“Distaste for America runs so deep that, for example, at the recent World Cup in Germany the American team was the only one asked not to display its national flag on the team bus. In South Korea, traditionally a U.S. ally, two-thirds of people under 30 said in a recent poll that if there were war between North Korea and the United States, they would side with North Korea.”
Today is my older, very redneck, very conservative brother’s birthday. He sent me an email on my birthday a few weeks ago and I wanted to do the same for him.
The problem is that my happy little missive keeps devolving into a political tirade.
How’s my family? Well we spend entirely too much money on lawyers to patch together protections for each other and to protect our son should something happen to one of us. Also our relationship is used to frighten red-staters like yourself and to distract from the economic and foreign policy disasters of the current administration.
When I see the national debt climbing and the current administration bullying our allies and threatening others I just get furious. I have no patience for republicans any more. The national divide has never been so great in our country. There’s not even a gesture of conciliation any more. Our only hope is for moderate republicans to retake their party or for democrats to regain control of the presidency, congress, or the supreme court.
So yes, my brother I do blame you. I don’t like being angry but I don’t see any other choice. We can’t afford to be silent any more. The stakes are too high.
4 comments:
I have one of these relatives too, my sister. The current administration is absolved of all wrongdoing in her eyes solely based on the fact that G.W. Bush is a "Christian". She has provided me with some frightening insight into what these crazy zealots taking over our country really feel about things that are different from them or that they don't understand. They are all smiles and "love" to your face but will gladly send us (and anyone else who disagrees with them) to a gas chamber as soon as some laws can be put into effect. These are very dark and scary times!
byg, I agree completely.
alessandro, the coasts are very liberal and will likely remain so. It's the middle of the country that remains a challenge. The area you are considering is great.
I get the sense that Italy has a bit of a problem with the whole machismo thing. There seems to be a narrow idea of what it means to be masculine. There's also that whole catholic, religious oppression. / just my very surface interpretation, you may have a different idea
To the fabulous Brian,
Can I nitpick a minute? Not the whole middle of the country is conservative, just as not all of the coasts are liberal (Virginia Beach, parts of Florida, Orange County, CA).
I'm sure you realize this. I know my MinnesotaLuv is hard to understand for some but, believe me, I wouldn't have it if this was in any way a conservative place (granted, there are plenty of places in "outstate" Minnesota that are, but that's true in "outstate" California and New York as well).
This mostly pointless post was brought to you by Moncrief Speaks.
I know you were just making a broad generalization in interest of space and to make a valid point about the many non-conservative places in this country, and would probably acknowledge as much.
Love your letter to your brother!
Mon, no worries hen.
I was speaking more to the Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas group. No doubt even there there's probably pockets of liberalism in maybe Tulsa or definitely Austin.
Unfortuntately our system is the winner takes all approach which unfairly weights say a Wyoming voter over a DC voter.
I once saw a map that shaded the country between red and blue using the last election's votes and it did present a more realistic indicator of our country's attitudes.
Aaaanyway, yes I was ranting.
Post a Comment