Rural areas in the US tend to be conservative electoral strongholds. However, it wasn't always the case. The shift happened in the post-WWII period when technological changes enabled the rise of c...

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The original was posted on /r/science by /u/smurfyjenkins on 2024-04-15 15:45:02.

Original Title: Rural areas in the US tend to be conservative electoral strongholds. However, it wasn't always the case. The shift happened in the post-WWII period when technological changes enabled the rise of capital-intensive agriculture and the rising power of agribusiness who favored Republican policies.

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[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 17 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Naw. Reagan put the flag on the teevee and said "you flyover folk're tr00 Murican patreets, now lemme take away all taxpayer funded services an give that money to the rich" and the rural folks saluted and whooped and hollered.

Newspapers and radio at the time (and even some tv, believe it or not) said this is what was happening, and "blue collar Republicans" ignored it.

Then Reagan said tv and radio didn't have to have balanced political opinions and talk radio lobotomized the next two generations without even trying. Propaganda works, just as republiQan strategist Joseph Göebbels predicted.

[–] haui_lemmy@lemmy.giftedmc.com 1 points 7 months ago

Saw what you did there. Smooth transition at the end. I‘ll keep that republican strategist idea. :)

[–] Bakkoda@sh.itjust.works 8 points 7 months ago (3 children)

Or ya know, policies that simply ignored them. Can't constantly erode the social contract then wonder why people radicalize themselves.

[–] Shalakushka@kbin.social 38 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

flee the cities to escape racial integration

for some reason this podunk town in the middle of nowhere does not have the jobs and resources of the city

refuse to pay taxes out of short sightedness

why does living in the country suck shit? It must be all them minorities and democrats

I'm living around nothing but people that think and act like me and I'm still miserable, surely it is the fault of everyone else

[–] bassomitron@lemmy.world 20 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Yes and no. Republicans haven't done jack shit for the majority of rural folks anymore than democrats have. The problem is Republicans got to them first via social media and readily available news outlets that are popular in those regions, convincing them that all their problems are being caused strictly by liberal politicians, as well as veiled/not veiled bigoted accusations against other demographics (e.g. immigrants, gays, trans, etc). Ironically, democrats in recent years have tried to win them back by bringing green tech to lots of plains states (e.g. wind farm boom) as well as more jobs (e.g. infrastructure bill), but this is ignored because the GOP are better at psyops than democrats.

[–] BakerBagel@midwest.social 14 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Not just ignored, but rural folk around here are convinced that wind farms are going to destroy the county, give everyone brain cancer, and take away all the jobs. People are vehemently against any wind and aolar farms around here.

[–] bassomitron@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago

Very true, I was going to add that in but felt I'd be going off topic to my original point, haha. But yeah, GOP's handiwork convincing them of all that. It's effective, too, because it makes any positive thing that Democrats do automatically bad/a conspiracy.

[–] Carrolade@lemmy.world 0 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Rural folks don't want policies except for one. They want to be left the fuck alone. At all times. They feel like being racist? They want everyone to let them. They want to not give a shit about climate? They want everyone to let them. Tax man cometh? They'd love to be able to point a shotgun at him, but they're mostly more civil than that. They hate nothing more than the idea of a system beyond what they themselves come up with and understand.

The problem is modern times have made that stance less practical. That's the heart of the urban/rural divide.

[–] Bakkoda@sh.itjust.works 4 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (2 children)

That's just fuckin ignorant. I live in rural America (upstate NY). I'm a Democrat. I'm a gun owner. I used to be a card carrying NRA member (I was young but that's only so much an excuse). I'm a staunch pro choice AKA it's none of my fuckin business supporter. I don't think I pay enough taxes and i don't make all that much. I do think my fuckin tax money is pissed away at an alarming rate so i completely understand those who don't believe in raising taxes.

I don't make idiotic generalizations based on the contents of my bowels to support whatever angle you tried to approach at. You burned up on entry dude/dudette. Everyone has a past and wildly differentiating circumstances as to why they support what they support. Ignorance is just a slice.

[–] Carrolade@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I certainly wasn't trying to state that I was describing every single rural person in America. Just the broader culture of it. Sorry if I bothered you.

[–] Bakkoda@sh.itjust.works 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Fair enough, i def overreacted. That's def a my bad.

[–] Carrolade@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago

No worries. You did help illuminate that even rural culture is not homogenous by any stretch. Even in deep red middle America there is bound to be some variety.

[–] ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 7 months ago

I don't think I pay enough taxes and i don't make all that much.

You know you can pay them more if you want to, feel free!

I do think my fuckin tax money is pissed away at an alarming rate so i completely understand those who don't believe in raising taxes.

Alright well at least you get me lol. You'd be surprised how few people even acknowledge it as a problem much less understand why one would be upset about said problem.

[–] TheBat@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

"What is the village but a sink of localism, a den ofignorance, narrow-mindedness and communalism?"

-Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

https://web.archive.org/web/20180110194134/http://parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/debates/vol7p1b.htm

(Indian jurist, economist, social reformer and political leader who headed the committee drafting the Constitution of India from the Constituent Assembly debates, served as Law and Justice minister in the first cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru, and inspired the Dalit Buddhist movement after renouncing Hinduism.)

[–] blazera@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago

I dont think the sources they provide show it wasnt always the case. I mean one of thems about post ww2 europe.