08.10.11
Proven by science
Last year, research at Duke and Harvard universities showed that regardless of political affiliation or income, Americans tended to think wealth distribution ought to be more equal.
The problem? Rich people wrongly believed it already was.
Then there is the problem of Tea Partiers’ own class position. While they are funded by the wealthy, many do not identify themselves as wealthy (though there is dispute on the real demographics). Still, a strong allegiance to the American Dream can lead even regular folks to overestimate their own self-reliance in the same way as rich people.
I’ve never had any use for “allegiance to the American Dream.” I would imagine there are a lot like me. All considered blasphemers.
Idolatry of Ayn Rand apparently a data point.
And these things now essentially define political positions and are a big part of the near violent polarization in American life.
Interesting side note: From experience I know there’s an intense aversion to any music — even some made by celebrities — in the US when it gets “political.”
The problem is that most music (other than pure love songs and oldies interpretations), or written or painted work drawn from current American life, if it’s reality-based even a bit, can’t help but be perceived as taking a political position.
You’re not writing or creating from the standpoint of an honest individual voice if it doesn’t.
Therefore, I get the trivial objection that “The National Anthem” is political because it has one image in the video — a “Conservative Talking Points” blog on an iPhone — that’s objectionable because it’s seen as slanted. Strip away the slides for the entire thing, however, and the slant disappears.
Of course, it still has a position — the national image. Which definitely has nothing to do with any American dream. A nightmare, maybe, one that you can’t wake up from.
Good news, lads! Good news! Many people will never have a sense of humor that extends beyond watching others take pratfalls and the telling of shit jokes.