Why Rednecks May Rule the World

[big_homey]

By Joe Bageant
Author of Deerhunting With Jesus

news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_7600000/7600592.stm

During this US election cycle we are hearing a lot from the pundits and candidates about "heartland voters," and "white working class voters."

What they are talking about are rednecks. But in their political correctness, media types cannot bring themselves to utter the word "redneck." So I'll say it for them: redneck-redneck-redneck-redneck.
Delegates from Texas at the Republican National Convention
Like a Texas cowboy - delegates hang on every word

The fact is that we American rednecks embrace the term in a sort of proud defiance. To us, the term redneck indicates a culture we were born in and enjoy. So I find it very interesting that politically correct people have taken it upon themselves to protect us from what has come to be one of our own warm and light hearted terms for one another.

[And let's face it, there's plenty to look down on. By any tasteful standard, we ain't a pretty people. ]

On the other hand, I can quite imagine their concern, given what's at stake in the upcoming election. We represent at least a third of all voters and no US president has ever been elected without our support.



[....]



American ethos

The term redneck indicates a lifestyle and culture that can be found in every state in our union. The essentials of redneck culture were brought to America by what we call the Scots Irish, after first being shipped to the Ulster Plantation, where our, uh, remarkable cultural legacy can still be seen every 12 July in Ireland.

Ultimately, the Scots Irish have had more of an effect on the American ethos than any other immigrant group. Here are a few you will recognize:

* Belief that no law is above God's law, not even the US Constitution.

* Hyper patriotism. A fighting defence of native land, home and heart, even when it is not actually threatened: ie, Iraq, Panama, Grenada, Somalia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Vietnam, Haiti and dozens more with righteous operations titles such as Enduring Freedom, Restore Hope, and Just Cause.

* A love of guns and tremendous respect for the warrior ideal. Along with this comes a strong sense of fealty and loyalty. Fealty to wartime leaders, whether it be FDR or George Bush.

* Self effacement, humility. We are usually the butt of our own jokes, in an effort not to appear aloof among one another.

* Belief that most things outside our own community and nation are inferior and threatening, that the world is jealous of the American lifestyle.

* Personal pride in equality. No man, however rich or powerful, is better than me.

* Perseverance and belief in hard work. If a man or a family is poor, it is because they did not work hard enough. God rewards those who work hard enough. So does the American system.

* The only free country in the world is the United States, and the only reason we ever go to war is to protect that freedom.

All this has become so deeply instilled as to now be reflexive. It represents many of the worst traits in American culture and a few of the best.

And that has every thinking person here in the US, except perhaps John McCain and Sarah Palin, worried.

Very worried.

news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_7600000/7600592.stm




I am very worried. What about you?

[kchoya]

I'm confused. Who's worried about what?

[hifigator]

I think that is pretty much hitting the nail on the head.

The "redneck" culture has certain identifying qualities -- some presumed good, some presumed bad. And for that matter, some are very real and some are nothing more than stereotypes.


In general this list would typically describe "rednecks:"


Good:
Live in smaller towns
Work outdoors
Enjoy hunting and fishing
Know more about fixing stuff (handyman type stuff, or vehicles)
Thinks very positively of the Military

Neutral:
Drive trucks
Enjoy NASCAR
Drink Beer

Bad:
Lower Educated
Very quick to fight
Smoke Marlboro or Winston
Not as eloquent
Not as familiar with the Arts



Obviously this isn't a comprehensive list, nor would every characteristis apply to every individual, but I think it is reasonable to suggest that on average the list is correct.


I think that it ultimately goes hand-in-hand with much of the political scale. The "city folk" often look down to a degree at the "hicks." They focus on the "negative" qualities, pointing out the lack of higher education, citing limited vocabulary and improper sentence structure for example.

Similarly, many country folk, think somewhat negatively of city folk. They consider them snobs, who look down on their lifestyle.

Not surprisingly, country folk vote largely republican and big city folk almost always vote democrat.

At least from my perspective, I think there has been a change during my lifetime. Maybe I'm wrong, but "redneck" had a more negative connotation when I was growing up than it does now. Being called a "redneck" was considered an insult 20 or 25 years ago, but as the article points out, it is almost considered a badge of honor now. I think that is a very accurate observation.

[Filo]

Not sure about your definitions of good, neutral and bad, Hifi. According to whom? I mean, what is inherently "good" about living in a smaller town? Seems as stereotypical as a "big-city" person looking down on a "small-city redneck." And speaking of looking down, I would remove "Enjoy Nascar" from your neutral and add it to a new category called "Worst." ;D

[DFW HOYA]

Sloppy commentary by the author. Scots-Irish (otherwise known as Protestants with British-sounding surnames) are nationwide and not restricted to a region or an income group. Scots-Irish varies from Bill Clinton and Andrew Jackson to Jimmy Stewart and Theodore Roosevelt, from Arnold Palmer to Neil Armstrong.

The author disparages these traits, but these traits have built a mighty nation. Middle America need not be disparaged to accomodate a self-described Marxist.

www.joebageant.com/joe/about_joe.html

(Maybe he's just angry he's not in the redwood tree at Berkeley.)

[Bando]

Sept 9, 2008 12:05:53 GMT -5 DFW HOYA said:

Sloppy commentary by the author. Scots-Irish (otherwise known as Protestants with British-sounding surnames) are nationwide and not from the South. He disparages these traits, but they have built the nation. Small-town America need not be disparaged to accomodate this author's Berkeley-centric opinions.

(And no one in Wasilla is sitting in a redwood tree to protest a construction project.)

This liberal environmentalist thinks the Berkeley hippies are morons more interested in waging a proxy fight with "global capitalism" than protecting the environment. The environmentally-friendly route is building densely in urban areas, which is exactly what the campus is doing and is what exactly the hippies oppose.

Yes, I'm a liberal atheist environmentalist who hates hippies. Your mind, it is blown.

[hifigator]

Sept 9, 2008 12:15:32 GMT -5 Bando said:

Sept 9, 2008 12:05:53 GMT -5 DFW HOYA said:

Sloppy commentary by the author. Scots-Irish (otherwise known as Protestants with British-sounding surnames) are nationwide and not from the South. He disparages these traits, but they have built the nation. Small-town America need not be disparaged to accomodate this author's Berkeley-centric opinions.

(And no one in Wasilla is sitting in a redwood tree to protest a construction project.)

This liberal environmentalist thinks the Berkeley hippies are morons more interested in waging a proxy fight with "global capitalism" than protecting the environment. The environmentally-friendly route is building densely in urban areas, which is exactly what the campus is doing and is what exactly the hippies oppose.

Yes, I'm a liberal atheist environmentalist who hates hippies. Your mind, it is blown.

I hate environmentalists and atheists, but I get along fine with hippies, even though we rarely agree. Imagine that. All kidding aside, I think in a slight degree, "hippie" is a term much like "redneck," in that it used to have more of a negative hint to it. We all know it was basically the flower children exeriencing the sexual revolution, enjoying assorted mind altering substances and basically not doing much of anything. Contrary to many of the fears from back then, many of these grown up hippies are now "normal" people in society. That much I think they got right. I have several friends who proudly call themselves "grown up hippie from the 60's."


Filo: I didn't mean to imply that things on the "good" list are improvements over the alternative, just that they have some positive quality. Similarly, things on the "bad" list have some negative quality. Not that they are exclusively bad.

And accordingly, the neutral list has items that really have neither a positive nor a negative implication. You may not like Nascar, but it isn't "bad." I don't think much for figure skating myself, but it isn't "bad." I just don't enjoy it. The same could be said of ballet or opera. Not surprisingly, such "artsy" activities are considered "high society" among certain people who look down on rednecks and Nascar. See what I mean? The attitude of the individual on either side can be "bad," but the activity itself isn't.

[hoya9797]

I'm a conservative, Republican atheist who likes hippies. Imagine that. Anyway, back to the discussion.

[HoyaSinceBirth]

hifi your list is way off, this is more like it:

Good:

Know more about fixing stuff (handyman type stuff, or vehicles)


Neutral:
Drive trucks
Enjoy NASCAR
Drink Beer
Live in smaller towns
Work outdoors
Enjoy hunting and fishing

Bad:
Lower Educated
Very quick to fight
Smoke Marlboro or Winston
Not as eloquent
Not as familiar with the Arts
Thinks very positively of the Military

[hifigator]

sincebirth, I don't think support for the military should be on the "bad" list.

As for things like living in smaller towns and working outdoors, it isn't that there's anything "bad" about the alternative, but there are good things to say for them.

[vcjack]

The only thing worse than a self hating redneck is a boring one


I prefer to have my arguments presented to me in video clip form

[EasyEd]

The article cited at the beginning of this thread was obviously written by someone who was not a "redneck"/"heartland voter". It is well-written and thoughtful, the antithesis of what he ascribes to the redneck so his method defeats his message. Furthermore, the people he links together under his heading may joke among themselves and call themselves rednecks, but they drip with resentment when someone else peers down their nose at them and calls them rednecks and makes fun of them. To the elites of the country, it's a sin to disparage African Americans, gays. Jews, Muslims and other "protected" classes but it's acceptable to poke fun at rednecks, Evangelical Christians and blondes.

[HoyaSinceBirth]

I read think's positively of the military in a different light than supports the troops. There's a difference. I think supporting the troops is good. I think supporting the military complex and our use of it lately as bad things.

and that's why those things belong in the neutral collum. The remaining good quality is in good because there is only good things to be said about them.

what are the good things about living in a smaller town unless you're extrapalating and assuming that living in a smaller town means that you act and beleive certain things that people who living in big cities don't.

[hifigator]

sincebirth, big cities have things to say for them: more museums, concerts, cultural events etc... They have larger airports allowing more travel options. Of course they have more restaurants to choose from etc.. But most small towns have a general friendliness to them. People tend to know each other more often and therefore are more social. Crime tends to not be nearly the problem that big -- especially inner -- cities have. You generally are left alone a lot more in rural areas than cities. You have more freedoms in rural areas typically. Also, traffic isn't as bad in the country and the air is generally cleaner.

Whether you like the theory or not, in cities you have more "stakeholders" and therefore more things to consider. Accordingly, you have more restrictions. Personally I think that is a negative, but such is the trade off for being in a larger city.

That was all I was saying. I think that living in a small town can certainly be a positive, but that doesn't mean the opposite is a bad thing. Toby Keith has a song that describes it well. I don't know the name of it, but here are some of the lyrics:

"If it's so great in the city, why don't anybody smile?"

"stuck in traffic and the air ain't fit to breath ..."

"it might not work for you; but it works for me."

[hoya9797]

The thought of living in a small town makes me sick. The idea that living in a small town is a positive is so foreign to me that we might as well be speaking different languages.

[kchoya]

Sept 9, 2008 15:21:37 GMT -5 hoya9797 said:

The thought of living in a small town makes me sick. The idea that living in a small town is a positive is so foreign to me that we might as well be speaking different languages.

I feel sorry for you. You're missing out on a lot.

[hoya9797]

I grew up in a small town. I know exactly what I'm missing and you can keep it.

[Bando]

This might sound crazy, but how about everyone lives where they are happiest? If you like the city, live in the city. If you like a small town, live in a small town. Do we really need to have a competition?

[HoyaSinceBirth]

My point is just that both cities and small towns have good and bad aspects which is why I'd probably put it in the neutral list as I would with cities. I like many of the things you applaud about small town's and I enjoy them a lot. I have nothing against small town's I just feel like it's a pretty neutral aspect overall.

Whereas Knowing how to be handy and fix stuff is inherently good and there's nothing negative about it. there are negative's about small town life.

[hifigator]

sincebirth, I see where the confusion comes from. I totally agree that both big cities and little towns have something to offer their citizens. My point was WRT the "redneck." See what I mean? That list is of typical "rednecks," and then how that quality relates to them, not to me or you. In general, for those who live in rural areas, they consider it a positive to hunt and fish. They consider it a positive to be able to fix their own car or repair their own fence. Then some typical stereortypes are that they drink beer -- as opposed to wine for example. They drive more trucks. They tend to not have as much upper level education. For whatever reason, they smoke Marlboro and Winston almost exclusively. There aren't too many Camel or Benson Hedges smokers in the country. And so forth. So I guess the key is that it's really a combination: some things are clearly "bad," in that they are very harmful. Cig smoking is one such area. I guess you could put drinking beer in that category as well, but I was really meaning drinking beer as opposed to wine, cosmopolitans, martinis etc... -- the city drinks.