Robert Moses does not seem to be able to make things simple in his professional endeavors. We have previously discussed Moses based off Caro’s negatively lit words on Caro’s accomplishments. Like life, nothing is ever perfect. People do tend to make rash, and retrospectively, the wrong decisions. Though I have defended Caro before, the Tavern on the Green debacle does seem out of character and the wrong decision for a man who usually seems in to be in so much control. It may have been that he was not used to fighting such a force against his own power, but with one rash decision to bring in the bulldozers at night while everyone’s eyes were closed, opened the floodgates for the criticism of every thing Robert Moses has ever done; possibly even influencing the writings of Caro. Before this incident, the media and the public, unless you were directly affected by Moses’s plan, did not seem to have an opinion or voice on his actions It was the public’s use of the media that destroyed Moses’s public appearance. This catastrophe exemplified the failure of supervision of the governments (supposed power over its own city), a topic discussed widely in class. The power that Moses wielded was far beyond any public servant (and he wasn’t even in the government!) Although he may have had power, he underestimated the power of the people’s perception of him.
It is very hard to judge Moses’s actions when faced with both Caro’s and Jackson’s writings. Instead of just claiming that the ends justifies the means, Kenneth T. Jackson’s Robert Moses and the Rise of New York, discusses Moses on a personal level; Jackson humanizes Moses. Jackson explains how Moses wasn’t in it for the fame a glory, but rather the glory of the city he loves. The polar views between Jackson and Moses lead me to skepticism about anyone’s opinion. Jackson may claim that Caro left out crucial details thus blaming Moses for outcomes out of his control (i.e. blaming Moses for the lack of housing units for the poor, but in reality it was the government’s decision to cut the spending); while Caro (partially) reported from the heartfelt emotional backlash of those affected by Moses’s bulldozers. Caro would explain Moses to be brash, aggressive and insensitive to those beneath him and in his way. Where as Jackson would say he is goal driven, a selfless worker for the city, and the man who helped bring NYC into the 21st century.
Should the couple of bad decisions and negative impact on those that lost their homes take away from all the Robert Moses has done for NY? Although it is very hard to definitely prove the long-term impact of Moses’s actions, we can definitely see how everything, with all the various variables, has turned out. After years have passed by, New York City is one of the most powerful cities in the world. The impact that one person had is incredibly awe-inspiring. Moses did what had to be done in order to allow NYC to progress and flourish. For all we know, if Caro was writing his book in 2013 he might have written a different opinion.
