Is this the true face of the USA?

[Nyotarules]

You might disagree with the writer's political conclusion but is he/she telling the truth?

https://www.rawstory.com/2018/02/in...ian-white-america-dark-terrifying-underbelly/

 

[Australis]

Pretty interesting.

 

[urbandefault]

It's an opinion piece. No more, no less.

 

[1001001]

I would not say it's the "true face" of America.

I would say it's the biggest problem in America.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Quite interesting.

Till those core values and beliefs change or something can challenge them nothing will change. It's pretty damn chilling.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

From this foreigner's perpective, it confirms my belief that much of rural America appears to have an inflexible, fundamentalist belief system not dissimilar to the Taliban or current Iranian models. However, it is probably too much of a generalisation. Having been unsuccessfully subject to indoctrination by a similar religious mindset in the UK, I know that some of us are able to see through the bullshit. For me, reading about science and the scientific method from books in the public library was crucial. Perhaps what is required is subtle yet pervasive dripfeed of disguised scientific propaganda to subvert their rigid belief system. Not sure how to achieve that though as I'm insufficiently skilled in the tools to manipulate mass psychology (the Russians seem to have it nailed). Being outwardly confrontational like Richard Dawkins just won't cut it.

 

[BillJ]

Nothing in the article that most folks don't already know.

From this foreigner's perpective, it confirms my belief that much of rural America appears to have an inflexible, fundamentalist belief system not dissimilar to the Taliban or current Iranian models. However, it is probably too much of a generalisation. Having been unsuccessfully subject to indoctrination by a similar religious mindset in the UK, I know that some of us are able to see through the bullshit.

My wife is from a Christian home in the Alabama countryside. She is now as liberal and feminist as they come.

 

[Nyotarules]

Reading this and placing such real world attitudes of religious extremism and bigotry be it Christian , Muslim or whatever in a fictional world I can see why it takes a damaging World War III, breakdown of national governments plus an alien 'invasion' for the majority of humanity to get over such attitudes. I am trying to imagine how such mindsets would handle the Star Trek universe and First Contact. Would they see it as the end of the world and commit mass suicide, or the second coming of Jesus or view the Vulcans as the AntiChrist and the beginning of Armageddon?

 

[Pingfah]

It's an aspect of the USA, but not its "true face".

 

[1001001]

They are in a way analogous to the Taliban or any other fundamentalist group. The belief is almost irrelevant, it’s the process. Unquestioning, self-righteous...

As modern society advances, primarily through science, their beliefs are proven false. This has been happening since the first guy climbed Mt. Olympus and found no one there.

But their fear and ignorance cannot allow them to accommodate new information. Their beliefs are immutable, regardless of what is shown to be real. The universe is 6000 years old, Noah built an ark, all that stuff.

The only way to make it right is to attack science, logic, reason, as tools of the Devil. False attempts to trick the faithful, to tempt them away from God.

Some of them (most?) would be perfectly happy if I and my tree hugging secular humanist brethren in California would break off and fall into the sea.

 

[urbandefault]

It might surprise some to learn that, even in rural America, there are all kinds of people with all kinds of views and beliefs. I thought that perpetuating stereotypes tends to be frowned upon these days.

It sounds to me like the author has daddy issues.

 

[sttngfan1701d]

As someone who grew up in and currently lives in white, rural America....while he's definitely not wrong, he's also generalizing a great deal. He's talking about a specific segment of rural, white America. A very fundamentalist one. As to the OP's question, it hasn't been the "true face of America" since before the 1950's, when the interstate highways and the postwar boom grew the suburbs and took people away from the farms en masse. In fact I'd argue you have to go back further, to the 1910's and 20's, for this to accurately describe what the majority of America was.

It's a portion of America just like everyone else is. Subject to its own delusions and inflexibilities. Just as much as hipsters and SJWs are subject to theirs.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Nothing in the article that most folks don't already know.



My wife is from a Christian home in the Alabama countryside. She is now as liberal and feminist as they come.

I'm wondering what percentage of people are predisposed to break out of such conditioning. I used to question what I was told by my supposed elders and betters, which is why I was considered somewhat of a trouble maker at Sunday School when I started questioning the literal truth of the Bible. By the time I was due to be confirmed, I'd decided it was all a lot of hogwash so I declined to take part in that particular rite of passage.

 

[BillJ]

Reading this and placing such real world attitudes of religious extremism and bigotry be it Christian , Muslim or whatever in a fictional world I can see why it takes a damaging World War III, breakdown of national governments plus an alien 'invasion' for the majority of humanity to get over such attitudes. I am trying to imagine how such mindsets would handle the Star Trek universe and First Contact. Would they see it as the end of the world and commit mass suicide, or the second coming of Jesus or view the Vulcans as the AntiChrist and the beginning of Armageddon?

Probably would be handled like we saw at the beginning of "In a Mirror, Darkly".

 

[Nyotarules]

Probably would be handled like we saw at the beginning of "In a Mirror, Darkly".

Probably but I doubt they could take over the ship. The Vulcans would return and give Earth a Vulcan hello lol

 

[Gary7]

While religion will bring comfort to those who are in distress, I think it has a fundamental problem of being wholly incompatible with 21st century living, unless the believer is willing to "adjust" their perspective (rather than be fundamentalist). Mainly because it fosters this blind ignorance motif, whereby God is everything and scripture "interpretation" isn't to be questioned. Many people who are part of the "flock" are duty bound by religious fervor to shun enlightenment if it has any semblance of conflicting with their core beliefs. Our educational systems are completely ill suited to help turn this kind of ignorance around. And with the US federal government being dysfunctional on providing a free quality education for the masses, NOTHING will change. At least with the right educational system, the hard core ignoramuses have at least a little chance of being turned around, while the more sensible ones can find enlightenment and turn away from ignorance. The author of the linked article mentioned his wife who was such a person who became enlightened. It IS possible.

Things will only get worse before they get better. The question is, how much longer before we hit the real low? I don't know. While brainwashing is very hard to roll back, the millennial kids of today have far more access to information than ever before. The question becomes, will they believe what they learn if it's in conflict with their core beliefs. At least the challenge is there... whereby prior to smart phones in nearly every pocket, brainwashed ignorance was nearly guaranteed never to change.

 

[Gary7]

As someone who grew up in and currently lives in white, rural America....while he's definitely not wrong, he's also generalizing a great deal. He's talking about a specific segment of rural, white America. A very fundamentalist one. As to the OP's question, it hasn't been the "true face of America" since before the 1950's, when the interstate highways and the postwar boom grew the suburbs and took people away from the farms en masse. In fact I'd argue you have to go back further, to the 1910's and 20's, for this to accurately describe what the majority of America was.

It's a portion of America just like everyone else is. Subject to its own delusions and inflexibilities. Just as much as hipsters and SJWs are subject to theirs.

I'd like to believe this segment is smaller than is being portrayed in many venues. If automation progress continues, people in rural America will wither into a marginal existence... if they don't wake up and try to adapt. That will at least help solve part of the problem.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

You might disagree with the writer's political conclusion but is he/she telling the truth?

https://www.rawstory.com/2018/02/in...ian-white-america-dark-terrifying-underbelly/

- As of 2016, rural areas contain only 19.3% (~60 million people) of the total population.
- Of those, only 47 million were over 18 and of legal voting age.
https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2016/cb16-210.html
- Of rural dwellers, 22% of them are minorities, who traditionally do not vote Republican in large numbers, while most poor whites do.
- In some regions (especially in border states), roughly 24% of rural dwellers are foreign born, and again don't tend to vote Republican as often.
https://www.citylab.com/equity/2016/12/a-complex-portrait-of-rural-america/509828/

So, while they have been given a disproportionally large voice relative to population due to the electoral college, gerrymandering, white people nostalgia for a mythical better time in the past, the "heartland" are the only REAL Americans BS, and political and media focus turning rural areas into election battlegrounds at the expense of more populous but less politically divided urban areas that are often foregone conclusions and therefore boring to cover, they do not by any stretch of the imagination represent the "true face of the USA." They're a smaller fraction of a smaller fraction of a smaller fraction of only 1/5th of the population.

 

[Finn]

You might disagree with the writer's political conclusion but is he/she telling the truth?

https://www.rawstory.com/2018/02/in...ian-white-america-dark-terrifying-underbelly/

I’ve seen a video clip of an event like the picture in the article. I think it’s scary and at least borders on emotional abuse to those kids, and keeping them from thinking critically.

 

[Lookingglassman]

I think it is spot on, but I would hardly classify these folks as "Christian." I know people like this and they use the Bible and God as a means to bash others they don't like and act as if they are superior to those who aren't Christians, yet these folks actions are not very Christian like either. If your actions make non Christians want to run away from Christ then you aren't Christian in my opinion. Christ was all about love and forgiveness and helping others. Jesus would not care if an illegal immigrant came to Him for help. Jesus would heal a person for free and not whine about them having to pay out the butt for His healing. Jesus would feed the hungry and not call them "free loaders." Jesus will love the homosexual or person who had an abortion instead of making them feel like dirt. It seems "Christians" like this do more for the devil than they do for Christ.