America is held hostage by flyover states | TheHill
"The predominant narrative coming out of the 2016 presidential post-election analysis is: The flyover states have spoken.
A flyover state is the huge region between the coasts.
As opposed to the eastern seaboard, northern post-industrial states and Pacific Ocean states.
They’re
overwhelmingly Republican, stanchly conservative,
regressive right wing, evangelical Christian and working class, well, the loudest, most ill-informed of them are.
...Forsetti’s Justice writes:
“...Now they’ve elected Donald Trump, the ultimate coastal elite.
Trump pandered to their bigotry, and anger at Washington, D.C.
...They’re not silent or a majority
...They seem to be perpetually enraged every election cycle, and after, according to the results.
...The flyover states are the main reason Congress is irreparably broken.
Since the inception of the term silent majority almost 50 years ago, and all of its iterations since, this block of voters was hardly a majority and never silent.
This group has been
exceedingly adept at dominating the narrative in virtually every election cycle.
They’re proficient at dog-whistle propaganda, and since the mid-1980s, they’ve created their own media echo-chamber which exponentially multiplies the sound of their own voices, with no interference from outside sources.
This was accomplished mainly with coast to coast a.m. radio stations broadcasting 24/7 right-wing indoctrination, to conservative patriot and alt-right conspiracy theory websites of the last 15 years which
disseminate tragic half-truths and whole fake news.
...Their old standbys are opposing a woman’s right to choose, reinstituting school prayer and eradicating "big government."
They hate progress.
Their idea of American values is straight from circa 1870.
...They’re delusional in their belief that their views are more important, more valid, more ethical, and more patriotic than any other groups.
They claim American Christian values, home, God and country.
White values.
Any dissenting viewpoints are taken as literal acts of war.
Anyone who questions the narrow vision of Middle America Christian values, being forced on 325 million people of multiple cultures, religions, no religion, and a mosaic of ethnicities, is deemed ungodly and un-American.
It’s clear cultural fascism.
- American cultural progress has gone regressive
- The United States is in social and cultural check.
- The poor will get no practical relief.
- Living wages will remain a distant dream.
- Healthcare costs will remain the major source of bankruptcy.
- Environmental issues will intensify to unknown crisis proportions.
- Women’s reproductive rights will be under constant attack and eroded.
- Race relations will devolve to tribal levels of disdain and mistrust.
- The American melting pot will become a cauldron boiling over with contempt.
...To Trump voters:
You allowed your bigotry and anger at the system to be cynically exploited yet again, by regressive, wealthy demagogues.
I have little sympathy for you.
I for one will not be contorting myself to "give Trump a chance" or seek common ground with you.
You need healing, not allies.
Duane Townsend is life-long resident of Detroit, Mich., and an experienced observer of the American social/political landscape."
