In the popular imagination of many Americans, particularly those on the left side of the political spectrum, the typical MAGA supporter is a rural resident who hates Black and Brown people, loathes liberals, loves gods and guns, believes in myriad conspiracy theories, has little faith in democracy, and is willing to use violence to achieve their goals, as thousands did on Jan. 6.

According to a new book, White Rural Rage: The Threat to American Democracy, these aren’t hurtful, elitist stereotypes by Acela Corridor denizens and bubble-dwelling liberals… they’re facts.

The authors, Tom Schaller, a professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and Paul Waldman, a former columnist at The Washington Post, persuasively argue that most of the negative stereotypes liberals hold about rural Americans are actually true.

  • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    The electorial college is a threat to democracy.

    But neither political party wants to hand that control over to voters.

    We need a critical mass of progressive politicians in office before we can fix the system, which is why they’re everyone else’s biggest political enemy

    • Joncash2@lemmy.ml
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      9 months ago

      The funny thing is the electoral college was designed to counter exactly this event. In the case an absolute tyrant is going to get voted in, the electoral college is supposed to be the last chance to challenge it. But with the way the GOP is going, ain’t no one gonna challenge anything.

      As they say, the devil will come bearing a cross wrapped in the American flag.

      • CosmicTurtle@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        The GOP has shown, and proven, they will use any and all means necessary, including violence, to gain power. This isn’t theoretical anymore.

        I’m so tired of my family members and other people that identify as “centralist” saying that both sides are bad.

        No…only one side has used violence to overthrow an election. And that side’s political leadership said it was “normal political discourse”.

        If both sides are the same, then you should be upset that “both sides” are violent.

      • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        That was the story, but the real reason was the existing tyrants didn’t want to be overthrown either.

        You have to have a realistic view of what we started out with to understand why 99% of the people in politics don’t want to change it.

        At the end of the day, America has never really been a democracy. And the people who can change that just don’t want to.

        It’s just easiest to hold onto that power when we think change is just an election away. It’s a lot of elections away, we can’t just win one and go home. It’s a war not a battle.

    • ZK686@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      “mass of progressive politicians” so you want every single person in America to think, act, feel, and vote the same? That doesn’t happen anywhere in the world…well, except communist countries of course.

      • Eldritch@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        That’s not what they said. Progressive is just basically rational. Progressives think differently about things all the time. It isn’t really a nailed-down ideology of any sort.

        Whereas conservatives are notable for not thinking much about anything at any time. Besides their fears. Having no discernible ideology themselves other than they want what they want. And they need someone to hate and scapegoat.

        • ZK686@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          An liberals are? Why do these articles always attack one side? I live in California, I’m seeing first hand what these extreme liberal views are doing. There’s people literally fighting for the right to allow the homeless to use drugs, shoot up heroin, and shit and piss wherever they want… it’s ridiculous. And don’t get me started on the petty crime that’s being ignored…because apparently, according to liberals, we need to completely revamp our criminal and judicial system because people who steal shit shouldn’t be going to prison… it’s fucking ridiculous.