tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8304928500646903522.post8498524884117048991..comments2024-03-28T00:11:33.489-04:00Comments on bensozia: NY Times Focus Group with Conservative MenJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037215533094998996noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8304928500646903522.post-53205805007906737852022-04-14T11:11:49.579-04:002022-04-14T11:11:49.579-04:00"But not, it seems to me, in a "let'..."But not, it seems to me, in a "let's have a race war" sort of way, but in a "My god it's the 21st century why do we still have race problems" kind of way."<br /><br />This is charitable to the point of absurdity. FWIW, what I get from these men is more "I'm tired of hearing these people complain. And I'm tired of being made to feel bad and tired of watching what I say. And I support Trump because, when he really gets going, it's harder to hear them."<br /><br />In every society, some people have to watch what they say, and some people don't. These men liked it when they were in the second group.<br /><br />Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14456987412710878404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8304928500646903522.post-32625834101410951942022-04-13T08:51:12.263-04:002022-04-13T08:51:12.263-04:00"To me the mistrust, the suspicion that other...<i>"To me the mistrust, the suspicion that other people are out to get us, the worry that one mistake or random event could ruin your life, is a big part of the mood in America right now, no matter what your faction."</i><br /><br />So you're getting a taste of how the other half lives, and are not finding it your liking?<br /><br />Minorities have ALWAYS felt like their lives could be ruined at the drop of a hat, because that has absolutely always been the case. Offend the wrong white man, and your life goes to hell in a hand basket. It sounds like a cartoonish exaggeration, but it <i>simply isn't</i>. It is the reality that millions of Americans have been stuck living with for generations - and in many ways, continue to live with.<br /><br />White men in our society are STILL massively privileged - but their privilege has slowly been eroding, and that terrifies them. They are starting to face consequences for their actions, and they don't know how to respond to that unthinkable possibility. It seems like a nightmarish fantasy to them, it's so foreign and "wrong" in their minds.<br /><br />And yet it's laughable how much fear they have over such minor consequences. A bad business review which calls you a racist? (Which you almost certainly deservedly received, given how many other white people out there manage to avoid this particular problem?) Oh, the horror! How ever will you cope?! Maybe by demonstrating through your actions that the review is meritless? Presumably your satisfied customers would be happy to leave positive reviews on the same website or platform, counteracting the negative one? Why are you so worried about a single bad review, unless it has merit?<br /><br />...meanwhile, a totally innocent black man doing nothing more than jogging on a public street can get stalked and murdered by white psychopaths, and the courts will find his killers innocent of any wrongdoing. But please, tell me more about how unfair your situation is! You poor white men have it SO HARD, facing minor negative consequences for the ugly arguments you start at homeowner's associations! What a terrible miscarriage of justice and decency!G. Verlorennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8304928500646903522.post-63565695529127367562022-04-13T08:28:58.236-04:002022-04-13T08:28:58.236-04:00These people sound so astoundingly delusional.
In...These people sound so astoundingly delusional.<br /><br />Increased rule breaking and a "me, me, me" culture? Sorry, are we talking about the present day, or the youth years of the Baby Boomers? Young people these days break fewer rules - they drink less, smoke less, do less drugs, commit fewer crimes (both violent and nonviolent), have fewer teenage pregnancies, get fewer abortions, have fewer divorces, declare fewer bankruptcies, and are far more liberal and concerned with issues of societal justice than their forebears ever were.<br /><br />Crime and lawlessness? Crime is <i>down</i>, actually - it has been trending down steadily for decades. Poor road etiquette? Motor vehicles deaths are likewise down, and have been steadily trending that way since the 1970s (with the exception of pedestrian deaths, which have gone up and down at various times for reasons no is quite sure of). Fear of physical attack? Violent crime is WAY down since a peak in the late 80s / 90s.<br /><br />Fear of verbal abuse in response to things these conservative men say? That, thankfully, they're correct about - unlike in past decades, they are actually facing consequences for the awful things they say and do to others, and they don't like it. I have just one thing to say to that: "Good". They've been shielded from consequences all their lives by their unearned white male privilege - now that they're being put on a more level playing field with the rest of society, they feel cheated and robbed. Pity they lack the awareness to realize their entitled bullshit and toxic behavior is the real issue. Ah, well.<br /><br />The guy from Orlando is delusional - I lived in Florida for over thirty years, had a strong familiarity with the city, and Orlando has always had it's fair share of crime. That said, like in so many other places, crime is actually drastically down in Orlando compared to past decades. Perhaps this particular conservative man moved to Orlando in 1972 or something - in which case, I'm surprised he isn't also ranting about the "bad influence" of the Walt Disney company, and how they "ruined" the place. Pining for the good old days, when Orlando was nothing but orange groves and swamp, no doubt.G. Verlorennoreply@blogger.com