In the 1960’s, she became famous for her book Death and Life of Great American Cities. Jane Jacobs voiced her opinions on urban renewal and the threats that lied within neighborhoods around the country. She quickly got a reputation for her heavy-handed writing and drawing attention to important matters that few wanted to cover. In 1980, she tackled difficult subject matters like economic growth. Her book, The Economy of Cities was informative and edgy for that time. Now, people are re-reading her book that she wrote in 2005, and they think that this famous author may have predicted what none other could, a Trump presidency.
Some see her as a fortune teller in her writings as she speaks of issues that are both intriguing and controversial. Her book Dark Age Ahead is being acclaimed as a survivors guide to Trump’s presidency. Did she write more than a decade ago point to an urban crisis of today? Perhaps, her knowledge of deeply rooted matters within this country gave her the foreshadowing knowledge to predict current events. Trump’s reign over this country is one of the most controversial subjects of this decade. The future of America hangs in the balance, but this woman already knew what was coming. Is it really Trump or just the situation that the 45th president is walking into?
Her last book predicted the urban crisis and segregation. Some say the book is like watching an episode of the evening news. America is no longer heading for a crisis, we are in crisis mode. Judy talks about the people’s distrust in politicians, and the overall politics in this country takes a swift change from what they once were. She speaks of environmental degradation and a rift between the rich and the poor. Her views on nationalism and the cultural vigor decline of today are spot on. Jacobs outlines the five key pillars of our society that are helping to erode the nation. They are as follows:
•Family and Community
•Decline in Education
•Attack on Science
•Dumbing Down of Taxes
•Learning Profession
Her life’s work is based more off of experience rather than any sixth sense. See, Jacobs tends to be a bit of a pessimist. She grew up in Scranton. She saw what the Great Depression did to the locals in her town. She watched both industries and workers crumble under the oppression of a stock market crash. In her teenage years, she saw Europe go through both dictatorship and tyranny. In the 1950’s she saw America brought to its knees by the unfair allegations and unfair investigative techniques used to restrict dissension. She lived long enough to know that things can only go well for so long. Things go up, but they always come back down. Perhaps, her book was just speaking of the circle of life and politics that she observed in her year’s on earth.
The good news to come from her experiences is that there was a starting point, and there also was an ending time. For instance, the Great Depression started in August of 1929, and it ended in the early part of 1940. For ten years this country was flat on its back with unemployment rates above 14 percent. She lived through these difficult times, and yet, she made it through. Anyone coming through such difficult times would be a bit pessimistic, yet, she implores everyone to protect themselves from top-down power and mass amnesia. She had no way of knowing about the 45th president, but some of her predictions speak volumes to a country who is paralyzed with fear over recent events.