Fair enough.
The sources both you and **Wesley Clark **provide do show quite clearly that Trump’s support is strongest among those who can check at least three boxes among the demographics of Old, White, Cristian or Male. So the suggestion that America may be in a better place when the number of old white Christian males has shrunk to a point where they no longer have a significant influence on the politics of the nation is not unreasonable.
I nevertheless maintain that the attitude of “no hope until such-and-such a group dies off” is a rather horrible approach to the current sad state of affairs. Even if I have had similar thoughts from time to time.
So, as for my calling “bullshit” on Wesley, I shall eat my words, but I shall do so while grumbling under my breath.
(Munch-munch. Grumble-grumble. Pass the salt.)
America became better off when the slave owning generation died off around the early 20th century. We are better off now that the ‘Segregation now, Segregation forever’ generation died off.
Say what you will, but I want to live in a society without brainwashed people who think child molestation and treason are acceptable as long as you aren’t a Democrat while you do it. When those people die off society will Improve. Granted America will always have dysfunctional people and maybe it’ll get worse, not better with time. But the most irrational, misinformed, undemocratic Americans tend to be whites over age 50. Lots of whites over 50 are good people, but that demographic makes up the bulk of Americas dysfunctional voters.
There seems to be something in many Americans’ psyche that values selfishness over altruism, tribalism over internationalism, fear over empathy and belief over rational thinking.
Fun, if you’re part of that mindset, unbelievably frustrating if you’re not.
Even among white baby boomers, the most partisan racial and age generation for Trump, 34% of them voted for Clinton. Another 4% voted third party.
So you put ten white baby boomers in a room, and four did not support Trump. They aren’t all horrible people by any means. I know a lot of white people over age 50 who are very good people. I know lots of rural whites who are good people
But sadly, if someone is extremely angry, misinformed, hostile to the rule of law, values partisanship over competence or criminality, etc there is a good chance they are white and over age 50. That has been my experience. I think 2/3 of the tea party were whites over age 50.
Do the rural areas produce the tractors they use? Do they produce their own weather reports? Do rural areas not receive tax payer assistance in various forms of agricultural subsidies and crop insurance?
I could go on, I suppose, but you get the point, the rural areas would be a bunch of subsistence farmers, were it not for the support that comes from the urban areas. Rural america would not survive without the support of those in the cities.
OTOH, if all the rural land was turned over to big mega farming corps, kicking out all the small farmers, the people in the cities wouldn’t notice a thing.
No, I don’t. Of course, I got out 12 years ago. The last straw for me was watching the bungled, half-assed governmental response to Hurricane Katrina. I’d have next to zero confidence that the government, state or federal, would respond appropriately to the next widespread upheaval or disaster. You’re on your own in America.
The last 13 months have only confirmed for me the rot in the USA. As others have said here, Trump is only the symptom, not the cause, of the disease. I feel bad for my nephews who will have to grow to adulthood in that dysfunctional madhouse.
Trump is neither crazy or ignorant. Trump is a misogynic, narcissistic, lying, toxic substance who is making the world believe that the US is a misogynic, narcissistic, lying, toxic waste dump of incompetent bigoted pricks.
We have a lot of letters of apology to send to the world when that asshole has a heart attack on the 8th hole of the golf course he’s probably building on all that land he released in Utah.
QFT. And I’ll add a cliche, but what we need now is love, sweet love. We’ll ALL be better off with a little compassion. There is negligible value in a “fuck them” attitude, no matter who the *them *is.
To answer the OP, I was ok until the tax decision this weekend (while we slept). Combine this with the Citizens United decision from a few years ago, and this re-enforces my fear that corporations and the rich citizens are in control for now.
Overall, I fall asleep dreaming that this will only make America stronger. I may not live to see it, but I’m hopeful.
The worst part is that it is not us vs them, it is really us vs us. They can’t throw a punch without breaking their own nose. Hurts me too, but we are one and the same, so anything that hurts me hurts them too.
You realize that conservative, liberal etc. are poorly defined and encompass many people with conflicting views? But to answer your question, I’d reckon most self identified conservatives are pro capitalist and pro trade.
