We all know Detroit's in trouble: A bankrupt city full of crumbling houses, abandoned factory buildings, and a fast-dwindling population.
But while politicians, unions, and investors slug it out in bankruptcy court and grasp for their share of what little cash is left, ordinary citizens are left to fend for themselves in a city with no functioning government. This is Reason TV's coverage of what happens when people are left to their own devices and forced to come up with creative ways to pick up the pieces and find solutions in a city they once loved.
This is #Anarchy in Detroit, a four-part series showcasing what actual Detroit residents are doing to make the Motor City a better place to live.
In Part III, Reason TV visited Fireweed Universe City, a community of anarchists squatting in a neighborhood of mostly abandoned houses. While there, we met members of a group known as Free Detroit, an association of libertarians who want to buy up blocks of the city's cheap real estate and create libertarian enclaves.
"The word 'anarchy' is often associated with chaos and danger and hooded figures throwing bombs into windows," says Katie Testa, a member of Free Detroit. "But really it means 'no rulers.' The most chaos in Detroit has been created by government."
Watch the video above, and check out the rest of the series here. Part I profiles The Mower Gang, a rag-tag group of beer drinking, weed-whacking do-gooders who've taken it upon themselves to care for Detroit's abandoned parks. Part II profiles Detroit Threat Management, a private security firm supplementing the efforts of the city's beleaguered law enforcement. And Part IV takes a look at one man's wild idea to purchase an island in the Detroit River and turn it into a libertarian paradise. Or, watch the whole thing here.
Approximately 3 minutes. Produced by Zach Weissmueller. Camera by Tracy Oppenheimer and Weissmueller. Music by Cassiopee Asphodel and Treaty.
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