Living the Dream

Real estate newspaper advert.

‘Come live in liberty’, reads the banner headline, ‘Liberty Village, Closed condominium,’ the subtitle. Ever since the construction of the first suburb on the outskirts of Manchester in the 19th century, the middle class have been trying to flee the city. A culture of fear runs deep in the psychology of this aspiring class. Fear of disease. Fear of poverty and most of all a fear of insurgent proletarians. The architectural solution to this debilitating state of paranoia is to seal yourself off from the rest of society in fortified luxury towers and estates. There is a good reason for thinking of these places as middle class prisons. You are isolated with like-minded people, protected by the extensive carceral technology of home security, and subject to rigorous codes of conduct and social behaviour. It is a truly global phenomena that has captured the imagination of those willing to believe in images of an ideal home and family. Like toxic mushrooms, gated communities have proliferated in all of the world’s major cities. It is a highly lucrative affair and Real Estate companies and security firms have proved expert at the commercial exploitation of the desire for safe lives.  Indeed, the greater the level of public insecurity the greater their profits. It is particularly pertinent in a country like Brasil that has such high murder rates and a crime obsessed media culture. If you did nothing else but watch the sensationalist TV channel Cidade Alerta that features live footage of robberies and kidnappings, you would probably never leave your home. The reality is somewhat different. Over eighty five percent of homicide victims are young, predominately black working-class men. They inhabit a world that is far removed from the glossy illusions of property advertising, a world scarred by territorial wars between drug traffickers, indiscriminate police violence and the punitive actions of protection racketeers. But fear not, there are no stray bullets in Liberty Village. Sanctuary is guaranteed. Your home is your fortress. There is no city. No bin men. No wheelchairs. Only Slim Aryans need apply.