I just know this book is going to be a hot topic over the next few months
In the popular imagination of many Americans, particularly those on the left side of the political spectrum, the typical MAGA supporter is a rural resident who hates Black and Brown people, loathes liberals, loves gods and guns, believes in myriad conspiracy theories, has little faith in democracy, and is willing to use violence to achieve their goals, as thousands did on Jan. 6.
According to a new book, White Rural Rage: The Threat to American Democracy, these aren’t hurtful, elitist stereotypes by Acela Corridor denizens and bubble-dwelling liberals… they’re facts.
The authors, Tom Schaller, a professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and Paul Waldman, a former columnist at The Washington Post, persuasively argue that most of the negative stereotypes liberals hold about rural Americans are actually true.
One thing that always annoys me about the videos that purports to show that the MAGA folks are just mad about the economy or whatever, is that they’re asking about the economy… yeah, they might be “mad about the economy”, but they also NEVER ask them about immigration and the non-white population of the US, etc…
My only issue with it is that it limits it to rural. There are plenty of suburban or even urban, college-educated whites who fit that bill. You’re as likely to encounter one in a Whole Foods in Chicago as a small town in Alabama.
take a look at the right wing money machine. the right wing media. the tech bros and the finance bros. the roger stones, the bannons, musks, ■■■■■, lapierre, the thomas’s and their friend, even all the people well enough off they could take vacation to enact a coup
are there white, economically challenged, low education people who want to see the whole thing burn? of course. and there’s also plenty of white elites right there with them, fanning the embers into flames
When I escaped the South and moved to Chicago in the late 80’s I was disappointed and dismayed to find rednecks there too. Racist sacks of shit are everywhere, no doubt (and honestly I think it’s even more prevalent than studies show), but where I grew up (“Music City USA”) it’s a vastly overwhelming majority (of white people).
I’ve been shouting this my whole life. The local gerrymandering, US Senate and Electoral College give outsized political influence to a culture of prideful, deliberate ignorance and hatred that the plutocracy uses to maximize their short term profit at the cost of our future. Every radio and tv station out here in “the real America” (I got tricked into moving back down here in the 90’s) is 24 hour propaganda that exacerbates the problem (and has been for decades). These people are isolated from other cultures, and are constantly told - from every screen and speaker they encounter all day long, from every family member, community leader, preacher, coworker and acquaintance - that the other is out to destroy everything they are used to and told are good - the “real American things” like White Supremacy, cruelty to animals and women, unchecked gun violence and blatant destruction of the environment.
LBJ was spot on, and here we are. I’m stuck in a state where 100% of the electoral votes will go to an openly fascist racist rapist moron, because fucking rednecks. It’s really fucking depressing.
I’m not saying we need forced re-education camps, but the GOP has been cultivating and manipulating the stupid since Nixon and the DNC done fuck all nothing to counter it
Because they know that if they ask what’s caused whatever is wrong with the economy, far too often the answer is “Jews”. You’re supposed to say “international Marxism” and “bankers”, you’re not supposed to just come out and say “Jews”.
I’m actually interested in their response. By happenstance, I was speaking last week with someone in the industry who commented that it’s noticeable that the ALA does not have a presence in DC and doesn’t lobby for their interests. Let’s see what happens now that they realize the consequences of that choice.
Pretty much all of the professional academic organizations don’t really have enough of a voice in public policy, especially from the humanities. The AHA (American historical association) offer briefings for Congress, but you can bet that few actual congresscritters go to them…
An article about it…
Not sure it’s particularly helpful or productive, especially with regards to stuff like this, these direct attacks on colleges, libraries, etc, (the knowledge sector?).
That’s really interesting. The perception by lawmakers is that they almost never see ALA advocating for any issue at all. But it sounds like ALA thinks they’re doing more than that.
