Frank Rich: "No Sympathy for the Hillbilly"

[afleitch]

Here's the thing, the left have long fetishised the 'working man', in whatever guise it is presented because 'everything is about class' (Marx ad nauseum) and so 'why can't they be on our side?'. But sometimes class has nothing to do with it, or economics. Sometimes people who are dirt poor, have nothing and need actual help can be assholes and make bad decisions and be dismissive of people with their own problems because they aren't their problem. And that's okay; sometimes you need to let people take responsibility for their own actions and their own lack of action. Then work out why, without tearing your heart out about appealing too much to gays and urban minorities and people who want gun control.

When Trump talks of 'inner city Chicago' he know's what he's doing. Because that's where crime 'is' for some people because that's where it was in the 1970's/80's. It's where it was when people fled from there (like when New Yorkers fled to the Poconos. And Trump won't talk about NY that way because of his own interests) But this may as well be now, because the same people say 'why go to the city'? That the inner cities have some of the best adult education programs doesn't matter. That there is a serious drug problem in rural America doesn't matter.

What's also happening is that the US culturally (even low culturally) and economically is drifting back to the cities. Small town America is a bit 'bigger' than it was 90 years ago; actual small towns have been in decline since the depression. Small town America is now where families planted since the depression, either as quasi suburban communities; the heartland of Eisenhower boomer babies who were adults under Reagan - post card, commercial, tv sitcom America. Or places where people moved to find work. People still move to find work, often cross country, or to new industries.

And you have to keep on moving when the jobs move or when they disappear. That's not changed. And people can't take the piss out of modern start up industries, of new industries because somehow they are 'effete' because that's how industry has always worked. So what if they're started by trust fund hipsters; their great grandfathers opened factories and mines. The pursuit is the same and at least most of the new 'starters' on industry have an ounce of social conscience to be asking these big questions in the first place.

[afleitch]

I think most white Americans bailed when the left got looney, and became obsessed with identity politics.

They began representing small segments of the population and calling the rest "deplorables".

The only one obsessed with "identity politics" is the one who wants to ban a religion from coming here

And people who are transgender from using the bathroom.