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The obvious rebuttal to this is that those small towns now control the government. You want progressive policies? Well, tough. Rural areas are coping with expl

The obvious rebuttal to this is that those small towns now control the government. You want progressive policies? Well, tough. Rural areas are coping with exploding rates of meth, heroin, and opioid abuse, and a lot of that is directly caused by the absolutely shit quality of life they all have. You're far from the first liberal to regard rural people with contempt, and that's a big part of why we now have President Trump to contend with. Maybe it's time to start taking other people's problems a little more seriously.

deleted 10y ago
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jfoutz 10y ago
I learned to drive a tractor when i was about 10 years old, and it was a blast. Nearest neighbors were a mile away. Going to the rodeo was a big deal. It was really great. But the writing was on the wall back then. There's like 4 jobs in the country where horseback riding is useful. It's nothing more than an expensive hobby for the well off. > The obvious rebuttal to this is that those small towns now control the government. No, not even remotely. A billionaire city slicker controls the government. > Maybe it's time to start taking other people's problems a little more seriously. Eh, maybe. I don't think we need to make it so damn hard for people to get ahead, or even have a chance. But, of course, my guy lost. But maybe not. No election coming up, all there is for me to do is figure out how big my tax cut is going to be, and figure out where that goes in the IRA. No tariff is going to make my home town thrive. There are no jobs there. I can't help but think of the duke: Devlin: I don't know what to say. Never begged before. Turned my stomach. I suppose I should have been grateful that you gave me the job. McLintock: Gave? Boy, you've got it all wrong. I don't give jobs I hire men. Drago: You intend to give this man a full day's work, don'tcha boy? Devlin Warren: You mean you're still hirin' me? Well, yes, sir, I certainly deliver a fair day's work. McLintock: And for that I'll pay you a fair day's wage. You won't give me anything and I won't give you anything. We both hold up our heads. But when i tell old friends from high school to come where the work is, they just shake their heads. My friends that are too fucking hard headed to figure out something better than drinking and bellyaching. Go back to school? Learn a new trade? fuck no. I'll help people learn to be useful, but i'm not interested in paying someone to make saddles. Sure, it's fun. Turns out they're just not good enough at it to earn a living doing it. Do fucking something else, and make saddles as a fucking hobby. Be a goddamn grownup. As a, as you put it, "liberal that regards rural people with contempt", i think these three things would improve things for lots of people. 1. Pay police well. Like, double it, and hold police to very high standards. 2. Pay teachers well. Like, double it, and hold teachers to very high standards. 3. Tie tax rates for businesses to local economies. The worse the economy, the bigger the break, the smaller the business, the bigger the break. But again, i'm a contemptuous liberal that just got told i'm full of shit. So, seriously, what the fuck am i supposed to do? "take problems seriously?" that's a bullshit rhetorical jab that contains zero useful information.
- intellegacy 10y ago
  i think you are taking their problems seriously :) If you had posted this comment earlier i don't think he would have saidt hat.
malz 10y ago
I'm happy to be proven wrong, but Trump has no chance of helping those workers, except by bussing them to New York to polish his acres of marble and glass.
lsadam0 10y ago
You're right. I grew up in a very small rural town. I have a tendency to not take them seriously. The problem for me is that I've never heard any other group of people spew so much hate and bigotry as people in that small town. The treatment of minorities in that town was heartbreaking. The way I was treated for not blindly accepting the christian faith was terrible. I used to hide physics book under my bed so they would not be taken from me and thrown away. As an adult, I find it really difficult to care about their problems at all. However, the fact is, unless we do show compassion and take their issues seriously, the current situation will only get worse.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

jfoutz 10y ago

I learned to drive a tractor when i was about 10 years old, and it was a blast. Nearest neighbors were a mile away. Going to the rodeo was a big deal. It was really great. But the writing was on the wall back then. There's like 4 jobs in the country where horseback riding is useful. It's nothing more than an expensive hobby for the well off. > The obvious rebuttal to this is that those small towns now control the government. No, not even remotely. A billionaire city slicker controls the government. > Maybe it's time to start taking other people's problems a little more seriously. Eh, maybe. I don't think we need to make it so damn hard for people to get ahead, or even have a chance. But, of course, my guy lost. But maybe not. No election coming up, all there is for me to do is figure out how big my tax cut is going to be, and figure out where that goes in the IRA. No tariff is going to make my home town thrive. There are no jobs there. I can't help but think of the duke: Devlin: I don't know what to say. Never begged before. Turned my stomach. I suppose I should have been grateful that you gave me the job. McLintock: Gave? Boy, you've got it all wrong. I don't give jobs I hire men. Drago: You intend to give this man a full day's work, don'tcha boy? Devlin Warren: You mean you're still hirin' me? Well, yes, sir, I certainly deliver a fair day's work. McLintock: And for that I'll pay you a fair day's wage. You won't give me anything and I won't give you anything. We both hold up our heads. But when i tell old friends from high school to come where the work is, they just shake their heads. My friends that are too fucking hard headed to figure out something better than drinking and bellyaching. Go back to school? Learn a new trade? fuck no. I'll help people learn to be useful, but i'm not interested in paying someone to make saddles. Sure, it's fun. Turns out they're just not good enough at it to earn a living doing it. Do fucking something else, and make saddles as a fucking hobby. Be a goddamn grownup. As a, as you put it, "liberal that regards rural people with contempt", i think these three things would improve things for lots of people. 1. Pay police well. Like, double it, and hold police to very high standards. 2. Pay teachers well. Like, double it, and hold teachers to very high standards. 3. Tie tax rates for businesses to local economies. The worse the economy, the bigger the break, the smaller the business, the bigger the break. But again, i'm a contemptuous liberal that just got told i'm full of shit. So, seriously, what the fuck am i supposed to do? "take problems seriously?" that's a bullshit rhetorical jab that contains zero useful information.

intellegacy 10y ago
i think you are taking their problems seriously :) If you had posted this comment earlier i don't think he would have saidt hat.

malz 10y ago

I'm happy to be proven wrong, but Trump has no chance of helping those workers, except by bussing them to New York to polish his acres of marble and glass.

lsadam0 10y ago

You're right. I grew up in a very small rural town. I have a tendency to not take them seriously. The problem for me is that I've never heard any other group of people spew so much hate and bigotry as people in that small town. The treatment of minorities in that town was heartbreaking. The way I was treated for not blindly accepting the christian faith was terrible. I used to hide physics book under my bed so they would not be taken from me and thrown away. As an adult, I find it really difficult to care about their problems at all. However, the fact is, unless we do show compassion and take their issues seriously, the current situation will only get worse.