"When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe."--Thomas Jefferson
This one's easy. A few words come to mind:
Chicago
Detroit
New York
San Francisco
Name your own.
Oh, I almost forgot:
Washington, D.C. But that one goes without saying.
Jefferson believed that America would be much better off if it remained an agricultural country; that and small businesses. That way people would be taking care of themselves, not sponging off others, and would be so busy they wouldn't be getting into trouble--or need much government. Big cities inevitably and invariably do not have enough employment for the masses. So, idle with time on their hands, the basic human traits of selfishness, laziness, and self-absorption lead to vice, crime, and the worst forms of iniquity. Jefferson had been there; he knew whereof he spoke.
Where is the greatness of America today (that which is left)? It certainly isn't in the big cities with their incredible crime, corruption, decadence, and debauchery. The true greatness of this country lies in its heartland, in small cities and the countryside where people still know each other, aid one another, and share a common bond. By and large, that's being lost, and with it the true strength of the United States.