that he was a tyrant, and be done with the discussion. However, upon further inspection of the reading and accomplishments of this “tyrant,” I began to realize that the contributions of Moses substantially benefited the city of New York.
It goes without saying the the highway system is an imperative aspect of New York City’s infrastructure. I don’t think that anyone would contest this statement, with the exception of those who believe the emphasis should have been more on public than private transportation. However, this is not the issue that I had with Moses. The author introduces Moses as a member of the Yale swimming team (aka a “jock”) who essentially believes that he can get his way by threatening his coach. Generally speaking, I believe that one should yield to authority, unless corruption is evident. As far as the reading stated, Moses was the one doing the corrupting (of the funding system), not his coach.
Moses simply came across as one that was hungry for power, and willing to do anything to get that power. While I do realize that at times it is necessary for an individual to take charge and control the situation for the “greater good,” I do believe that Moses pride was one of his downfalls.
