Inside The Minds of Rednecks – And Consequences
I recently had breakfast and invested my Saturday morning with a Redneck. It was not his idea. My truck needed repair and I wanted a sure fix. A sure fix that did not cost me a bundle of anxiety and an empty pocket book. (Pocket Book is a funny term). I’ll call my Redneck friend Jim Bob for the sake of this discussion. Anyway, Jim Bob does not charge for his time or for any parts he can find around his shed – his expectation was that I would hang around, drink some coffee, and participate in the lie telling contest. A Redneck and a cup of coffee will draw more Rednecks as sure as an Iowa egg farm draws salmonella. I listened to the morning banter and reflected on what ‘being intelligent’ means.
Time Magazine had a recent cover story titled, “Inside The Minds of Animals.” They offered some clues about judging or determining intelligence. I don’t mean to compare Rednecks with monkeys but we have to start somewhere to get in the mind of the Redneck. Time reported that one particular monkey, after a lifetime of training, ‘… can build thoughts and sentences, even conjugate… ” I listened to the Rednecks banter and heard nouns and verbs, but I also heard terms like torque, revolutions-per-minute, and wheel bearings. The classic Redneck conversation begins with someone introducing a problem, followed by a round-table discussion.
The language of the Redneck is simple. Allegories are seldom considered while metaphor and simile are often engaged. Topics weave together in a tapestry of universal harmony. The language always centers on problem solving. Simple solutions are admired while complex ideas are dissed.
One of the Rednecks, I’ll call him Billy, began a new topic by introducing a problem our NASA Astronauts were having while in space. The Space Shuttle had been sent up to retrieve a malfunctioning satellite. A Space Walk was required and a special satellite docking mechanism had been attached to the Astronaut’s Space Suit. Billy did not know the exact cost of the docking mechanism but he speculated that it must be ‘… around a billion dollars.’ Everyone nodded that this sounded reasonable. With affirmation of accurate cost estimates, Billy continued. The space docking was difficult and it took the Astronaut about two hours to get the satellite hooked up – then another hour to maneuver the satellite into the Space Shuttle cargo bay. As I looked around the round table I could see the wheels spinning in the heads of the Rednecks. Billy had introduced a great problem for a lively morning discussion. Billy took a sip of his coffee and then sighed a heavy sigh of satisfaction. His mission was accomplished – he brought the best problem to the table. There seemed a long pause, time for thinking, reflecting, attempting to imagine the role of the Astronaut. Then Tommy Lee spoke with animated excitement, “If they had called me I would have told them to take a good rope up there, tie it around the dang satellite, and haul it in. That would cost about fifty bucks for a new rope, and nothing if you took the rope in the back of my shed.” Another pause while the idea was assimilated. After a few moments all heads were nodding approval. Then the discussion turned to the best type of rope and which rope knots would best be applied. Jim Bob produced three different ropes from the back of his shed – all were tested with different knotting techniques. An old tractor out back simulated the satellite. The morning coffee discussion ended with the satisfaction of having solved the problem of errant satellites. The most obvious conclusion was that the gov’ment don’t know nothing about satellite retrieval. Each of the participating Rednecks walked away with the satisfaction of knowing that they had once again outsmarted the bureaucrats. The NASA Scientists are deemed “Educated Idiots.”
Projecting this thought affirms the idea that scientists generally over complicate simple problems. Snow in the northern latitude winter is clear evidence that the scientists were wrong about Global Warming. Stories about ‘welfare-ites’ gouging the dumb gov’ment bureaucrats resonates as reasonable truth. Dropping really big bombs on Baghdad seems a reasonable solution to any problem with the localized insurgents.
The recent humor of Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy, and others relegate the Redneck to the intelligence strata somewhere between humans and the rest of the animal kingdom. The comedy works because there is a thread of truth in every punch line. The modern Tea Party movement in America seems to affirm the comedians. There is a long standing elite class that abhors the idea of talking to a Redneck while simultaneously depending on the Redneck to achieve manufacturing results. The elite class recognizes the need for a Redneck in the factory to solve the immediate problems of daily production. Food, shelter, and basic health care are provided in order to achieve manufacturing results.
None of this is new or unique to modern America. For as long as there has been written history man has always had a noble class and a working class. Noblesse Oblige is a French term meaning:
the moral obligation of those of high birth, powerful social position, etc., to act with honor, kindliness, generosity, etc.
The redneck is the epitome of the working class of people. It appears that the Redneck can assimilate and understand any problem – but solutions are always in terms of the immediately available resources. Problems such as space satellites, foreign policy, foreign wars, health care for the masses, Global Warming, and even proper diet and exercise have limited solutions. When the Redneck visits his family physician and is told to lose weight by changing his diet he thinks in terms of the current contents of his refrigerator and the money he has in his pocket. The Redneck not only seems to accept these limiting parameters of problem resolution but will buck at the introduction of more complex ideas. Any good Redneck will be offended if someone suggests he cannot solve his problems with the resources immediately available.
In the simple-solution world of the Redneck the logic of the Corporate leader makes sense. The Redneck is convinced to vote Republican because the Corporations offer a job – which means food and shelter for the Redneck family. As with the satellite, once the idea of the rope is accepted the Redneck will exert all of his energy in determining the best way to use the rope. Once the idea of having a job is accepted – the Redneck will exert all of his energy in being a productive employee. And more, the Redneck will defend his job, and often his employer, to the depths of hell.
Labor Unions are good examples of the dedication of the working class Redneck. There was a time when employees thought of themselves as working for the Labor Union. I remember when Jimmy Hoffa was on trial for corruption – one evening network newscast interviewed a female Teamster. She said, “I make eight dollars an hour and Jimmy Hoffa takes one dollar. I don’t care about that dollar because Jimmy got me seven dollars to take home.” There is certainly some logic in her position.
There is a particular quote in the Time Magazine article, referring to animals, which I think applies to the opinion of Corporate and Republican Leadership toward the Redneck class of people. Check this out (page 34 , August 16, 2010):
Humans have a fraught relationship with beasts. They are our companions and our chattel, our family members and our laborers, our household pets and our household pests. We love them and cage them, admire them and abuse them. And, of course, we cook and eat them.
Our dodge – a not unreasonable one – has always been that animals are ours to do with as we please simply because they don’t suffer the way we do. They don’t think, non in any meaningful way. The don’t worry. They have no sense of the future of their own mortality. They may pair-bond, but they don’t love. For all we know, they may not even be conscious. “The reason animals do not speak as we do is not that they lack the organs,” Rene’ Decartes one said, ‘but that they have no thoughts.” For many people, the Bible offers the most powerful argument of all. Human beings were granted ‘dominion over the beasts of the field,” and there the discussion can more or less stop.
Who in our modern social structure has “dominion over the beast of the field?” Replace ‘beasts’ or ‘animal’ with ‘redneck.’ Replace ‘human’ with “Corporate Leader.” “They don’t think in any meaningful way” seems to be justification for denying the basic needs of humanity. But what about Noblesse Oblige? Well, what is honor? What is generosity?
Rednecks are people. Rednecks have terrific problem solving abilities. Rednecks have honor. Rednecks are generous. But do these qualities separate them from other primates? Rednecks serve their masters well – but so do dogs. The difference is that Rednecks unconsciously choose to be subordinate.
The culture of the Redneck defines the individual. Rednecks live in a closed society. They are almost tribal in nature. Their ‘tribe’ includes anyone who actively denies formal education. Education as job training is acceptable. A person who drives a delivery truck has a job, but a person with their CDL (Commercial Driver’s License) has a career. Carpentry, welding, plumbing, and electrical wiring are noble education pursuits. But education for the sake of education is deemed an abhorrent waste of time. Again, if there is no identified sense of immediate return then the solution is deemed unworthy.
Time, page 39: Crows and other corvids excel at tool use, a function of both clever brain wiring and the birds’ complex social structure.
While Rednecks excel at tool use, and have complex social structures, they seem indignant toward any new ideas. The Redneck laughs as hard as anyone at Jeff Foxworthy’s jokes. He accepts his lot in life for what it is. Distinguishing self from others is an important trait of intelligence. Again from Time Magazine, page 41:
It’s easy enough to study the brain and behavior of an animal, but subtler cognitive abilities are harder to map. One of the most important skills human children must learn is something called the theory of mind: the idea that not all knowledge is universal knowledge. A toddler who watches a babysitter hide a toy in a room will assume that anyone who walks in afterward knows where the toy is too. It’s not until about age 3 that kids realize that just because they know something, it doesn’t mean somebody else knows it also.
The theory of mind is central to communications and self-awareness, and it’s the rare animal that exhibits it, thought some do. Dogs understand innately what pointing means: that someone has information to share and that your attention is being drawn to it so that you can learn too. That seems simple, but only because we’re born with the ability and, by the way, have fingers with which to do the pointing.
Great apes, despite their impressive intellect and five-fingered hands, do not seem to come factory-loaded for pointing. But they may just lack the opportunity to practice it. A baby ape rarely lets go of its mother, clinging to her abdomen as she knuckle-walks from place to place. But Kanzi (the chimp in a study), who was raised in captivity, was often carried in human arms, and that left his hands free for communication.
“By the time Kanzi was 9 months old he was already pointing at things… “
Can we assume that the culture of the Redneck has not allowed an appreciation of education, of complex problem solving? Perhaps. Can we assume that the Redneck inability to understand the Bible as allegory results from a fundamental lack of understanding of allegory? Can we assume that the Redneck denies science because he does not grasp fundamental concepts of mathematics? Is there are connection between the lack of sophisticated Biblical understanding and the denial of science? Probably. With limited education about history, literature, and the humanities the Redneck cannot grasp the intention of Biblical interpretation. The Redneck becomes like the great ape who has not learned to point. The Redneck is like the toddler who believes that everyone who understands the world as he does is intelligent – and anyone who disagrees clearly does not possess common sense.
Am I being an elitist – seeking the Redneck to fix my truck and then dissecting his intellect? Did I use the Redneck as I have accused the Corporate leaders? Again from Time Magazine, page 41:
The gold standard for demonstrating an understanding of the self-other distinction is the mirror test: whether an animal can see its reflection and recognize what it is.
The question for humanity is this: Can we see ourselves for who we are? Are we able to see ourselves honestly? The two classes of people who do not see themselves honestly are the Nobles and the Rednecks. Each of these classes of people assume their lot in life – they assume they are where they are supposed to be. Neither the Noble nor the Redneck sees themselves as equal to the other. It seems that humanity is not much different than a pack of wolves – where the dominant male leads and others instinctively follow.
Comment by jason on 24 August 2010:
Wow, someone has some personal issues.
Comment by Dan on 24 August 2010:
Funny, if you were smarter than a redneck wouldn’t you be able to fix your own truck?
Comment by asta on 24 August 2010:
Now imagine the same article written against ‘African-Americans’ or ‘Blacks’ who cannot think beyond their immediately lusts and handouts and therefore always vote for the democrats. There would be a media outrage. The double-standard never stops surprising me…an affirmative action journalist here maybe?
BTW, I am not white and only make this observation as an impartial objective viewer.
Comment by James A - Longdrycreek Ranch, Texas on 24 August 2010:
Rednecks, so called, are practical men and women. Life is hard and, unlike their over-educated peers, who do not know they are over-educated or even under-educated, the Redneck is in the game for the long run.
I associate with folks who work with their hands and hearts.Dedicated to the task. Never too busy to assist their neighbors or the stranger.
If I had to chose between those who imagine themselves in Time magazines coveted circle, I would chose the Redneck. The Rednecks I know are honest; the liberals, progressives, Marxists, communists, and often too much degreed
cannot be trusted. When I am with this later coven, I sit with my back to the wall. Just safer and you can keep an eye on them in their Oxxford suits and Gucci shoes. Dumber than dirt.
Comment by ChicoCDM on 24 August 2010:
I am Latino. I was born in Latin America. Most of my friends are Latino – most also born in Latin America. We are strong conservatives. Were we come from there is a right and a left – the only difference is we saw first hand how violent, dishonest and outright evil “Hope and Change” really is. I side with the rednecks. If closed minded liberals would ever leave their little circles they will find that most of the world is rural and country people from all walks – have more in common with the rednecks than the brainwashed urban “geniuses.” You haven’t seen real hate until you disagree with a liberal.
Comment by Ann on 24 August 2010:
You are one disturbed individual. We’ll have to let Jim Bob know how much hay you made with his generosity. Maybe next time he’ll charge you a couple of hundred bucks and you’ll think he’s a member of the intellectual class. It’s odd how you mistake simple down-home humor (the space shuttle story) with actual beliefs. You’re the simpleton.
Comment by Cletus on 24 August 2010:
Goodness, what utter codswallop. You sir, are not a gentleman.
Comment by opiniononly on 24 August 2010:
Wow! I mean, WOW! This has to be sarcasm. Nobody could really be this much of a twit.
Did you put on your jungle safari outfit to go on this car repair expedition? What a brave little explorer you are! Were you forced to actually touch the rednecks? Did you wipe your Amex card with hand sanitizer when the mechanic handed it back to you?
All this twaddle just to denigrate the Tea Party!
Remember these two things: 1) Rednecks (your definition) are finally now paying attention to what’s going on in the ‘gov’ment.’ Although we only want to run our businesses and raise our families in peace, your interference has become intolerable. We have admittedly allowed elitist (wannabe) punks such as yourself to control us for far too long. 2) Rednecks have guns.
Comment by Will E Kroetzmann on 24 August 2010:
Here is the bottom line. “Rednecks” or Rural persons have learned since the dawn of time to be self sufficient and build, fix, repair, and live communally (not like hippies or socialists.) Their society has NO support for people who won’t work or support their unit of that society.
They are the sons and daughters of Stone masons, and Metal workers, and Farmers who were the original engineers, designers and builders of this entire world.
Please demean them some more. Really, since only about 40% of their offspring are now and will become more highly educated than any of you AND will keep with their social values, you sir are short minded, tunnel vision involved and not accepting of people who don’t climb your ladder.
PS.. Just to let you know, many Rednecks pity their “richer” and self-labeled “superiors”, and would not trade one MINUTE of their lives for one like yours.
Maybe you should understand a little more.
signed by one Highly literate, highly educated Scientist REDNECK and proud of it!
Comment by Ohg Rea Tone on 24 August 2010:
Hey folks – you are entertaining. Here is another post which might clarify some of my positions. …….
https://thefiresidepost.com/espresso/2010/02/05/redneck-ingenuity-or-schizophrenic-engineering/
Comment by Mark from mass on 24 August 2010:
wow wow wow I have seen ignorance and arrogance but never in the same place at once. It’s funny I never got to see who wrote this article of foolishness..
AND ChicoCDM you sir are a good man I like your comment “brainwashed urban genius'”
Comment by Ohg Rea Tone on 24 August 2010:
My nephew grew up in Virginia – He elected to go to engineering school in Rolla, Missouri. I had to write him a letter to warn him of the culture in South Missouri. …….
https://thefiresidepost.com/2010/06/26/ohgs-nephew-goes-to-college-in-south-missouri/
Comment by Know Wonder on 24 August 2010:
From ChicoCDM: “You haven’t seen real hate until you disagree with a liberal.”
Just wanted to let you know I am going to use this. Brilliant. Thank you, sir.
Comment by homebuilding on 24 August 2010:
Generally, a very good discussion.
Please note, however, that the US is losing it’s position in the world, in part because of an over-reliance on war-making mechanical wizardry, and the mechanical know-how it requires. Also, there is an increasing rareity of those who bridge the redneck/mechanical engineering gap by possessing (and seeking) a massive portion of the abilities of each.
Indeed, the life of ease that we all enjoy, depends most heavily on those who design, manufacture and maintain washers, furnaces, autos (and a thousand other conveniences) To make matters worse for the feminists, most of this is the domain of males (and probably always will be). Don’t bore me with your tale of a female truck driver, welder, pilot, plumber, line’person’–we all know that it strains credulity to think of them as even approaching 5% of any category.
Dubyuh and Obama alike mis-speak of ‘college for everyone’ while we all know that a massive portion of our future depends on skills and abilities presented and mastered in technical education.
And the author is right–the working class could massively benefit by being more than a bit less subservient.
Comment by Zwolf on 24 August 2010:
Whoa – I was trying to log into http://www.hotcock.com but instead I found this site and IT’S EVEN GAYER!
Comment by Kevin on 24 August 2010:
I was born in the North east, moved to the south 20 years ago.I prefer the folks down here. Remember, rednecks are part of a small group that pays taxes. They make just enough to pay taxes, not quite enough to dodge them and they refuse handouts.
Comment by Robert Carling on 24 August 2010:
You have obviously read some books and even a few magazines, and you write just well enough that you almost come across as educated, but one give-away among many is your referring to “noblesse oblige” as a Latin term when, in fact, anyone who has really been to school knows it is French. The deeper problem is that you really do not have the education–both from school and from life–to attempt insightful social analysis, the kind that uses mind AND heart to capture some truth about people.
Comment by Bill Waller on 24 August 2010:
You Sir are an Asshole!
How dare you make the comparisons that you have in this article.
I will take a redneck to some obama loving idiot like yourself any day! Drink some more kool aid and continue to ponder how great of a mind that you have… ha ha .. that was a joke! You damn right I am a redneck and damn proud of it! Did you ever think about using that great brain of yours to figure out how to fix your own truck? Oh you might get your hands dirty or break a nail. You sound like an ACORN organizer. Someone that uses others for their own demented purposes! Why didn’t you disrespect NASCAR while you were at it? I like what the guy up above said… Rednecks have guns! Scares the hell out of you doesn’t it..
Comment by Donald Morgan on 25 August 2010:
ChicoCDM!!! BRILLIANT. I have posted part of your post (with appropriate credit to you sir) on my face book page. Thanks!!
Comment by Conservative Voter on 25 August 2010:
You must like the smell of your own farts.
Comment by RickMad on 25 August 2010:
At what point is disgusting bigoted hate speech treated equally to all “classes” of people. Replace the word “red-neck” with “black” or “mexican” to see just what kind of pathetic human being you are.
Hypocrite.
Comment by TexasProud on 25 August 2010:
It would appear that you either do not live around many true rednecks or are a complete idiot. I do not know a singly redneck that accepts his place. They work hard for what they get and excell at what they do. They built this country, defended it and feed, cloth and protect you pompass arogant a$$holes that insult them day after day. Why? Because they are the best of the best in this country. Left to you liberal hacks, this country would collapse from lack of hard work, moral prostitution and foreign invaders. We would be bankrupt in a matter of years(the way we are going this is actually coming true as we type). The educated liberal has far less to offer, no ability to survive in the real world and no respect for anyone else. The redneck can fix anything, understands that when you don’t have money to pay the bills you have you shouldn’t borrow money to buy something you want but don’t need. They would give you the shirt off their back, stand by you in a war and listen to what you have to say without interuption(as they were taught by their parents). The time of the liberal is all but over. The majority of Americans either are rednecks or know some that they respect. We are tired of you arrogant stools flapping your lips. Keep pandering to the lazy in this country. Keep looking down your noses at those who build this nation. One day we will have had enough and when you really need us we will turn our back on you and then you will realize who we are. The only ones who can keep this country great.
Comment by Jim on 25 August 2010:
I was born and raised Redneck. Joined the Army, learned about computers, got out, got a job working with computers, went to college and paid for it with my GI Bill, paid taxes, never took a handout, moved up the corporate ladder, continued to educate myself, and started a family. I am still a redneck and I am proud of it. I will raise my kids as rednecks (hard working, honest, self sufficient, observant, loyal, proud, fun loving, manly, and capable of kicking ass if needed).
BTW Most Union Members fall out of the Redneck class and morph into Libtards that are dependent on the unions and the democratic party for their falsely inflated upward mobility to the ranks of the middle class. Like the UAW member that makes 70K a year to stand on a line with his thumb up his a$$ making POS cars that cost as much as most rednecks houses.
Comment by Ohg Rea Tone on 25 August 2010:
Correction resulting from a comment: Noblesse Oblige is a french term
Comment by Ohg Rea Tone on 25 August 2010:
It seems to me that the comments make my point. Rednecks are hard working people who support the manufacturing base of America. Labor Unions have been systematically dismantled – for two reasons: The Unions became too powerful and abused their power by protecting unworthy workers, and because dividing the working class of people was best for Corporate America.
The Redneck has become subservient to employers. Rednecks are problem solvers and Corporate America depends on them. The Corporate leaders and the Republican Party have done a good job of brainwashing the unsuspecting hard worker – thus the necessity of two-income families is required to reach the lower middle class.
Comment by Michael on 25 August 2010:
I wonder if the conversation Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Harvey Firestone, and John Burroughs, had during their camping trips in the 1920’s, wasn’t similar to the Redneck’s morning banter.
“reflected on what ‘being intelligent’ means”, really!
Comment by TexasProud on 25 August 2010:
Or perhapse the need to have two workers in a family stems from democrats(liberals in general) increasing the size of government, increasing social benefits for those who are to lazy to get a job and increasing taxes to fund it all. All taxes are paid by the middle class(your too stupid to think for themselves rednecks) in the long run. All taxes paid by the rich, all corporate taxes, business taxes, excise taxes are paid by the working man. Who keeps raising taxes???? Democrats. Then they try and blame it on the Republicans who gave tax breaks to Corporate America. You need to give the redneck more credit than you are. They do think for themselves. Probably more than you ever could. Keep spewing your B.S. We’ll send over a redneck to fix the problem.
Comment by Jim on 25 August 2010:
Ohg
I would disagree with you on one point. Rednecks are not subservient nor are they dedicated to the republican party. They work to provide for their families and if or when they feel they can make more they do so without the expectation that their current employee owes them something. They support the Reps more often than not because they espouse the similar values and morals. We are not subservient to anybody but rather try to make the best of the trash that is offered. We just don’t whine as much as the mouthy minority and peopled mistake our courtesy and simple values as stupidity. You are a prime example.
People also like to label us as racists and make fun of our values in order to discredit us. The whole time proclaiming to be the ones that look out for us while taking the hard earned money that we can’t afford to hide and denying us any service because we are too proud to beg. We know the score and we will continue to put up with it to a point. After that point is reached you might want to watch your back if you think you know better than us. LOL
Comment by Ohg Rea Tone on 26 August 2010:
People who call themselves rednecks are sensitive – and they have guns. hoop-dee-doo
Comment by Frank Drebbin on 26 August 2010:
Ohg,
From Merrian-Websters online dictionary, the definition of Redneck is as follows:
1. sometimes disparaging : a white member of the Southern rural laboring class
2. often disparaging : a person whose behavior and opinions are similar to those attributed to rednecks
Believe it or not, the previous word to Redneck as listed in their dictionary is actually “Red Mullet”. However it does not pertain to the hairstyle perhaps wrongly attributed with many rednecks but rather reddish fish that can change color and lives and around in the Medditerranean Sea.
Comment by Rinoa on 2 September 2010:
people are people… this is someones opinion. everybody has a right to their opinion, no matter what it is, but it seems a little silly to say “dont generalize people into a single group based on what you think you know” and then proceed to do the exact same thing in the other direction… if you dont agree with something wouldnt it be more productive to explain why you dont agree? people have done that and they all make valid points. but to call someone a communist based on a belief, or to say that rednecks dont take handouts, i geuss that would depend on your definition of a redneck, because where i am most of the people associated with that term are at least on food stamps.. they consider themselves conservative and what not and pay for their groceries with ebt, there are also plenty of “liberals” or i geuss communist socialist “obama lovers” as some of you put it, that refuse to take handouts because the idea of welfare is for those who truly need help, that dont nessecarily think that it should be taken away, just monitered more closely. there are people on all sides of the spectrum, how about we take away the party system and ahve a government that discusses things and solves problems like normal people, instead of this “im just going to say the opposite of everything you say because youre in the other party” its dumb and juvenile and is causing our country more harm then good. so how about we all just work together?
Comment by skitch on 18 July 2011:
“Labor Unions have been systematically dismantled – for two reasons: The Unions became too powerful and abused their power by protecting unworthy workers, and because dividing the working class of people was best for Corporate America.”
Wrong, and wrong again. Your dittohead is showing.
a very small portion of unions actually ‘abused’ their power. and one mans ‘abuse’ is another mans ‘defense’. if ford had his way, you would work immense hours of over-time without pay; you would get no opportunity for health care; you would be injured working for him and then fired for being a liability; he would pay you far, far below the value of your efforts on his behalf; you would be abused in a variety of other ways and have no recourse legally whatsoever. *that* is corporate thinking. what stands between the worker and exploitation is organized workers aka unions. It is because of the unions that americans were able to make living wages ( minimum wage ); to have a 40 hour work week and be paid for any over time; etc etc. they countered the exploitation that greedy ceo’s ( hi banks!! enjoy the bailout? ) will and do approve of.
it wasn’t unions that ‘divided the working classes’. it was the corporate propaganda and fear-mongering ( hi rush!! ) that was divisive. Listen, I know it’s a lot easier to let entertainers like rush to do your thinking for you than it is to educate yourself, but the problem is…rush is not a historian, he’s not a political scientist, he’s not interested in discussion. he’s interested in exploiting, primarily, the fears of old, angry, white males. sorry, but look at the audience you’re in and you will see the stats bear this out and why is that? do you believes yourselves ‘superior’ in some way?
let’s see…who do conservatives fear the most?
* unions
* feminists
* homosexuals
* minorities ( non-white )
* disabled people
* poor people
* old people ( who use social security/retirement – but…wait…didn’t they work their whole lives? yeah, well…too bad for them, they’re about to die anyway, right? those damned old people on social security…)
*”lib’ruhlz”
BTW, how come rush never tells you disciples of his that one can be both a republican and a liberal? you know why? because he doesn’t understand that and it would confuse his audience who tend to prefer simplistic hyperbole over analytical thought.
i don’t defend the bloggers post entirely, but i do defend his or her right to have written it. i don’t care who you align your political beliefs with…but if you support the ‘thought police’, you should lock yourself up in jail for a few months and come to your senses.
I don’t care if the guy replaced ‘redneck’ with ‘nigger’. If black people don’t come around to the idea that words are not actions, they will continue to feel hurt by everyone. the same goes for *everybody*. allowing words to hurt your little feelings means you will scream and cry to shut people up.
have any of you thought that maybe that was one purpose of this post? you see, as many of have pointed but for different reasons than mine, if he *had* used ‘black’, ‘mexican’, ‘women’…the list of angries would be endless and calls to tear his blog down from every minority defense group would be screamed.
that is wrong. it’s wrong.
first, you should *want* to know who the racists are among you. quieting them with thought policing only drives them underground. that is exactly what happened with hitler. fungus *thrives* underground. and when it rises, it spits spores into the air and infects others. unlike fungus though, the nazi’s, who no one ever thought would come to anything, rose from their basements and exacted a terrible revenge. we don’t need that again.
secondly, you cannot change people’s minds by shutting them up. that’s not how to influence each other with positive outcomes.
third, there are some people who are afraid to analyze their own belief systems because they are worried it would challenge their perception to such a degree they may actually be forced to *be consciously aware* that they are choosing Ignorance over Evolution. They’d have to look in the mirror and realize they’ve led a life of fear-based thinking only. they’d have to then accept personal responsibility for letting someone else do their thinking for them. and some people just can’t handle that.
hence rush’s immense success in first roping in, and then keeping going, the herd that feeds at his trough. he just refills it everyday with exaggeration and a tiny bit of truth, taken out of context, and amplified for the express purpose of making already angry people even angrier. they look at this obese, past his prime, loud mouthed white dude with millions of dollars ( on their backs, of course ) who pretends to understand the white workers. He doesn’t, of course, and could care less. rush cares about thing dears: ratings. that’s it and that’s all. he let you set him up for wealth and he lets you invite him to parties and functions and he lets you worship him for manipulating your frustrations in being the generation of white males who are in a social transition that does not correllate to their parents lives.
society is changing and you are either going to accept that or be left behind as you already suspect you have been. you felt, as white males, that you should have a sense of importance the previous generation of white males enjoyed. and when you didn’t get that, you saw it all wrong and got angry. instead of doing that, you should’ve realized there’s a very good purpose in studying human history: it helps you avoid and understand certain things that a rejection of history does not.
countries change all the time. our country is very young and is, frankly, overdue for upheaval type change. it’s coming though. but the government we had in 1800 is different than the one we have now and will be different again 200 years from now.
you either adapt or you die. but trying to stick your feet still and refusing to budge exihibits a kind of self-hatred that explains the eruption of personalities like rush and odd, but almost adorable, little balloons like the tea party. so cute, like angry little kids. and no surprise either. they’re no big deal really, it’s their ancestor parties anyone with half a brain should be wary of.
Always challenge your own thinking, and never buy in totally with the group you spend the most time with. this keeps your mind sharp and prevents you from becoming a cow, yodeling along with the herd.