4 ms·

"Texas" isn't a person. There are lots of individuals in Texas who are as liberal and eco-minded as any coastal California hippie. And they're suffering right a

"Texas" isn't a person. There are lots of individuals in Texas who are as liberal and eco-minded as any coastal California hippie. And they're suffering right along with the rednecks. And before you say "just move," life situations and budgets don't always allow for that. So, yes, maybe Gov. Abbott deserves to suffer, and maybe some oil execs do too, but there's plenty of righteous and undeserving people in Texas who never benefited from the fossil fuel industry, but are having to bear the consequences anyway.

toomuchtodo 3y ago
Nothing can be done for the people who choose to stay (people who want to move north but can’t afford to can be provided assistance, both direct cash and logistical). The climate change trajectory is already locked in; arguing with a freight train bearing down on you seems unproductive. We’re just arguing over a quantity of suffering, death, and fiat that is going to be incurred over a window of time at this point. (Have older extended family in Victoria, Texas that refuses to move; they’re one summer AC failure away from death)
jayski 3y ago
I wonder if the word "redneck" will ever be considered a slur. If it's meant to mean a person of right leaning ideologies I guess that's fine, but most of the time it means a poor person of low education who happens to be from flyover country. It wouldnt be appropriate to have a word for that same person if they were from the east or west coast regardless of race.
- the_third_wave 3y ago
  > If it's meant to mean a person of right leaning ideologies I guess that's fine, but most of the time it means a poor person of low education who happens to be from flyover country. It is quite amazing how you in a single sentence manage to say it is fine to slur people with 'right-leaning ideologies' while also using the coastal term 'flyover country' for those areas which the coastal elites assume to be good for nothing more than growing the food they eat but nothing else and certainly not worth visiting - your coastal elite colours are shining through but in contrast to Cindy Lauper's song they are not beautiful. Believe it or not but there is a lot to be learned and gained from those 'right-leaning ideologies', especially for those coastal elites who use terms like 'flyover country'. Society works best when conservatives (or 'right-wing ideologies') and progressives (or 'left-wing ideologies') keep each other in check to avoid excessive Californication or dogmatic stagnation.
  - jayski 3y ago
    I think we went off course a little, English is not my first language and I don't live in the US. I thought flyover country was a non offensive way of saying everything between the coasts. I apologize if I got that wrong. Also I'm personally not left or right,I see a lot of value in some conservative ideas. What I meant is if the word redneck referred to a conservative I don't find it offensive precisely because there's nothing wrong about being a conservative, whereas being poor or not having had access to (quality?) education is clearly a hardship that we should not mock.
- explaininjs 3y ago
  Redneck is already considered a slur by many who use it. But happily the people who it refers to don’t tend to give a damn what coastal elites/city slickers think of them. In fact they often rejoice in the rejection.
- kgwxd 3y ago
  I know very smart, fly-over state born and raised, right leaning individuals, I don't know anyone that calls them rednecks. It's meant to mean uneducated, violent, rapey, racist, fake religious, fake patriot, asshole. The aforementioned people even use the "slur" themselves. Calling a duck a duck shouldn't be a source of controversy.
ndsipa_pomu 3y ago
> there's plenty of righteous and undeserving people in Texas who never benefited from the fossil fuel industry, but are having to bear the consequences anyway That's also going to apply to a lot of people around the world when faced with changing weather patterns and rising sea levels.

toomuchtodo 3y ago

Nothing can be done for the people who choose to stay (people who want to move north but can’t afford to can be provided assistance, both direct cash and logistical). The climate change trajectory is already locked in; arguing with a freight train bearing down on you seems unproductive. We’re just arguing over a quantity of suffering, death, and fiat that is going to be incurred over a window of time at this point. (Have older extended family in Victoria, Texas that refuses to move; they’re one summer AC failure away from death)

jayski 3y ago

I wonder if the word "redneck" will ever be considered a slur. If it's meant to mean a person of right leaning ideologies I guess that's fine, but most of the time it means a poor person of low education who happens to be from flyover country. It wouldnt be appropriate to have a word for that same person if they were from the east or west coast regardless of race.

the_third_wave 3y ago
> If it's meant to mean a person of right leaning ideologies I guess that's fine, but most of the time it means a poor person of low education who happens to be from flyover country. It is quite amazing how you in a single sentence manage to say it is fine to slur people with 'right-leaning ideologies' while also using the coastal term 'flyover country' for those areas which the coastal elites assume to be good for nothing more than growing the food they eat but nothing else and certainly not worth visiting - your coastal elite colours are shining through but in contrast to Cindy Lauper's song they are not beautiful. Believe it or not but there is a lot to be learned and gained from those 'right-leaning ideologies', especially for those coastal elites who use terms like 'flyover country'. Society works best when conservatives (or 'right-wing ideologies') and progressives (or 'left-wing ideologies') keep each other in check to avoid excessive Californication or dogmatic stagnation.
- jayski 3y ago
  I think we went off course a little, English is not my first language and I don't live in the US. I thought flyover country was a non offensive way of saying everything between the coasts. I apologize if I got that wrong. Also I'm personally not left or right,I see a lot of value in some conservative ideas. What I meant is if the word redneck referred to a conservative I don't find it offensive precisely because there's nothing wrong about being a conservative, whereas being poor or not having had access to (quality?) education is clearly a hardship that we should not mock.
explaininjs 3y ago
Redneck is already considered a slur by many who use it. But happily the people who it refers to don’t tend to give a damn what coastal elites/city slickers think of them. In fact they often rejoice in the rejection.
kgwxd 3y ago
I know very smart, fly-over state born and raised, right leaning individuals, I don't know anyone that calls them rednecks. It's meant to mean uneducated, violent, rapey, racist, fake religious, fake patriot, asshole. The aforementioned people even use the "slur" themselves. Calling a duck a duck shouldn't be a source of controversy.

ndsipa_pomu 3y ago

> there's plenty of righteous and undeserving people in Texas who never benefited from the fossil fuel industry, but are having to bear the consequences anyway That's also going to apply to a lot of people around the world when faced with changing weather patterns and rising sea levels.