America's cultural divide: I can't help but notice this

[JonahFitzsimmons]

Red States: conservative, low-cost of living, boorish culture, pro-gun
Blue States: liberal or leftist, high-cost of living, sophisticated culture, anti-gun

In places where Bach and Mozart are highly appreciated, gun rights are unfortunately not respected.

I've traveled and lived all over America and this is what I've concluded about our nation and its people and politics.

I'm an odd American who fits nowhere perfectly. My pro-gun nature and modest income level keeps me from living in blue states but I can't stand cultures associated with cowboy music, lawn mower races or southern accents. I love to listen to classical music but I cherish my bird shotgun, revolver and hunting rifle too. I don't smoke, drink or gamble. I would prefer to live up on a hill in a grove of redwoods with a view of the pacific ocean but that's much too rich for my blood.

 

[lukethethird]

Your country needs more political parties.

 

[Ayjaydee]

Red States: conservative, low-cost of living, boorish culture, pro-gun
Blue States: liberal or leftist, high-cost of living, sophisticated culture, anti-gun

In places where Bach and Mozart are highly appreciated, gun rights are unfortunately not respected.

I've traveled and lived all over America and this is what I've concluded about our nation and its people and politics.

I'm an odd American who fits nowhere perfectly. My pro-gun nature and modest income level keeps me from living in blue states but I can't stand cultures associated with cowboy music, lawn mower races or southern accents. I love to listen to classical music but I cherish my bird shotgun, revolver and hunting rifle too. I don't smoke, drink or gamble. I would prefer to live up on a hill in a grove of redwoods with a view of the pacific ocean but that's much too rich for my blood.

Plenty of blue state people hunt birds and game. The only thing setting you apart is your love of handguns which have no real purpose except killing people or sport target shootings. If sport target is that important it overrides all the downsides of a red state that's up to you
If not, move to civilization

 

[Estro Felino]

Boorish culture?
That's not a nice thing to say ..
Btw welcome to the forums.

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

Red States: conservative, low-cost of living, boorish culture, pro-gun
Blue States: liberal or leftist, high-cost of living, sophisticated culture, anti-gun

In places where Bach and Mozart are highly appreciated, gun rights are unfortunately not respected.

I've traveled and lived all over America and this is what I've concluded about our nation and its people and politics.

I'm an odd American who fits nowhere perfectly. My pro-gun nature and modest income level keeps me from living in blue states but I can't stand cultures associated with cowboy music, lawn mower races or southern accents. I love to listen to classical music but I cherish my bird shotgun, revolver and hunting rifle too. I don't smoke, drink or gamble. I would prefer to live up on a hill in a grove of redwoods with a view of the pacific ocean but that's much too rich for my blood.

Figure 1: the American who votes against his own best interests because of wedge issues.

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

Plenty of blue state people hunt birds and game. The only thing setting you apart is your love of handguns which have no real purpose except killing people or sport target shootings. If sport target is that important it overrides all the downsides of a red state that's up to you
If not, move to civilization

Pretty sure there are target pistol clubs and ranges in even the deepest blue states.

 

[Ayjaydee]

Pretty sure there are target pistol clubs and ranges in even the deepest blue states.

Yeah, I just wonder if blue state people belong and if so are they obsessed with home defense?

 

[Estro Felino]

But the South, AFAIK is famous for being Protestant and consequently, Bible-Belt.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

Red States: conservative, low-cost of living, boorish culture, pro-gun
Blue States: liberal or leftist, high-cost of living, sophisticated culture, anti-gun

In places where Bach and Mozart are highly appreciated, gun rights are unfortunately not respected.

I've traveled and lived all over America and this is what I've concluded about our nation and its people and politics.

I'm an odd American who fits nowhere perfectly. My pro-gun nature and modest income level keeps me from living in blue states but I can't stand cultures associated with cowboy music, lawn mower races or southern accents. I love to listen to classical music but I cherish my bird shotgun, revolver and hunting rifle too. I don't smoke, drink or gamble. I would prefer to live up on a hill in a grove of redwoods with a view of the pacific ocean but that's much too rich for my blood.

Come to Maine. We are an odd political mix, even in the rural areas.

 

[PureX]

Stupid people don't like smart people because smart people make them look and feel stupid, in comparison. So stupid people tend to stay stupid because they resent and avoid intelligence rather than admire it, and pursue it. Instead, they pretend that stupidity is some sort of folksy wisdom that smart people are too arrogant to appreciate. And that way they can feel better about themselves, and comfortable in their ignorance.

This is one aspect of the cultural divide in the U.S.

Another is about wealth distribution and it's relation to power. Capitalism gives the wealthy investor class control over the commercial enterprise that their capital is invested in, which the capitalists then use to capture yet more wealth. That is, after all, the sole purpose of capitalism. So as the wealthy become even more wealthy, they use some of that excess wealth to corrupt the government into representing their interests instead of the interests of the people the government is supposed to be representing. But to keep doing this, they also need to get a significant number of stupid people to vote for their corrupt politicians, in spite of the fact that those politicians will not serve those stupid people's best interests once in office. (Which is why these supporters need to be stupid.) So a system has been created to keep the stupid people among us stirred up, emotionally, and focusing their anger and resentment of smart people at the political opponents of the wealthy elites. Hence, the endless parade of "wedge issues" being pushed on the public by media outlets owned by the wealthy elites. And it works. The stupid people are sufficiently stirred up, and their resentments against smart people are sufficiently blinding, to get them to vote for corrupt politicians, and against their own best interests, in election after election. They are not the majority of citizens, but they are a sufficient enough number that along with gerrymandering and election-rigging, the corrupt politicians are able to get elected, and re-elected, time after time. And the wealthy elites continue to use them for their own economic gain.

So as the nation's wealth piles up in the hands of an increasingly powerful elite, the political corruption deepens, and the general population suffers the consequences. And the stupid people within that population suffer those consequences, the most. But unfortunately, instead of that suffering driving people together, and unifying them to enable them to take back their government and end it's corruption, it only drives stupid people to behave even more stupidly. So they "double down" on their anger and resentment of intelligence, and of intelligent people, and they vote for even the most obvious corrupt and criminally inclined political candidates, just to express their loathing for those "smart-a$$ed liberals" that they imagine hate them and loathe them as much as they hate and loathe the smart-a$$ed liberals.

So that as the rich continue to corrupt our government and use it to exploit the nation for all the wealth they can get, we end up turning more and more against each other, instead of turning against them, and unifying to take control of our government back , from them. And if this all goes on much longer, the corruption will have become so entrenched and disfiguring that we will no longer be able to overcome it using democratic means even if we do stop hating and blaming each other and decide to act together to take control of it back. And at that point, there will be no avoiding the bloody abyss into which we are heading.

 

[Kenny]

Red States: conservative, low-cost of living, boorish culture, pro-gun
Blue States: liberal or leftist, high-cost of living, sophisticated culture, anti-gun

In places where Bach and Mozart are highly appreciated, gun rights are unfortunately not respected.

I've traveled and lived all over America and this is what I've concluded about our nation and its people and politics.

I'm an odd American who fits nowhere perfectly. My pro-gun nature and modest income level keeps me from living in blue states but I can't stand cultures associated with cowboy music, lawn mower races or southern accents. I love to listen to classical music but I cherish my bird shotgun, revolver and hunting rifle too. I don't smoke, drink or gamble. I would prefer to live up on a hill in a grove of redwoods with a view of the pacific ocean but that's much too rich for my blood.

You are not alone... I don't like cowboy music, enjoy Bach and Mozart, and still respect gun rights. Live in a city of 116,000 people.

 

[wellwisher]

The divide in America traditionally created a tension of opposites, from which both sides learn and grow. This divide used to be based on political sports. One could debate and still be friends.

However, since the election of Trump, the left has been using more of a war approach, deepening the divide beyond what was normal. The Democrats began leading the country toward a new Civil War. It was like the past was repeating itself; General Bubba Clinton. Brothers became enemies.

The bottom line was the Democrat party had become extra corrupt during the Obama Years. Biden and others had learned to money launderer tax payer dollars through foreign aid, family members and corrupt foreign entities; Ukraine, China, Iran, etc. The DNC fixed the primaries against Bernie Sanders so Hillary would win. They showed that America has a dual justice system when Hillary ddi not pay for her crimes. The DNC spied on the Trump campaign using the power and intel resources of the US government; FBI and CIA. That was way worse than Watergate and anything Nixon had done.

When Trump won, he threatened to undermine the syndicate and expose the swamp. The Democrats and the mainstream media; fake news, began a coup to overthrow a duly elected President, since he was considered a threat to powers to be; drain the swamp.

This began a constant negative assault on the President and his base, with 90% negative news through all the Democrats controlled media complex. Most of this fake news was an illusion based on Intel schemes and the arrogant ignorance of the main street media.

Remember the collusion delusion, where the self proclaimed smartest people in media got it all wrong for over two years? This was a scam from day one and demonstrated that arrogance does not mean smart. There was also a push to alienate Trump supporters; deplorable, which deepened the divide. Trump and the Republican party have been on the defensive for three years, due to these organized efforts by the swamp, to avoid exposure and stay out of jail for their crimes.

The tide is starting to turn, since all the scams of the left, including impeachment, did not work. These efforts are now starting to alienate many in their own base. The Democrats used to support the underdog. This is noe seen as Trump causing blue color Democrats to change sides. The healing is beginning. Punishment of the criminals may needed so the healing can continue. As long as the liars and thieves run free, they will be a need to maintain the divide as a way to defend themselves and avoid justice.

 

[Howard Is]

Instead, they pretend that stupidity is some sort of folksy wisdom that smart people are too arrogant to appreciate

That is a gem.

 

[pearl]

I'm an odd American who fits nowhere perfectly. My pro-gun nature and modest income level keeps me from living in blue states but I can't stand cultures associated with cowboy music, lawn mower races or southern accents. I love to listen to classical music but I cherish my bird shotgun, revolver and hunting rifle too. I don't smoke, drink or gamble. I would prefer to live up on a hill in a grove of redwoods with a view of the pacific ocean but that's much too rich for my blood.

There are many in blue states who also enjoy owning guns for hunting etc. The opposition is to assault rifles with one purpose, to kill as many people as possible within shortest time. There are many moderate and lower income also in blue states.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Red States: conservative, low-cost of living, boorish culture, pro-gun
Blue States: liberal or leftist, high-cost of living, sophisticated culture, anti-gun

In places where Bach and Mozart are highly appreciated, gun rights are unfortunately not respected.

I've traveled and lived all over America and this is what I've concluded about our nation and its people and politics.

I'm an odd American who fits nowhere perfectly. My pro-gun nature and modest income level keeps me from living in blue states but I can't stand cultures associated with cowboy music, lawn mower races or southern accents. I love to listen to classical music but I cherish my bird shotgun, revolver and hunting rifle too. I don't smoke, drink or gamble. I would prefer to live up on a hill in a grove of redwoods with a view of the pacific ocean but that's much too rich for my blood.

There are no "red states" or "blue states." The entire US is purple... sometimes purple with a tinge of red, sometimes purple with a tinge of blue.

... but it sounds like what you're looking for is rural Canada: pistols and semi-auto rifles are frowned upon here, but your shotgun is perfectly fine (as long as you store it properly) and there's lots of hunting.

As long as you choose an eastern province, you won't get much country music. Away from the larger cities, cost of living is low, but even my small town of 30,000 people has a decent theatre and is less than an hour's drive from two symphony orchestras, a few art galleries, and many museums.

There are plenty of spots to be had along the Atlantic coast with a view like you describe, as long as you're okay with big pines instead of redwoods.

 

[Ayjaydee]

There are no "red states" or "blue states." The entire US is purple... sometimes purple with a tinge of red, sometimes purple with a tinge of blue.

... but it sounds like what you're looking for is rural Canada: pistols and semi-auto rifles are frowned upon here, but your shotgun is perfectly fine (as long as you store it properly) and there's lots of hunting.

As long as you choose an eastern province, you won't get much country music. Away from the larger cities, cost of living is low, but even my small town of 30,000 people has a decent theatre and is less than an hour's drive from two symphony orchestras, a few art galleries, and many museums.

There are plenty of spots to be had along the Atlantic coast with a view like you describe, as long as you're okay with big pines instead of redwoods.

I can own a semi auto rifle in canada

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I can own a semi auto rifle in canada

... as a restricted weapon (except for rimfire semi-auto rifles), with all the extra requirements that this entails. This is what I was getting at when I said that they're "frowned upon."

 

[Ayjaydee]

... as a restricted weapon (except for rimfire semi-auto rifles), with all the extra requirements that this entails. This is what I was getting at when I said that they're "frowned upon."

I dont know where you're getting that from. Centre fire, 5 shot ,semi auto, 470 mm barrel is unrestricted last I looked

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I dont know where you're getting that from. Centre fire, 5 shot ,semi auto, 470 mm barrel is unrestricted last I looked

I'm getting it from the RCMP's firearms site (emphasis mine):

Restricted
What's included in this class

• Handguns that are not prohibited firearms
• Firearms that:
  • are not prohibited firearms
  • have a barrel less than 470 mm in length
  • are capable of discharging centre-fire ammunition in a semi-automatic manner
• Firearms designed or adapted to be fired when reduced to a length of less than 660 mm by folding, telescoping or otherwise
• Firearms of any other kind prescribed to be restricted firearms in the Regulations

Classes of firearms | Royal Canadian Mounted Police

 

[Ayjaydee]

I'm getting it from the RCMP's firearms site (emphasis mine):


Classes of firearms | Royal Canadian Mounted Police

What I'm reading has the word AND after the 470 mm which means it must satisfy BOTH conditions.