the theory of "ruins' value"

"naturally, a new national consciousness could not be awakened by architecture alone. but, when after a long spell of inertia a sense of national grandeur was born anew, the monuments of men's ancestors were the most impressive exhortations. today, for example, mussolini could point to the buildings of the roman empire as symbolizing the heroic spirit of rome. this he could fire his nation with the idea of modern empire. our architectural works should also speak tot he conscience of a future germany centuries from now." albert speer 'inside the third reich"________ speer was the creature of hitler and no mistake...the whole premise of empire is alluring to the hegemonic culture everywhere and is the flaw that seals their eventual fate...i've been re-reading speer as a break from "limits to growth: the 30 year update" and "the energy reader" ( contemplating more than architectural ruins...have a look at tainter's "the collapse of complex societies" while you're at it...change is around the corner ) and i have no sympathy for the nazi's aims or their methodology ( although there seem to be quite a few homegrown folks that do ) but is speer chock full of it or is he on to something? whoretown is a neoclassical mish-mash of architecture designed to show the founders' ( and their immediate successors' ) assumption of empire and also to showcase their overdone classical educations...were they thinking of the ruins the rotunda would leave behind? possibly not but popular culture certainly has latched on to the idea...the statue of liberty in "planet of the apes"...or the capitol itself in "logan's run"...that, however, was indicative of a dystopian present rather than past grandure ( and we all know i love a dystopia...orwellian to the core )so, perhaps, speer's view of the value and use of ruins is totally culture bound just like american popular culture is so dystopian and anti-social...the photos here are from a local ruin...a long abandonded football field built in a 1930s wpa style of ponderous concrete and steel tubing...(why was almost all thirties achitecture so concrete based? was it stalin, hitler, fdr, or was it just the cheapest thing going? )...it is a weird find my son attuned me to and one of many abandoned structures in our home county...i am told that the mecca of urban decay detroit is undergoing a transformation..i am skeptical since mayoral candidates there still seem to be campaigning by promising to tear down more structures than their opponents...but who will even a truncated detroit or a gary or lake station peppered with vacant lots colonized by native plants speak to...and what will it say...grandeur, failure. or, perhaps, a morality play about the costs of overshoot.