The real bubble is in the heartland

[Anonymous]

http://www.gq.com/story/the-real-bubble-is-in-the-heartland

[Anonymous]

Coming from the midwest, I thought this was very true:

Republicans have mastered wielding the struggles of poor white Americans as a cudgel against blacks, against Latinos, against women, against Jews and Muslims and LGBTQ folks. See them? They’re to blame for your struggle. You’re hurting because of them! I am tired of wealthy conservatives who have never set foot among us “white trash”—and sure as hell wouldn’t want their children marrying us—filming campaign commercials of themselves wading through star-spangled cornfields and ranting about the so-called “liberal bubble” and every buzzword that goes with it: Hollywood, communists, “college educated,” etc

[Anonymous]

This seems like a great strategy for feeling superior and Losing more elections.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This seems like a great strategy for feeling superior and Losing more elections.

Washington is yours , midterms are next year . You're in charge now

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This seems like a great strategy for feeling superior and Losing more elections.

Telling people what they want to hear won't necessarily make their lives better. Most of my family were tool and die makers, gas fitters, and in construction. They all lived very modestly and sent my generation off to college. But a lot of their friends didn't, and those kids are looking for someone to blame for the fact that the big auto plant jobs have gone away. Several decades ago, they lived in a city with no fewer than five auto plants. So to be an auto worker, you thought no matter what there was always some place you could get a job. So what happened? Was it foreigners? Trade deals?

The Ford plant closed in 2006 because people didn't buy SUV's when gas prices shot up.

The Corvette manufacturing went to Bowling Green Ky some time in the 80s, not because of unions or wages but because Kentucky cut a bigger tax deal. Thankfully a great many of those workers moved to Bowling Green, but the locals were pissed off because they were led to believe by politicians and the company that they would get jobs there.

The rest of Chevy went not to Mexico but Janesville Wisconsin. I believe the SUV crunch during the Iraq war gas hike killed those jobs in Janesville, too.

Chrysler had two plants where I grew up. Chrysler said they were going to upgrade those plants. But one plant that made minivans was closed. It went not to Mexico but Canada. I guess you could blame NAFTA (maybe?) but we probably gain more from free trade and certainly Canada is not beating us on regulations and labor practices. The second plant was closed, not due to Mexico but because of the 2009 bankruptcy.

What's left is one GM plant in the outer suburbs which may get more production now that gas prices are down and SUVs and pickups are coming back.

Nothing Trump has said would ever explain how 35,000 people in my hometown lost jobs over those decades. And nothing that he has proposed will bring those jobs back. Ironically the most meaningful improvement in their job situation comes from the drop in gas prices that caused by: increased production in the US, return of Iraqi production levels, re-introduction of Iranian oil, an increased numbers of people driving fuel efficient vehicles, and slowing growth in big economies like China. This will probably cause an increase in shifts at the remaining GM plant. As long as we don't do something stupid that causes oil prices to go up again, people will resume buying SUVs and trucks which are still profitable to make here. They will never be able to make economy sedans because the wages in those economy car plants are about as low as a burger flipping job, and they don't want that kind of job. If Trump cajoles those jobs to come back to America, it won't matter because no one is going to pay $30K for a Ford Focus. They just won't.

So if Trump's diagnosis of the problem is wrong, then his solution will be wrong. Barring luck, these disgruntled workers will still be disgruntled in 4 years. They will have a Republican House Senate and White House to hold accountable.

[Anonymous]

2:25, that's an amazing breakdown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This seems like a great strategy for feeling superior and Losing more elections.

Telling people what they want to hear won't necessarily make their lives better. Most of my family were tool and die makers, gas fitters, and in construction. They all lived very modestly and sent my generation off to college. But a lot of their friends didn't, and those kids are looking for someone to blame for the fact that the big auto plant jobs have gone away. Several decades ago, they lived in a city with no fewer than five auto plants. So to be an auto worker, you thought no matter what there was always some place you could get a job. So what happened? Was it foreigners? Trade deals?

The Ford plant closed in 2006 because people didn't buy SUV's when gas prices shot up.

The Corvette manufacturing went to Bowling Green Ky some time in the 80s, not because of unions or wages but because Kentucky cut a bigger tax deal. Thankfully a great many of those workers moved to Bowling Green, but the locals were pissed off because they were led to believe by politicians and the company that they would get jobs there.

The rest of Chevy went not to Mexico but Janesville Wisconsin. I believe the SUV crunch during the Iraq war gas hike killed those jobs in Janesville, too.

Chrysler had two plants where I grew up. Chrysler said they were going to upgrade those plants. But one plant that made minivans was closed. It went not to Mexico but Canada. I guess you could blame NAFTA (maybe?) but we probably gain more from free trade and certainly Canada is not beating us on regulations and labor practices. The second plant was closed, not due to Mexico but because of the 2009 bankruptcy.

What's left is one GM plant in the outer suburbs which may get more production now that gas prices are down and SUVs and pickups are coming back.

Nothing Trump has said would ever explain how 35,000 people in my hometown lost jobs over those decades. And nothing that he has proposed will bring those jobs back. Ironically the most meaningful improvement in their job situation comes from the drop in gas prices that caused by: increased production in the US, return of Iraqi production levels, re-introduction of Iranian oil, an increased numbers of people driving fuel efficient vehicles, and slowing growth in big economies like China. This will probably cause an increase in shifts at the remaining GM plant. As long as we don't do something stupid that causes oil prices to go up again, people will resume buying SUVs and trucks which are still profitable to make here. They will never be able to make economy sedans because the wages in those economy car plants are about as low as a burger flipping job, and they don't want that kind of job. If Trump cajoles those jobs to come back to America, it won't matter because no one is going to pay $30K for a Ford Focus. They just won't.

So if Trump's diagnosis of the problem is wrong, then his solution will be wrong. Barring luck, these disgruntled workers will still be disgruntled in 4 years. They will have a Republican House Senate and White House to hold accountable.

They will never admit their stupidity and lack of better judgement

[Anonymous]

Or using race as a scapegoat (not racism, but scapegoating)

[Anonymous]

OP, thank you! I have been saying this for months. I have a hard time being told that I live in a bubble by people who live in small towns who all look and think like they do.

Also, ever noticed how the mantra is that rural whites are poor because of the economy and urban blacks are because of their culture? Trump played into this - telling rural whites that their lot in life is not their fault but the fault of the economy, trade deals, etc.. The fact is that in many of these places the culture is rotted and they keep voting against their interests (e.g. For Republicans).

[Anonymous]

I agree. The Hillbilly Elegy was some navel grazing too.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone get that heartland folks' weaknesses don't preclude the weaknesses of those in other places? And given whose hands are on the levers of power, I'd dare say some folks' weaknesses matter much more than others.

And that author is barely shaving. I don't think he's wrong per se, I think he needs to live more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone get that heartland folks' weaknesses don't preclude the weaknesses of those in other places? And given whose hands are on the levers of power, I'd dare say some folks' weaknesses matter much more than others.

And that author is barely shaving. I don't think he's wrong per se, I think he needs to live more.

I agree PP.

Trump is New York's and the media's creation, not the heartland's.

[Anonymous]

Republicans have mastered wielding the struggles of poor white Americans as a cudgel against blacks, against Latinos, against women, against Jews and Muslims and LGBTQ folks. See them? They’re to blame for your struggle. You’re hurting because of them! I am tired of wealthy conservatives who have never set foot among us “white trash”—and sure as hell wouldn’t want their children marrying us—filming campaign commercials of themselves wading through star-spangled cornfields and ranting about the so-called “liberal bubble” and every buzzword that goes with it: Hollywood, communists, “college educated,” etc

No. They are hurting because of job killing policies. They are not racist (sure a few are--but there are racists here, as well). This is a campaign to make them look like idiots. They are not.

[Anonymous]

Job killing policies - OK, which ones are those exactly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Coming from the midwest, I thought this was very true:

Republicans have mastered wielding the struggles of poor white Americans as a cudgel against blacks, against Latinos, against women, against Jews and Muslims and LGBTQ folks. See them? They’re to blame for your struggle. You’re hurting because of them! I am tired of wealthy conservatives who have never set foot among us “white trash”—and sure as hell wouldn’t want their children marrying us—filming campaign commercials of themselves wading through star-spangled cornfields and ranting about the so-called “liberal bubble” and every buzzword that goes with it: Hollywood, communists, “college educated,” etc

Democrats have used the struggles of poor minorities as a cudgel against whites etc. as if they alone are the solution to change their station in life. Yet when in power, little to nothing changes.