October
26th 2012
Posted under Conservatism & NeoCons & Paleoconservatism & Political Philosophy & The South
Writing in the New York Times, psychologist Steven Pinker shares his observations about the political differences between Red states and Blue states. Is it nature or is it nurture? From Rebellion.
Matt Weber on 26 Oct 2012 at 3:53 pm #
I think Pinker far overthinks what seems to me to be obvious. The Red States are red because rural and suburban whites have acquired subconsciously the idea that the “left”, politically represented by the Democrats, is fundamentally against them and their ways of life. Not just in the sense of opposing this or that supposedly “hateful” custom or tradition, but holistically, in the sense that leftists no longer want them around at all.
You see this in various ways: Racial and religious diversity promoted through immigration and affirmative action; Liberation movements targeted at women and maybe even children; economic policies aimed at outsourcing jobs and pushing wages down to prevent single-earner families; social issues like abortion and gay marriage imposed from above with no local dissent tolerated; forced subsidization of the indigent and undeserving via redistributionist programs; constant denigration of historical america for sins of racism, xenophobia, sexism, homophobia, etc.; reflexive denunciation of “Islamophobia” for even mild opposition to Islam…
I could go on and on, but the sense in the red states is that the Democrats and their constituents are wholly against anyone who represents what America traditionally has been, and will stop at nothing to finally eliminate this bothersome population from their territory. Very few people will say this outright, but it is there.
Incidentally, the constant haranguing about the South’s high crime rates is annoying. This is almost entirely due to the high black population, who don’t vote along red state lines, so much so that you would have to be trying to miss this fact not to notice it.
Nate Weinstein on 27 Oct 2012 at 1:15 am #
Matt Weber,
You are correct about the left wing hippies always denouncing any support of opposing radical Islam through the War on Terror as “Islamophobes”. The fact is those of us on the right know that Islam is a religion of piece and the vast majority of Muslims support America. As true conservatives, we only oppose the radical terrorist Muslims like Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden.
Nate Weinstein on 27 Oct 2012 at 3:35 am #
poop
HarrisonBergeron2 on 27 Oct 2012 at 6:20 pm #
Matt Weber,
That’s an interesting point. However, Vermont is rural, though thoroughly liberal. They even have a socialist senator.
I’d say the difference is due to the Danelaw immigration history that Fisher documented.
savrola on 29 Oct 2012 at 3:40 pm #
.
Nate Weinstein on 31 Oct 2012 at 2:13 am #
At a loss for words, eh savrola?