Jane Smiley writing in Slate says that those of us in red states are suffering from unteachable ignorance. She further implies that we want to kill people in the blue states, just like Quantrill’s raiders in the Civil War.
The blue state citizens make the Rousseauvian mistake of thinking humans are essentially good, and so they never realize when they are about to be slugged from behind.
The blue state citizens think humans are essentially good? Really! I haven’t seen it. Halliburton! Enron! We have to pass smoking bans, because people might kill themselves in public. If we don’t tax the rich into submission, they’ll just let old people starve. Employers are inherently evil, and will discriminate in hiring, so we need affirmative action. I could go on and on. The purveyors of the nanny state hold the view that everyone is stupid, and need to be looked after by a benevolent government.
As for the Bush supporters, themselves. Hey, Jane, the mere presence of someone like me discredits your entire thesis. I am a radical capitalist, but I don’t advocate greed and profit uber alles. I am not at all religious, so there goes that part of your thesis. As for the issue of superiority — I am better than some people. I’m also worse than some people. I have flaws. Everyone is not equal. Deal with it.
They are predatory and resentful, amoral, avaricious, and arrogant. Lots of Americans like and admire them because lots of Americans, even those who don’t share those same qualities, don’t know which end is up.
Jane, I recommend you actually spend some time with some of the younger people in the Red states. You really need to read The Real America by Glenn Beck. I want to make lots of money. I want to make it honestly. I want to be a fair trader with my clients. I want to employ good people and pay them as much as I possibly can.
Is that unteachable ignorance?
No, no it’s not. But you’ve lumped people like me in with some of the real criminals….the Enrons. (Funny how Democrats never mention WorldCom and Global Crossing which were *much* bigger than Enron….why could that be? Maybe because both companies were big Democrat supporters? Hmm?) You’ve also lumped me in with the intolerant religious people I really dislike. See, I don’t have a problem with people beliving silly things. I do have a problem when they try to make their belief in silly things a part of public policy. I recognize that the pledge issue isn’t a winner. The 1954 law that changed the pledge is unquestionably unconstitutional. Yet I’m lumped in with the people who never consider it.
Jane, I’m not the only one, really. There are others like me who supported President Bush. Politically, the public voice with whom I most closely identify is Neal Boortz. I believe in civil liberties. I believe in gay rights. Come spend some time in a red state with some of us, Jane. We’re not the ignorant boobs you think we are. We disagree with you, and would like to just disagree politely and have a debate. But your hissy-fit namecalling is counterproductive.
Skip to content