America's red state crisis

[Little Tich]

Source: Christian Science Monitor

There is growing evidence that many Americans – particularly working-class whites in red states – are struggling to survive and have lost faith in the American government's ability to help.

Rutledge, Ga. — There is a question that has puzzled some sociologists for years: If America’s poverty is concentrated in the South, as data clearly show, why is it that those states are the most reliably Republican voters – essentially voting against the government assistance they would seem to need?

This week, there emerged a new and seemingly unrelated question, though similarly perplexing: Why has the mortality rate for middle age white Americans gone up dramatically since 1999 – even as it has gone down for other groups of Americans and whites in other countries?

On some level, it would seem that the answer to both of these questions might be Donald Trump.

For months, the real estate tycoon has sat atop Republican presidential polls to the befuddlement of the political universe. But there is a growing body of evidence that many Americans – particularly white, working-class Americans in red states – are battling against what Princeton University sociologist Paul Starr calls “a dire collapse of hope.”

When Mr. Trump says he want to “make America great again,” his message is resonating far beyond a political slogan into an existential angst for these Americans.

In short, a number of indicators suggest that they are simply struggling to survive and have lost faith in the American government’s ability to do anything about it.

Read more: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2015/1105/America-s-red-state-crisis

[Renew Deal]

1. If "white working class" people in red states lost hope, they should vote for their best interests.

They should vote for the Democrat.

[appalachiablue]

2. K & R. Many serious issues all over especially in the South. Tomorrow night, Fri. Nov. 6

at 8 PM ET, MSNBC will present The First in South Democratic Candidates Forum. MSNBC Commenter Rachel Maddow will moderate the live Forum held at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The 3 leading candidates will be there: former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley.

The sponsor for the debate is the South Carolina Democratic Party, with co-sponsors from the Democratic Parties of 11 other Southern states: AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LS, MS, NC, TN, VA, WV.

Hopefully this event will include much needed discussion of how the Dem. Party can be more effective in the South. Rachel Maddow stated that she will bring up this important issue. There's a LOT of work that needs to be done.

[jwirr]

3. As I read this I feel very confused. The South has the most

poverty. The South continues to vote R. The Rs want to end all poverty programs even Social Security for the elderly. The Rs are systematically destroying the world we used to know. The white male voters feel hopeless. They blame it on the government because it does not work anymore. Their answer is the commit suicide. It sounds like a vicious circle to me.

You know things up north are bad but we are still trying to do something about them. How can people not see that it is a man-made problem? When you continue to vote for people who are working against you things are only going to get worse - not better. When you continually vote for people who do nothing about the problems - climate change, poverty, inequality, injustice, etc. things are only going to get worse - not better.

To keep repeating the same things over and over hoping for a different result is insanity. Are we truly a country that has gone insane.

What is keeping the white males of this study from accepting change?

[Melurkyoulongtime]

4. Yes, it's insane here in the South

But the way a lot of Rs here look at it it's either vote against your best interests or support the commie, Kenyan, Muslim halfbreed I can't even begin to describe to you how much pure and simple racism plays a part in this crap. They're ALWAYS worried that the "other" will get something they "don't deserve" to the point of letting their own kids do without because "they" may get something for "free". Oh, and also "rich people are smart or they wouldn't be rich" *snort*. I'm hoping to leave my home state within the next 6 mos for CO for this exact shit. Like I said in another thread tonight - the stupid is so bad here in TX it burns and I'm sick unto death of it.

[jwirr]

5. That really does sound like nothing is ever going to get fixed.

When you move north keep in mind that we have our share of problems here also but at least we still have many of the programs that help people in poverty.

I really feel sorry for the poor down there. Especially minorities since I have no doubt that they do not even get what they are entitled to when there is a program to help.
Years ago we used to have welfare programs that were state run. When the Feds did some research that is what they found - minorities were denied more often. That is why today we have these programs in the federal government Medicaid etc. and the rules are supposed to be administered evenly.

[stuarttman63]

6. Boy, does this get to the heart of the problem

I'm convinced that the whole right wing extremist oeuvre, against public schools, against welfare, against college assistance, against all government programs, is rooted in racism and the belief that the changing demographics in America must be combatted at all costs. The typical right wing voter is seemingly voting against his or her interests but that is not how that person sees it. In this person's mind, they are striking a blow for white supremacy and "the way things used to be". They had no complaint with the public school system until it was integrated, no problem with Pell Grants and college aid until there were no more segregation in higher education, and no quarrel with public assistance until it became associated with people of color. Racism taints everything in their eyes and it is the prime motivator of how these people think and who they vote for.

[happyslug]

7. Puritans vs slaveholders

Whatever you may think of the Puritans they believed in the concept of community. The Purtains took care of the poor among themselves. At times they would push the poor out, but the Puritains made sure the poor would be taken care of. This characteristic became innate in areas of the U.S. the Puritains settled, mostly northb of the Ohio river. The ruling elite of the Puritans saw it as they duty to take care of the poor.

On the other hand the South told the poor they were on they own, go take lands from the First Americans but do not expect any help from the ruling elite. On the other hand the poor whites were told they had to support the elite, and if they did not the slaves will revolt and kill all of them. Notice the poor whites were told they had to support the ruling elite against African Americans. Thus the elites of the South told the poor whites that they enemy was the African Americans even after slavery. Working with the African Americans would be treason to the white race. In turn the elites of the South kept the poor whites a step above African Americans.

The problem is since Reagan, the position of poor whites have declined to be equal to African Americans. Worse, given immigration from the North, the ruling elite since the 1960s have perferred these "Yankees" for the elite seens them as better workers. This is especially true in the urban areas of the South. Thus white high school graduates from the South are viewed as equal to African Americans but inferior to northern high school graduates. This has lead to a decline in employment among such southern high school graduate who are middle age. This means such men had been long term employed in they 20s and 30s, but now in they 40s and 50s can not find employment. Such long term unemployment at that age of people who had been able to find employment in they younger days leads to an increase in death rates, suicides and other harmful activites.

In the North our culture tends to follow Puritan and Catholic traditions, which favor support for such people. This same traditions also favor provide helping these people finding employment. To a degree you see this in the South but not to the extent you see in the North. This is the best explanation for the increase in death rates of men in their 40sand 50s in the Amwrican South.