Planetguy wrote:
sorry, ted.... i've never bought into the whole geography thing shaping who you are. peeps are peeps wherever you go. some are honest and straight up...some ain't. some's good...some's bad.
I agree with the gist of what you're saying, but people
are shaped, or at least heavily influenced, by their environment. Think about it....how many people in Missouri are suicide bombers? How many people in Gaza play Christmas songs in December?
Geography plays a HUGE part in the attitudes of people. In Texas, we are mostly independent sorts who work hard and party harder. In New York they are outspoken and aren't intimidated by confrontation. In California, they are laid back outwardly...even the extremists! Not every person fits these descriptions perfectly, of course, and you do find all types in all places; yet there is a "local spirit" everywhere.
For example, Detroit has always been a union town, and that mentality is not far from socialism so there would be a larger audience for Bernie in Michigan that wouldn't be found in Texas (or a right to work state). Even though Jimmy doesn't support Bernie, a lot of his worldview of government has been shaped by what he sees around him. At this point, I think Detroit will need outside help to make a real come-back but that same government intervention needed in Michigan would be disastrous in Texas because it might make us dependent on an outside source.
So you have Jeff and Glenny railing against a government that takes from our paychecks to give to someone who is only sucking benefits from the system. And, if you allow me to state an observation, Mark & Jimmy do not see that view as compassionate because they've done well enough to have a comfortable life and want to share with the less fortunate around them.
Those who are struggling don't like the idea of giving away their small margins to people who need to learn the value of work. Those who are doing well think that sounds heartless, and don't understand why we would oppose taking a few extra dollars of a paycheck away to give to someone who puts their hand out.
In other words, some want to feed the hungry and some want to teach fishing. Much of a person's national political attitude is based on local situations. I still believe that if we all got together, we'd have a better understanding and appreciation for the diverse views being presented here.