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Comment on Where are all the successful "red cities"?

faythofdragons@slrpnk.net ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

maybe you don’t want internet service, education, connectivity to the modern world, infrastructure, fine

Okay, this is one of those weird assumptions that people have about rural folk that I do not understand. Why does everybody assume that the 2k people living in my town don’t want any of that stuff? It’s one of the barriers I keep running into with the bus service, y’all city folk assume that we don’t want it even though we’re asking for it.

Plus if your strength and independence is so core to your self-image, where is it? Voting for a tantrum to knock everything off the table is no one’s idea of strength.

My town went blue. Most of my neighborhood are noncitizen farm workers who couldn’t vote at all. Assuming all rural areas are stereotypical alabama is frankly insulting. You get a pass, because you don’t live up here, but it’s infuriating when I hear the same bullshit coming out of locals followed with “that’s why I voted against the rural school levy, they don’t deserve it”.

A big difference this article misses is that we want the best for you and will act to improve your life if you meet us half away

Except that’s not showing up in any real way. For example, I’m currently looking at the worker retraining programs, and the closest one is 70 miles away. Why should I not complain about that?

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AA5B@lemmy.world ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

For example, I’m currently looking at the worker retraining programs, and the closest one is 70 miles away

And yet this was one of the major points where Hillary Clinton lost. Part of her platform was greatly expanding job training opportunities. People shit all over that …. While they had a point that those haven’t always worked well in the past, at least it’s something. At least it’s better than the guy lying to everyone’s face with no intention of doing anything.

Why vote Democrat where some people would benefit from job training when you can vote for some blowhard spouting gibberish who will just make your life harder?

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AA5B@lemmy.world ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

Why does everybody assume that the 2k people living in my town don’t want any of that stuff?

I did grow up sort of rural. I do know what it’s like to have fewer people, fewer amenities. But my town always managed to vote for at least good school funding.

But it is all politics. I started from conservative attitude and have gone much more progressive over time. Part of that is moving to a more progressive city and seeing how well it works. But most of my life it’s been “you deserve the same benefits that I have”. The same quality education, connectivity, infrastructure, all the modern amenities that make up a good quality of life. But I keep voting for that when it seems like rural conservative areas are the ones voting against it, those who would most benefit, are most against. Most of my life I could understand where they’re coming from, most of my life I could see the logic. I just can’t anymore. The modern conservative/progressive divide just doesn’t make any sense. Maybe part of it is money. In my conservative phase I cared a lot about being fiscally responsible and there was never enough money to go around. But now I have a better idea where the money comes from. It’s my money. I live in a major city that is the economic life blood of the region in a blue “donor” state that gives more to the nation than it takes. I’m voting to spend my money on your buses, your internet, your renewable energy, your education and job training so we can all benefit and I don’t understand why conservative people shit all Over that.

I also used to be conservative for strong family values, but that really seems performative and inconsistent with what I consider family values. Don’t be all self-righteous with your family values that really don’t seem to value families.

Why should I not complain about that?

You should complain. You deserve better.

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- faythofdragons@slrpnk.net ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  
  I’m voting to spend my money on your buses, your internet, your renewable energy, your education and job training so we can all benefit and I don’t understand why conservative people shit all Over that.
  
  You should complain. You deserve better.
  
  Pick one? We complain, and y’all go off on that whole rant in your second paragraph that boils down to ‘how can you be so ungrateful for all this help I’m giving you’, when we’re not getting help? You understand how frustrating that is, right?
  
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  - AA5B@lemmy.world ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Yet the reason you’re getting none of that is your own conservative flock. I have no idea what you need but I’ll damn well try. Be ungrateful if you want. Turn it down if you want. Reject all hope for the future if you want but then don’t come crying to the rest of us. . But don’t be trying to tear down my world too. Don’t be getting self-righteous about it. Don’t claim its not fiscally conservative when you’re getting more money than you paid in.
    
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    faythofdragons@slrpnk.net ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    I’m sorry, did you miss where I said my town went blue? That I have never voted anything except Democrat? What self-righteousness are you talking about?
    
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