Einherjar86
Active Member
But how did the Rust Belt voters show their frustration? Voting. I'm not a big fan of democracy either, but marching to the voting both is a more direct path to change than chanting and holding signs, or listening to speakers. It doesn't have to be leftists, but that particular format ("marches") seems to be a leftist thing for whatever reason.
Just let people march if that's what they want to do, why do you have to mock people for it?
Women do not have it worse than men in the US, currently, as a group. They live longer, are more educated, didn't experience the same loss of jobs as men during the "Recession", have preferential treatment under the law when in disputes with men, and even make more money (if under 30). They also are not under any sort of threat of reversal of this situation.
Compare this with Rust Belters as a group: Dying earlier, less educated, having their industries hollowed out over 2-3 decades by trade deals and regulations, and increasingly poor. Yes, I sympathize with people with problems. There's nothing left-right about it.
Women do have it worse than men, in several respects.
It's a political position either way, for me and for you. Women have made measurable strides over the past hundred years or so, but that doesn't mean they have it better off, and it doesn't mean that cultural attitudes toward women are exactly enlightened. An example would be the way that women are talked about and treated within predominantly male careers, or the way that business culture perceives women and constructs expectations regarding their behavior at work. In my opinion, this is just as important as everything you mentioned.
But I'm sure that comment will incite a backlash from you and maybe others, and I don't at all feel like having that discussion.
I would be equally disdainful of a march if Hillary was in office, so if there's political bias, it's not specifically turned at marchers because of their politics. They offer a feeling of belonging, but functionally it merely dissipates energy. I'm not sure there's a way to categorically dismiss marches without appearing condescending but if so, I apologize.
You could start by just not getting so frustrated by the fact that people are marching. I'm not sure what the problem is--especially since, as I'm saying, your characterization of people there doesn't seem accurate to me.
It's not accusatory. I'm saying transcendence is something that appears to be commonly desired, if not necessary, for human happiness. This is why Western institutions appear to be beginning to flounder, they lack anything remotely transcendent.
I don't think that's convincing, although I do of course agree that plenty of people want to believe in some kind of more profound meaning. But I think you can also argue that plenty of people do exhibit confidence in the transcendence of their beliefs, or politics, or behavior, what have you. I just think some people's transcendent motivations are in conflict with others'.
In other words, maybe we have too many people who believe too much in the transcendence of their values.
Which elements work?
Distribution of wealth works, depending on the degree and mechanism.
I'm all for welfare programs and various institutions responsible for public funding. I think they need to be combined with market practices though.
Speaking of political bias, would you similarly say that elements of Nazism work? How about Fascism?
How can I say "yes" and not be taken for a sympathizer?
But yes, all political programs succeed or fail based on a balance of principles. Nationalism works, as Dak has argued before--but you can have nationalism without racially motivated internment and genocide.