A Revolution from Above, to Empower the Already Powerful
This is an interesting argument. The opening frame is worth hearing; the rest is impossible given the structures of power, so you can stop whenever you want once he starts talking about the Ivy Leagues. Harvard and Yale and Duke may burn in a revolution, but they will never roll over in the way he discusses.
There seems to be a great deal of resentment of people who work with their hands, or at least, didn't go to college...but who are still doing well financially.
That category would include, for example, pipeline welders.
See my post Living in the Hate of the Common People:
Great article. I am one of those who works with their hands, carpenter for 40+ years. I went to college in 1980, but was more interested in partying than studying. WCU, where I went for a short time, was one of the top party schools in the nation, #3 after Penn State and maybe a Big Ten school.
Several of my contemporaries who graduated into the malaise that was the end of Carter and beginning of Reagan, couldn't find work in their fields after graduation so they ended up working in construction in the resort town nearby. Some of them ended as or more successful than if they had worked in their original field.
That is a nice piece. I'm not sure why they hate ordinary people so much. It's a strange dislocation, to live in a country you grew up in but that you know nothing about and are terrified of having about you.
The problem with our modern society, with all of its intermingling of social and political issues and all of its connectivity, is that it is nearly impossible to put any distance on the day-by-day gestalt. We're inundated in a relentless way by the focus on these issues, and it's very difficult to get far enough away from them to reflect and put them into proper perspective. So most people, too busy to be able to turn away, simply select - by default - the option that aligns with the simple majority of their views. Hence, polarization.
The ruling classes are scared to death that the educated masses that work for a living and are moderately successful, can see through the patter what they're really up to, and will finally do something about it besides putting up with it.
There seems to be a great deal of resentment of people who work with their hands, or at least, didn't go to college...but who are still doing well financially.
ReplyDeleteThat category would include, for example, pipeline welders.
See my post Living in the Hate of the Common People:
https://ricochet.com/848711/living-in-the-hate-of-the-common-people/
Great article. I am one of those who works with their hands, carpenter for 40+ years. I went to college in 1980, but was more interested in partying than studying. WCU, where I went for a short time, was one of the top party schools in the nation, #3 after Penn State and maybe a Big Ten school.
DeleteSeveral of my contemporaries who graduated into the malaise that was the end of Carter and beginning of Reagan, couldn't find work in their fields after graduation so they ended up working in construction in the resort town nearby. Some of them ended as or more successful than if they had worked in their original field.
Also, Hate of the Common People, Continued:
ReplyDeletehttps://ricochet.com/868187/living-in-the-hate-of-the-common-people-continued/
That is a nice piece. I'm not sure why they hate ordinary people so much. It's a strange dislocation, to live in a country you grew up in but that you know nothing about and are terrified of having about you.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with our modern society, with all of its intermingling of social and political issues and all of its connectivity, is that it is nearly impossible to put any distance on the day-by-day gestalt. We're inundated in a relentless way by the focus on these issues, and it's very difficult to get far enough away from them to reflect and put them into proper perspective. So most people, too busy to be able to turn away, simply select - by default - the option that aligns with the simple majority of their views. Hence, polarization.
ReplyDeleteThe ruling classes are scared to death that the educated masses that work for a living and are moderately successful, can see through the patter what they're really up to, and will finally do something about it besides putting up with it.