Friday, November 05, 2004
Redneck Culture
I like the map a lot. The thought of having Canada's happy-go-lucky government and health care system combined with Los Angeles weather is pretty appealing. You can't deny that Rove won by playing up those cultural differences, though; we're closer to that map today than we were a year ago, and the next election cycle we'll probably be closer still, especially if the Democrats decide to play the same game once the post-election bloodletting is over.
Below, Jody says that rednecks "don't loathe gays, but we don't approve either." Well, that kind of presupposes that homosexuality is a choice. (or, more distastefully, acknowledges that there are some people who, through no fault or decision of their own, are unworthy of approval). But that's fine, because it gives blue states a competitive advantage. Not fine: firing arabic translators because of their sexuality; that hurts all of us. It's like Clinton said: we need everyone we can get. Well, if you don't want gays, we'll take them, thanks.
California is also now in position to cherry-pick the best medical scientists in the nation because we've got money for stem cell research (in this aspect, we're doing better than the other blue states--watch for some big moves from Harvard, Yale, & Johns Hopkins to the UC system). In both of these cases, I think the blue states are on the right side of the moral issues, but even if you disagree, this can only help us economically.
Anyway, Jody posts here a list of signs that you're a redneck. Well, the first two items say basically that rednecks don't mind church and state being linked. Great! Good luck with that! You have more in common with the Taliban than you think! The rest of the items in the list are absolutely and unequivocably not linked to redneck culture. Claiming that respect for, in order, faith, country, free speech, the old, and friendship are hallmarks of redneck culture is claiming that they're not characteristics of the rest of the country. And I'm going to cry bullshit on that; I am really, truly tired of the implication that the good solid patriotic middle of the country is surrounded by the traitorous west and east coasts. Knock the first two items off the list and retitle it "You might be John Kerry if..." and it still applies. I would argue, though, that a more or less open wish for theocracy is a characteristic redneck trait. Cheers to that!
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Below, Jody says that rednecks "don't loathe gays, but we don't approve either." Well, that kind of presupposes that homosexuality is a choice. (or, more distastefully, acknowledges that there are some people who, through no fault or decision of their own, are unworthy of approval). But that's fine, because it gives blue states a competitive advantage. Not fine: firing arabic translators because of their sexuality; that hurts all of us. It's like Clinton said: we need everyone we can get. Well, if you don't want gays, we'll take them, thanks.
California is also now in position to cherry-pick the best medical scientists in the nation because we've got money for stem cell research (in this aspect, we're doing better than the other blue states--watch for some big moves from Harvard, Yale, & Johns Hopkins to the UC system). In both of these cases, I think the blue states are on the right side of the moral issues, but even if you disagree, this can only help us economically.
Anyway, Jody posts here a list of signs that you're a redneck. Well, the first two items say basically that rednecks don't mind church and state being linked. Great! Good luck with that! You have more in common with the Taliban than you think! The rest of the items in the list are absolutely and unequivocably not linked to redneck culture. Claiming that respect for, in order, faith, country, free speech, the old, and friendship are hallmarks of redneck culture is claiming that they're not characteristics of the rest of the country. And I'm going to cry bullshit on that; I am really, truly tired of the implication that the good solid patriotic middle of the country is surrounded by the traitorous west and east coasts. Knock the first two items off the list and retitle it "You might be John Kerry if..." and it still applies. I would argue, though, that a more or less open wish for theocracy is a characteristic redneck trait. Cheers to that!
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