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   Marcus Hutchins :verified: (malwaretech@infosec.exchange)'s status on Monday, 20-Mar-2023 23:44:34 JST Marcus Hutchins :verified:

   I'm still baffled by the fact that working class conservatives exist. How do you look at a system where you have to basically be a millionaire to retire, can't afford a home, can't build wealth because interest rates don't keep up with inflation and people blow up the economy every couple of years, then be like "yes, this is it".

   • Embed this notice
     Andrew (Television Executive) (ajroach42@retro.social)'s status on Monday, 20-Mar-2023 23:46:53 JST Andrew (Television Executive)

     in reply to

     @malwaretech is this a sincere question? I grew up with these people and I can answer it, but I can't tell if you are looking for an answer or employing a rhetorical device.

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     Jeff Craig (foxxtrot@dice.camp)'s status on Monday, 20-Mar-2023 23:53:50 JST Jeff Craig

     in reply to

     @malwaretech My mother, who I am confident is still a reliable GOP voter, has taken to regularly complaining about how Capitalism is ruining society, and I have no idea how to deal with that dissonance.

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     Brad Rubenstein “:verified:” (bradrubenstein@infosec.exchange)'s status on Monday, 20-Mar-2023 23:59:34 JST Brad Rubenstein “:verified:”

     in reply to

     "Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires."

     — attributed to John Steinbeck

     @malwaretech

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     BduzBoop (bduzboop@mstdn.social)'s status on Tuesday, 21-Mar-2023 08:37:00 JST BduzBoop

     in reply to

     @malwaretech greatest con of all, billionaires convincing middle class that the poor people are greedy thieves, when in fact. its the billionaires.

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     J. "Henry" Waugh (jhwgh1968@chaos.social)'s status on Tuesday, 21-Mar-2023 11:53:57 JST J. "Henry" Waugh

     in reply to

     @malwaretech the best answer I can give in the span of a masto message is to link to this famous video which answers the question (about 20 min, but worth your time)

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agzNANfNlTs

     E: "we assume conservatives defend the rich because they'll be rich some day. Sure, they'd love to be. But it's more nuanced than that: they believe the rest of us *need* the rich"

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     AutisticTeacherGriff (teachergriff@mastodon.coffee)'s status on Tuesday, 21-Mar-2023 12:00:43 JST AutisticTeacherGriff

     in reply to

     @malwaretech I'm going to recommend a book that has explained that to me. Go get, and read, "American Nations" by Colin Woodard. You will learn more real American history (and more cultural geography) than you've ever learned in any history class you've taken.

     And the answer to your question is: the values that the European colonizers of those areas brought with them still shape attitudes in those areas. People adapt to culture, and culture was already there.

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     A Byrd (byrdbrnz@ioc.exchange)'s status on Tuesday, 21-Mar-2023 12:05:48 JST A Byrd

     in reply to

     @malwaretech At the risk of being shouted at for defending their ignorance...I can kind of get it. I think if most of us soul-searched hard enough we'd get it too.
     At least where I grew up in the heartland, most of them didn't have any resources but were constantly promised them. If only they vote for Republicans! It would be rare for a Democrat to come in and make any funding promises to them. And usually there aren't many Democrats running locally, very few of those local elections are a contest. Most never seemed to bother being in or staying in those rural areas. Why bother voting for them when they've never done anything positive for you locally? To them, at least Republicans try.
     We can blame Fox and the RNC for a lot of national ills, yes. Blame the church and the Prosperity Gospel too. They are all factors.
     But when you come down to it, they feel left behind by the Dems and always have. There is no third option to better represent their actual interests. So of course you vote for the devil you know

     clacke repeated this.
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     [OFFLINE] [?‍☠️] ميتشيو با: ملكة القراصنة (xjix@mk.toast.cafe)'s status on Tuesday, 21-Mar-2023 12:05:50 JST [OFFLINE] [?‍☠️] ميتشيو با: ملكة القراصنة

     in reply to

     • A Byrd

     @Byrdbrnz@ioc.exchange @malwaretech@infosec.exchange
     
     honestly this is the truest take i've seen on the topic. calling people "ignorant backwards dumbass redneck" and then asking them to vote for you, is kinda stupid and self defeating. which is honestly exactly what the DNC is meant to do. the people would benefit too much from actual unity. i'm not even going to pretend that i'm not cynical about this. in many ways, i prefer the direct hate over the two-faced pro-labor but not really especially when corporate profits are at stake bullshit that the dems pull on the regular.
     
     and i'm an urban leftist

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     Hannu Ikonen, MD (hannu_ikonen@med-mastodon.com)'s status on Tuesday, 21-Mar-2023 12:06:06 JST Hannu Ikonen, MD

     in reply to

     • John Refior

     @jrefior @malwaretech

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     John Refior (jrefior@hachyderm.io)'s status on Tuesday, 21-Mar-2023 12:06:07 JST John Refior

     in reply to

     @malwaretech
     In the US, 85+% of the explanation for that is racism. Anything that helps the lower class could help a black person, so the "working class conservative" wants it eliminated, as it could upset the racial caste system that keeps them, in their minds, above black people.

     If you need evidence, just look to the history of US domestic policy the last ~80 years. (E.g. what happened with Johnson's Great Society, https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/26595572-american-maelstrom)
     --
     #racism #uspolitics #inequality #history

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     0x41f (0x41f@infosec.exchange)'s status on Wednesday, 22-Mar-2023 10:04:27 JST 0x41f

     in reply to

     @malwaretech “Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat, but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires.”

   • Embed this notice
     Peter Hanecak (phanecak@mastodon.social)'s status on Wednesday, 22-Mar-2023 10:04:29 JST Peter Hanecak

     in reply to

     @malwaretech My speculations:

     1) hope/aspirations: they are not millionaires but they definitely would like to be (hence support system which is bad for them but would be definitely cool once they get rich, ignoring stats about how likely it is to get rich)

     2) religion: something like twisted Christianity, where by suffering you are sort of paying for heaven entry (and if you enjoy your life, you are supposed to end up in hell)