straightUp Loc: California

So you held some corporate jobs and started a business. Kudos! As someone who did the same thing I know it can be a challenge.


Well, that hasn't been my experience. I've spent a lot of time with urbanites in NYC and SF too, both business and pleasure and I KNOW a lot of them think they're at the center of the universe.

Quick joke... In NYC, people say "NYC is the center of the universe." In LA, people say... "there's a universe?"

But, I've also spent time in the fly-over zone and even northern Nevada (my friend's uncle had a ranch outside of Reno) I did not really find any difference. Country folks often talk down about city slickers. Honestly, I don't even need that experience in the fly-over zone, I can see it right here on this thread.

I think the most common thing that the country folks I've met like to laugh about is how urbanites can't do anything for themselves. Well, cities probably do make that more possible because cities have services for just about everything but that's because you have a lot more entrepreneurship. You ought to know, having started a security business in SF. Would you have done that in middle of Kansas?

But even so, that doesn't mean everyone in the city is like that. Cities have a tremendous scope of diversity from junkies to the most battle-hardened police officers you will ever see. Of all the demographics possible "urbanites" is probably among the most ambiguous.


Aw... c'mon Seth - don't be mad. We don't think that at all. I think you're confusing two individual issues. Urbanites are more likely to follow a liberal ideology that takes advice from science. Ruralites are far more likely to follow a conservative ideology that will shun man's constantly changing "science" as an afrontage to their traditions.

The problem is that the warnings of science often warrant a unified and sometimes urgent response. In these situations one man's refusal to heed the scientific warning can lead to disaster for many others. This often triggers an understable frustration with the scoffers and a somewhat condescending "explanation" of the situation. This will no doubt create the kind of taste in your mouth that you seem to be describing.


Sometimes, I wonder if your not doing that "mirror" thing where you just pick up the liberal criticisms and send them back the other way. LOL

In my opinion, the Republicans are more likely to "rule by theory". I mean c'mon... the Laffer Curve?


Yeah, the basic translation there is blame the Democrats for the social programs that make people dependent and lazy, blah, blah, blah. More theory. The reality is the right is so scared of democratic socialism they can't find a way to stand up to corporatism, so they look the other way and remain oblivious to how their inaction is screwing victims for real.


Dude, that's Trump.


Yeah, you already covered that.


Of course, the Marxist thing.

Look, we can't help it if you fail to understand the difference between democratic socialism and the tyrannies that hijacked the communist revolutions of the 20th century.

Seth

I don't have the time to pick through your lengthy dissections, most of which are simple leftie "nothing to see here" stuff, but: my business wasn't centered in SF, I had clients all over the country, mostly in DC and elsewhere on the east coast and also overseas. I even had an extended consulting contract in rural Illinois farm country.

My girlfriend of many years, who works at the Justice Dept in DC, is black and her parents grew up in the Jim Crow south. We (and her extended family, whom I have met and get along with very well) have had a lot of interesting talks about the situation of blacks in America. They are a mostly blue collar family, no welfare, no single mothers. They were Democrat voters until halfway through Obama's eight years and have voted Republican since, and acknowledge how much better Trump has been for the black community as a whole.

It's a completely different reality that exists in the world of Democrats and the world of the black community. Before LBJ's "Great Society" kicked in, blacks had very strong family units, and there were more white children born out of wedlock than there were blacks.

The Democrats created the problems faced by the black community and then exploited them by claiming "racism!" That is purely despicable, but I wouldn't expect a leftie to feel any shame over that because shame isn't in you folks' DNA, only exploitation is, and that's why you deflect and claim conservatives are the exploiters.

You, my fine, feathered friend, are the original human Leftist Propaganda Echo Chamber®.

Cuda2020

Even our music is rural (Irish Traditional and Bluegrass) Damn Straight, love that music, what do you play, any singing for ya?

straightUp Loc: California

How would you know if you don't have the time to pick through it?


Well, you did say... "I started a security business in San Francisco". Of course a business can have clients all over the place. Mine did too but they were all in cities because my clients were all Fortune 500 companies. I noticed you made a point of saying you had a contract in rural Illinois farm country. Was that your one and only contract in the fly-over zone? Protecting the chickens from the foxes? ;)


A tiny percentage of the black community seems to have fallen into the same BS you have. It happens.


That's because the practice of incarcerating as many black people as possible didn't kick in until the "Great Society" made them a threat to white supremacy. When you have a large percentage of black men in prison, children grow up fatherless.

Everytime liberals secure rights for black people, conservatives come up with a new tactic to maintain superiority. When the Radical Republicans liberated them from slavery, conservative Democrats came up with Jim Crow laws. When LBJ gave them equal rights, conservatives switched parties and adapted more covert methods through economic oppression and policing.


So far you haven't provided a single explanation or example to show how Democrats have made things worse for black people. Do you think you can do that or is wide sweeping generalizations and stereotypes the best you can do?


Oh... Well that's in direct contrast to what you said earlier... what was it? Oh yeah... "what you serve up is a brand of bullshit all its own."

So, what made you change your mind? Or can you just not keep up with your own tap dancing?

Seth

Oh, I read your snippets, but I'm not going to spend an entire day replying to every picayune bumper stickerism spewed by someone who has nothing else to do.

And you of course choose to ignore that it was 100% Democrat policies that screwed the black community. I explained them, you just need a reading comprehension tutor is all.

straightUp Loc: California

I mostly play guitar, banjo and bouzouki and yes, I sing. Things were more exciting when I was playing in rock bands but you get to certain age where it just looks stupid... unless your the Rolling Stones. So I switched to something more traditional and I've really come to love it.

Not much business right now thanks to COVID-19 but we've done several remote "concerts" which isn't the same thing and it doesn't pay. We miss the pubs.

straightUp Loc: California

Say's the guy who racks up 14,693 posts in two years compared my 7,448 posts over seven years. LOL


No, you didn't explain them. Just blaming Democrats for screwing black people isn't the same as explaining how it was done. Just saying it was done through liberal policies doesn't explain it either. You don't need to spend much time on it. You either know or you don't. If you have to google for conservative opinions on the matter, it means you don't know.

Seth

When Jefferson Airplane released a reunion album years later, Gracie said they would not go on tour because "it would look ridiculous, a bunch of old people prancing around on a stage."

Seth

I just say what I have to say, I try not to make a major project out of one post.

Seth

To continue, I never have to Google for any opinions, I usually draw on my own personal experience, which covers quite a lot of territory.

Tug484

When they were Jefferson Starship, they broke down in my town.
They had to stay here for a time.
They needed money, so they had a garage sale.
They had made a large wooden sign that they put on stage with their name and a cool spaceship. They put it in the garage sale.
My husband bought it and it hung in my house for many years.
I gave it to my step son and he just recently passed away or I'd ask him what he did with it.

Seth

That would be a great piece of memorabilia.

Sorry about the loss of your stepson.

Tug484

It was really nice.
One of them painted it.
Thank you.
He was a good kid and total cowboy.
I used to tease him and ask him if he took that cowboy hat off for anything.

Seth

I know someone who's like that with a beret.

SSDD

One can argue, as Debeda already has and I agree with her on that point, that both sides could benefit with a "shrugging off" of their more "extreme" members/politicians. One party can not insist that the opposing party do that which they themselves refuse to do.