I believe that humans, by nature, are aspirational. We want to strive for improvement and success, even when there is no monetary benefit.
People want to improve their golf game..get better at playing cards, score higher in a game, run that 5K faster or place better, lift more weight; win an award at an art fair. We even “want” more likes on Twitter, Instagram, etc.
Of course, we like the work promotion and signs of success (e. g. a nicer looking car, better body, better tickets) are aspired to.
We even want a spouse or…kids that we can openly be proud of.
Also, in our dealings: we want the cook to fix our food well; we want our mechanics to do the repairs correctly; the doctors to cure us..the drivers and pilots to get us there safely.
We even want our sports teams to win the game.
So…I believe, we are instinctively drawn to success…to “winners” if you will (or those who appear to be winners).
Republicans seem to understand this.
Liberals and wokes on the other hand…..do not appear to.
Wokes are always going on about “privilege” “white” privilege”, “male privilege”, “able bodied” privilege, etc. When someone has success..well, if they’ve made “good choices”, there is an excuse for that:
I just saw someone say, "You didn't make good choices. You had good choices." and I am completely floored. I mean, what a great way to talk about privlidge.
Of course, when one makes “good choices”; it is relative to the available choices. I don’t deny that, say, being born rich is both an individual and a statistical advantage in many respects.
For example: if you come from a rich family, it might make sense to chase that dream of being an entrepreneur as there is family support (and perhaps a trust fund) to prop you up if you fail. If you come from a poor family, it might make sense to take the route of getting a secure job that pays well…thereby dooming you to be ..”comfortable at best”…because the safety net isn’t there if you fail.
And, of course, if the educational opportunities are limited to begin with..the probability of a comfortable lifestyle will probably be smaller and you might be unaware of all that IS available to you.
So I am all for opportunity work for the disadvantaged.
But the disparaging of success: that will always be unpopular and keep people at arm’s length, even if you espouse popular policies.
For example: yes the minimum wage IS a popular policy (as is COVID relief) but no one wants to earn the minimum wage…it is popular..FOR SOMEONE ELSE.
I know people have trouble with this article and the subsequent video…but…there is some truth here.
On the other hand
I admit that the pandemic has changed my thinking and feeling about things.
For one, it is a bit humbling to realize that I will be one of the last ones to get a vaccine…I am not old enough to be 1b, I am old enough to be at elevated risk, but I am blessed enough to work remotely.
So…that I can take.
Also, early on, I had envied those living in small towns, away from the (stupid in pandemic times) protests and from the early rapid spread. That was then.
Several white supremacist groups have roots near Harrison, Ark. Residents believe a yellow billboard in town is a reaction to a local effort to make the town more inclusive.
Needless to say, the yellow sign is ridiculously wrong.
But what about the lower one: the Welcome to Harrison… in days of old, I thought about “hey, they are saying: low crime.”
Now: I wonder: “how many of them even wear a mask or practice social distancing.”…there is no way in the world I’d be attracted to this town, even without the upper yellow sign.
I really view the urban vs. rural divide differently now.
Life of an old goat 