Claim: Governments must ensure that their major cities receive the financial support they need in order to thrive.Reason: It is primarily in cities that a nation's cultural traditions are preserved and generated.Write a response in which you discuss

Major cities are the economic pillars of a country: Los Angeles alone generates more revenue than the entire state of Nebraska. Thus, it is in the best interests of the federal government to invest in these thriving metropolises. However, to argue that the driving factor behind funding these megacities is to preserve cultural traditions is not only illogical but also counterproductive to its cause. Major cities are known to be, on average, more progressive and more distinguished from their traditional suburban and rural counterparts.

Hong Kong was once the highest generator of GDP in China. As a result, not only did China largely invest in Hong Kong to further fuel its economic prosperity but also granted it a degree of cultural autonomy that was unprecedented in its authoritarian society. Fostered under British rule, Hong Kong developed into a progressive, liberal society—a cultural outlier in comparison to its mainland kin such as Beijing. Chicago, a diverse urban metropolis, maintains vastly different values to its rural counterparts in the Midwest. Major cities, as a result of their enormous wealth, develop their own unique culture. Hence, it would be false to claim that they are the guardians of cultural traditions and norms.

As cities such as Abu Dhabi and Dubai rack up more and more notoriety in their region, they gain more influence. As a result, they are able to push more of their progressive views onto their more conservative counterparts. Dubai has made a fortune from its tourism industry, whose success, in large part, is a result of its lax religious and cultural views. As a result, governments of other traditional Islamic states such as Saudi Arabia have followed in their lead and have attempted to adapt more western ideologies. It is preposterous to think that funding these cities will help maintain traditional cultural values when in actuality it does the complete opposite.

Saudi Arabian women gained the right to drive in the year 2018. Gay marriage was legalized in the US in recent years. Major cities have been the proponents positive change for centuries. Ancient day Greece implemented democracy long before it was popular and widespread. While funding these major cities generates economic prosperity for the entire region, its unintended consequence of progressive change is equally important. Thus, if nationalists want to believe that pumping resources into major cities will preserve cultural traditions, let them. At the end of the day the positive results outweigh their negative intentions.

However, this is not to conclude that culture and tradition are not pivotal to a functioning society. A society is a collective of people and ideologies, and, hence, culture and tradition are vital to its wellbeing. Societies are constantly evolving, and as a result, so are their underlying cultures. Problems arise when this fluid, dynamic process is tampered with. Kim Jon Un, the dictator of North Korea, hopes that one day his people will lead modern, elevated lives—just as those in the west. He has attempted to achieve this by constructing amusement parks and ski resorts in his hometown—vapid imitations of what it truly means to live in a western society. All while artificially manipulating true progress and cultural evolution through cruel dictatorial practices and an authoritarian regime. Culture and tradition should be encouraged, but its evolution and progress should also not be feared. Funding into cultural programs such as the arts and humanities will serve its purpose of unionizing one another, while simultaneously allowing growth and free thought.

Major cities not only provide economic prosperity but also extend their influence through cultural precedence. They are at the forefronts of progress that trickle down to all reaches of the nation. Funding these megacities, while counterproductive to preserving traditional norms, is critical to the survival of their nation. If cultural identity is the goal, funding would be better off spent on areas such as the arts and humanities that allow inclusivity all while encouraging cultural growth. Cultural practices such as religion used to be the glue of monumental societies hitherto, and as it fades away, it is to be seen what will take its place.