I have come to believe the marina industry is a blight on our planet. Another perfect example of run-a-muck capitalism driven by the falsehood of ownership.
These so called, Marina “owners”, world wide, believe that because they played the game of political-permit-payola they have the right to limit public access to our community waterways.
I don’t believe in that myth.It’s the same falsehood that inspires some to actually believe they can own ideas or concepts, or beauty or color.
Shit, even the view of a sunrise can be perceived as purchased simply by the ritual of the virtual exchange of monetary credit through a bank. Then of course a well built gate and a lightly educated and overly armed local police force kind of seal the deal.
They (insert corporate fictional name here) may be able to keep you away from the coast today but in reality we as beings on this planet are stewards of our waterways and we as a species should drive off these carpet-bagging Neo-monopolists before they devour every last inch of our common coastline and then turn around charge us for it.
I know of no one who hasn’t lost a place they loved to a modern industrialist’s vision of progress.
The marina industry being only the final destination on that ultimate trail of destruction only because, in most cases, it’s quite literally the end of the road. There isn’t a city waterfront on the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. that hasn’t undergone that old coastal urban stereotypical trajectory of…
You know the ‘ol 5 point plan’?…War, Industrial collapse, Degradation, Gentrification and ultimately capital-revitalization and police militarization.
This familiar spiral inevitably ends with local communities being abusively relocated with those same working people paying a premium to regain access to their own lost coastline.
And yet new marina facilities are still considered “Coastal Improvements” by the ignorant local city management who more often than not are just desperate to fill their Covid-depleted or, (add calamity here) city coffers by any-means-necessary.
And make no mistake about it, these so called, “Coastal Improvements”, more often than not, are lipstick on a pig at the very best.
I believe it’s time we started measuring value by intelligent means rather than any-means-necessary.
And what is value anyway?
I believe that the delicate line between the water and the land is absolutely invaluable! It’s the meeting place of the Earth’s three great atmospheres, the land, the sea, and the air for fuck’s sake! It is the very place where we as a species can begin to understand how delicately balanced and, indeed precious, all things are in the overall bio-connection of our world…a finite, isolated and closed bio-connection by the way.
But even if you don’t believe in any of that meta-value stuff at the very least I’d think everyone could appreciate an uncluttered sunset or a perfect reflection of an autumn treeline on a glass becalmed lake.
I believe the only things of value in our lives are the moments we remember until the very end.
I believe saving our coastlines from rabid capitalism is an imperative and a shared responsibility.
I also believe it might be too late.
