www.salon.com/…
Pieces like this make me feel like as a White male from the Pacific northwest I need to actually write about how I feel about issues and the kinds of politics I like because my Identity is VERY NOT southern and actually radically opposed to Southern values.
First and foremost a homage to Internationalism and Foreigners may not be the Worst thing you could possibly do, I'm not Xenoophobic in the least and the reality is at least in regards to Japan, All of europe really even eastern, new zealand and australia I practically salivate at the chance to get to know more about their cultures.
Like most of the research about liberals in Neurology is revealing I have the Liberal love of Novelty as an Autistic this does not mean Food unfortunately due to VERY hypersensitive flavor issues which you've heard about but In practically all other regards I hunger to explore.
newsfeed.time.com/...
I actually consider the lesson of World war 1 and World war 2 to be that isolationism is dangerous. But this doesn’t necessarily mean being militarily involved or being the cop on the beat around the world. Just that American Xenophobia and unwillingness to get involved in the “War in europe” almost cost us everything and nearly destroyed western europe. Do I think America needs to stick it’s nose in the middle east? no. In fact I would tend to oppose the actions it’s been taking in the middle east. I View Waterboarding as torture I view the fact that the united states engaged in Torture as a Recruitment tool for terrorist and support the closing of guantamano bay because I view the bay as a a Threat to America because it is used in their Propaganda as yet another reason to hate us and recruit against us.
In other words while I oppose Isolationism and Xenophobia I also have some Serious problems with the way the united states has conducted it’s Foreign policy in recent years.
I'm EXTREMELY friendly towards Environmentalism and believe in MAN MADE global warming and CONCERNED we need to transition to a clean energy economy.
I am NOT a blue dog because my view on Fiscal issues was seen as heresy by many but I don't think the national debt is a serious problem and don't worry about balancing the budget. Why? because during the recession I leaned into economist and what they were actually saying and learned about the Paradox of Thrift among other things and my vantage point on all of these issues is that during a Recession even if the debt level is sky high doesn't matter you don't cut spending you increase it even if it pushes you further into debt and ONLY raise taxes or cut spending AFTER you're out of the recession.
I’m TURNED off VERY strongly by american exceptionalism and KNOW america is not the greatest country in the world but I would be receptive to efforts to try to make it better.
I consider the knd of patritoism that demands we view america as “perfect’ to be Patriots to be actually a betrayal to what patriotism is all about because a LOYAL patriot would try to improve their homeland and the first step to solving any problem is to admit it exist.
I’m NOT Pro-Business, God, I’ve had moments in my life where I’ve read Adbusters and wanted to get involved in the Brandalism they’re up to
I’m not explicitly entirely opposed to capitalism on first principle but I’ve definately had anti-corporate moments and have some anti-corporate sentiments.
So in other words while I’m not explictly blindly hostile to all business interest I wouldn’t call myself Pro-Business for anything because I definately have Some anti-corporate views.
I hate the South, I am not Even remotely religious not by the longest and furthest shot and if I were at all religious I’d call myself Wiccan or Pagan.
and no, not christian witches. Pagan. Pure. As in 100% and 0.00000% christian.
But my Views on The south could be pretty much summarized assuch, even though I could EASILY live in it and survive there I hate their politics.
and I’m Honestly SICK to FUCKING DEATH of these F***ing SOUTHERNERS dominating EVERYTHING about american politics. I mean good god clintons strategy boils down to a southern firewall?
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t oppose the very principles of democracy- The fact is that I’m friendly to Democracy.
My problem is that the south has wielded disportionate influence over american politics for FAR too long.
They have TOO MUCH representaiton while the REST of us Have TOO little.
Furthermore almost ALL of the population lives within 100 miles of the coast in this country but in spite of the Republcians successfully managing to campaign on fears of “flyover” country WE’RE the ones that end up disenfranchized by all of this bullshit.
And almost EVERY time I turn on the news or talk about politics these days it’s about How Bill Clinton was from Fucking arkansas and the democrats have to nominate one of their Good ole Southern boys.
When I was in Florida when I told people I was from Portland they were always like “Maine?”
NO.
Sometimes I feel like most of america forgets those of us Over in the northwest EXIST on a pretty frequent basis.
which is Why I find myself VERY much sympathetic with the Cascadia Secession movement because honestly they take us for granted.
Alas it’s Unlikely to actually happen but needless to say the Politics of the city I live in portlandtribune.com/…
Feel FAR More representative than where I felt elsewhere. I mean hell up in Seatle:
Nothing quiet Like Kshama getting elected in seatle to remind me that I am a Cascadian and just how deeply cascadian Influences run through my blood.
I was Born at St Vincents Hospital in Portland, Oregon.
I’ve been annoyed at the Blue dogs Since the Recession because they were the Deficit Hawks that were squaking like crazy about lowering the deficit and balancing the budget when the stimulus was too small it needed to be bigger the society for civil engineers says we need 3.6 trillion to repair our crumbling infrastructure and WHAT MAKES MATTERS WORSE is that CHINA and ASIA are KICKING our ASSES building BETTER infrastructure while we SIT here OBSTRUCTED by Republicans
www.theguardian.com/…
america has historically made TERRIBLE malinvestments it’s investor classes imcompetence is a Chicken WAITING to come home to roost.
My Father, my DAD? He’s an IT Professional, WHITE COLLAR. One of the reasons we are Democrats instead of republicans is that we PERSONALLY Witnessed People who live and work in the upper tiers of the corporate infrastrccutre GIVE the jobs to people in India and China.
So when donald trump talks for instance about howchina “Steals american jobs’ it enrages me because of the dishonesty: they won’t Admit that white people who live and work for wall street firms and likely live on the expensive side of new york city WILLINGLY SOUGHT OUT CHINESE and INDIAN workers to FIRE the Americans working them and GIVE them to the Chinese and Indians and you know, people in the third world.
He was a Programmer- he worked for IBM and Disney and Sat and watched the outsourcing projects.
So yeah, I have some economic resentments but they’re not the typical variety you hear about so much these days.
Like trump demonizing the mexicans south of the border, Fact is that I don’t even have Anti-chinese sentiments.
My Sentiments are Anti-Greed. Corporations who Hire Foregin labor because it’s cheaper and worship the bottom line in the global race to the bottom
In other words “White solidarity” is a Joke to people as enlightened and awake as we are. Our enemies are other white people with far more money than us.
And we know it. They weren’t stolen by Mexicans, Not blacks, Nor the Chinese.
Wall street investors GAVE them to them
More over the Investment class has made critical errors and malinvestments, case in point? www.cio.com/…
The fact is with the Fetishism for the Hip and New within IT all the investment dropped off on Legacy stuff.
The same problem applies to our infrastructure. It’s not “sexy” and nobody gets to cut Ribbons for repairing it to shoot photo ops.
but it needs to be repaired.
So when the Deficit Hawks start Squaking I wish I had my metaphorical hunting rifle to to speak, not literal, to shoot one of the sky and then Ramp up spending where it was needed in spite of them.
