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My guess is the parent is referring specifically to the Republican Southern Strategy—whether the top-down or bottom-up variant is mostly immaterial—that notably
by bobwaycott 9y ago
My guess is the parent is referring specifically to the Republican Southern Strategy—whether the top-down or bottom-up variant is mostly immaterial—that notably did not display too much public opposition to racial integration on the national stage, but instead supported de facto racial segregation while appealing to entrenched racism and conservatism in the South as the Democratic Party realigned its platform and positions.
The somewhat snide-sounding remark was rather unnecessary. I’m sure the same educated Americans who can look this stuff up also find it improbable to believe 80 years of Jim Crow suddenly vanished with the signing of the Civil Rights Act. (Edit: appears the parent edited out the remark about educated Americans looking this up)
- mythrwy 9y agoYou can infer (or retrofit), but then there is the smug, pro-political non-factual content of the post. I don't consider echoing smugness necessarily snide. Don't insinuate to me all that all educated Americans share your political views and then proceed to back it up with half (or non) facts.
- tacomonstrous 9y agoAre you seriously arguing that bringing up the Democratic party's pro-slavery attitude during the Civil War has some relevance to current day political dynamics?
- mythrwy 9y agoNo, not at all. But I have to know, why in the world would you bother posting such a blatant straw-man on a site frequented by smart people? Cmmon man, you are better than that. I just don't approve of smug ideological loyalty when it leads to promulgating mythology as fact. That's all.
- grzm 9y agoI understand the frustration. In the interest of constructively combating such, I'd encourage you to raise the level of discourse. One option is to steelman, as opposed to tear down a straw man, and discuss in good faith. What do you think they were referring to? What were they trying to convey? I find Rapoport's rules particularly useful, at least as a starting point. https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/03/28/daniel-dennett-rapoport-rules-criticism/ https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/03/28/daniel-dennett-rapo... Help make HN better rather than further contribute to the sniping that all too often passes for discourse on contentious issues.
- mythrwy 9y agoFair enough. The insinuation at which I took offense is forgiven. A Happy Solstice to all and let there be peace in the world.
- tacomonstrous 9y agoWell, that's honestly how I understood what you were saying. What smug ideological loyalty are you arguing against?
- freen 9y agoHere is Lee Atwater, the former Chairman of the Republican Party explains how Republicans can win the vote of racists without sounding racist themselves: https://www.thenation.com/article/exclusive-lee-atwaters-infamous-1981-interview-southern-strategy/ https://www.thenation.com/article/exclusive-lee-atwaters-inf... "You start out in 1954 by saying, “N@%#$r, n@%#$r, n@%#$r.” By 1968 you can’t say “n@%#$r”—that hurts you, backfires. So you say stuff like, uh, forced busing, states’ rights, and all that stuff, and you’re getting so abstract. Now, you’re talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you’re talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is, blacks get hurt worse than whites.… “We want to cut this,” is much more abstract than even the busing thing, uh, and a hell of a lot more abstract than “N@%#$r, n@%#$r.”"