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.
Pawns, yes. Dumb, stupid as in an inherent trait, no. Just used and discarded by corporate America over the last 70 years or so.
It used to be, in the earlier part of the last century, that you could get as good an education in a small town as in a big city, and a lot of rural folk prided themselves on NOT being dumb hicks. WWI brought them out of the countryside by the scores and raised the expectations for all. These people went off to the wars, went to college on the GI Bill, and even came back to run their farms. This was the norm sixty years ago. This was the life my parents and grandparents lived, on both sides. They were never good at accepting differences in others, but education was HIGHLY valued, and sloth was the greatest failure of character anyone could imagine.
But now, look at corporate America, and especially BigAg, for stripping small towns of everything that made for good living and a pleasant life in rural communities. Walmart came and drove all the small stores out of business. Ace Hardware and others came and drove all the small hardware shops out. McDonalds and Waffle House came and drove all the little diners out of business. Fifty years ago, ALL the individual trades were well represented and thriving in rural areas, because everyone, rich or poor, still needed plumbers and blacksmiths and print shops and seamstresses, and it was difficult to find a town without its own proud newspaper.
All these small enterprises and career options and jobs at every skill level were replaced with what?
Sweet fuck all beyond fear, anger, drugs and debt.
Rural America is a wasteland filled with scared, angry, bitter people because WE, as a country, made it that way.
But they’re no different than the rest of us: give them a shot, decent jobs, decent education, futures to work for and they’re just like everyone else. That, and shut off the goddamn propaganda channels that have taken their righteous and well-earned anger and appropriated even THAT, turning it into emotional nooses for yet another set of rich men to control.
Hard to give them a decent education when they defund the school systems because ‘muh taxes’ and denigrate their teachers and everything else public Ed ('ceptin the “pride of the town”, the HS football team, because that one QB is gonna git scouted ‘cuz he’ s got a helluva arm)
They are the cause of their own downfall and reject any ideas that might help them. They deserve no pity. They’ve earned their place in the intellectual hierarchy. The smart ones all leave for cities with no plans to return.
Guess that puts you in rural Bumfuck County, Nowhereland for life then, Clent, because even the most stupid among us know that crops don’t grow in cities, herds don’t graze in urban areas, but city folk still really like to eat.
I’m not sure what your point is. Being a farmer doesn’t make one worthy of worship. It also has no bearing on what I said. Most rural people are not farmers.
At least you know you’re among the most stupid, so you’ve got that going for you.
The farmers I know, the ones that were able to actually keep their farms, generally aren’t voting for the dumbass who caused crops to rot in their fields.
My point, Clent, is that you have no idea how the world works, or where your food comes from, or even any idea that many rural people (including farmers) are college educated. You have no idea what business sustains rural areas, or what it takes for rural people to get their basic human needs met. You wouldn’t last half a day on a real farm, or anywhere other than your mom’s basement.
Your concern trolling fails to account for the humanity of others, and your all-or-nothing language demonstrates the maturity level of an angry preteen. This is all about you needing an outgroup to look down on and feel better than in comparison to yourself, and has nothing to do with the very real lives of the people you condemn as “stupid.” How old are you, twelve?
Look at this, lol:
When you call others stupid, Clent, you’re looking in the mirror, because I’ve known many of lesser IQ that had more humanity in their little toes than you’ve ever had in your life. Go back to your video games, angry boy, and let the grownups talk.
You have no idea what I do and do not know.
By your own reasoning as you’ve outlined it, you are the one looking in the mirror here.
You are presuming a whole lot about me here based on very little, which is hilarious and yet sad.
I stand by what I said. Your attempt to disparage me is about you. If you had any interest in proving me wrong, you would be able to do so with facts instead of lashing out at me like a wounded animal.
Yeah, I do know what you do and don’t know. You’re apparently blissfully unaware that every word you type is a statement about yourself, as well as a statement regarding what you want others to think of you.
That’s the crazy thing about us liberals, we really dig the character behind the words. When you dehumanize the other – MAGAs, in your above statements – at the same time you claim to be liberal, all you do is expose yourself as a troll.
Here’s some reading material for you, son:
The Significance of Dehumanization: Nazi Ideology and Its Psychological Consequences
How fascism works, and how to stop it: Dehumanizing people is the first and last step in a fascist society
Reducing Explicit Blatant Dehumanization by Correcting Exaggerated Meta-Perceptions
Educate yourself before you make a complete ass of yourself again.
Your lack of self awareness on your approach here, your inability to recognizing how you’re making me into a caricature while complaining that I am characterizing others is truly bizarre.
I wonder if makes you feel superior to me. You’re dehumanizing me and can’t see it. Crazy.