I like the picture doing the rounds on Twitter of the Charlottesville Nazis and the caption “Trump already had his parade”.

So I finally got around to reading Ta-Nehesi Coates essay Donald Trump is the First White President as part my belated effort to actually spend some of the huge gulfs of time I have between work for something mentally challenging, primarily views from people that aren't just straight white dudes, especially given how spectacularly places like the New York Times seem to be failing the political state of the US.

I don't know if it came back when it was first published, but i'd be interested in what people's take aways from it are. It weirdly came up in my interview yesterday when they asked me what me what kind of writing most appeals to me, and I said stuff that challenges my perceptions of things or opens my eyes on new perspectives.

I am especially interested in what Cinty might thing of it, given it spends a lot of time unpacking the myth of Trump's support being primarily working class americans (a particularly nice part for me was when he took the phrase "white working class Americans and suggesting that one adjective was doing a lot more work there than the other) but overall beings swell in white voters. I don't know if the numbers and sources are great, i am no best at unpicking those figures. Any links to rebuttal or response pieces would be great too.

Tempy wrote:

So I finally got around to reading Ta-Nehesi Coates essay Donald Trump is the First White President as part my belated effort to actually spend some of the huge gulfs of time I have between work for something mentally challenging, primarily views from people that aren't just straight white dudes, especially given how spectacularly places like the New York Times seem to be failing the political state of the US.

I don't know if it came back when it was first published, but i'd be interested in what people's take aways from it are. It weirdly came up in my interview yesterday when they asked me what me what kind of writing most appeals to me, and I said stuff that challenges my perceptions of things or opens my eyes on new perspectives.

I am especially interested in what Cinty might thing of it, given it spends a lot of time unpacking the myth of Trump's support being primarily working class americans (a particularly nice part for me was when he took the phrase "white working class Americans and suggesting that one adjective was doing a lot more work there than the other) but overall beings swell in white voters. I don't know if the numbers and sources are great, i am no best at unpicking those figures. Any links to rebuttal or response pieces would be great too.

I shall have a look now - cheers.

Another shooting at a school, in Florida this time.

A mix of readily available guns, emotional insecurity and a location home to the causes of said emotional insecurity.

More crushingly inevitable.

In other news, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency has claimed that he needed to take first class flights because of unpleasant interaction with other passengers.

https://secondnexus.com/news/politics/white-males-guns-empowerment-economic-uncertainty/?utm_content=inf_677_1164_2&tse_id=INF_f8bdc7f0140111e8b994b71562261940

Some good reading, here.

Let's hope so, I'm noticing it too. Not only with the kids being vocal, but also parents, which might be more important as they can vote.

Asked B what the reactions of his colleagues were this time, and while it still seems to be ignored by most (it's a pretty sensitive subject) he noticed some people that were pro guns were getting more nuanced about it all, and started realizing that change was needed.

Who knows, people here are weird as soon as emotions get involved.

Nina wrote:

Let's hope so, I'm noticing it too. Not only with the kids being vocal, but also parents, which might be more important as they can vote. Asked B what the reactions of his colleagues were this time, and while it still seems to be ignored by most (it's a pretty sensitive subject) he noticed some people that were pro guns were getting more nuanced about it all, and started realizing that change was needed. Who knows, people here are weird as soon as emotions get involved.

Its curious how different it is here in Australia. I grew up in Tasmania; my brother had school friends who hid from Martin Bryant in the public toilets at Port Arthur. The killer's name and photo are no longer displayed in local news out of sensitivity to the families on the anniversary times. 

The Port Arthur shooting was the one thing that enabled John Howard to get something done right: gun control.  Australia has had no mass shootings in 22 years now. We have a relatively similar history to the USA. Founded by British colonialists. Genocide of indigenous people. Frontier mentality. Guns being widespread across the country. Main difference being we didn't fight against British rule from afar. We remained part of the Commonwealth c/- arselickers and an inferiority complex/widespread fear of Asia (White Australia Policy). So guns as a result never became ingrained as part of a founding document and were easier to regulate. 

Most Australians will accept the need for guns as a tool (farming, hunting contexts). Most are fine with sports shooting and hobby collectors of military history. We have regulations for gun safes and separate stores for ammunition. And no-one aside from a fringe minority of libertarian wingnuts argue for sale of high powered or concealable weapons. 

Hopefully Australia never goes down the path the USA took (on anything, really). 

I'm surprised that no number of kindergarten or school shootings is ever enough for the politicians to do something. The NRA must be considered a terrorist organisation by now. They should have been outlawed 20+ years ago.

Being back in the states reminded me that Americans are both the most polite and rudest people I've ever met, full of "hey how are you" but also "yo I ain't queuing". A weird weird country. It has a bizarre place in my heart.

I also think that a lot of the pushback is about trump and his affiliation with the nra.  With Obama, you knew he was on your side but had his hands tied. but trump doesn't mind shootings if he gets paid or gets a photo next to the first responders afterwards.

regmcfly wrote:

Being back in the states reminded me that Americans are both the most polite and rudest people I've ever met, full of "hey how are you" but also "yo I ain't queuing". A weird weird country. It has a bizarre place in my heart.

That was my takeaway after spending 2 weeks there in the summer. Just the weirdest place I’ve ever been.

Gremill wrote:

regmcfly wrote:

Being back in the states reminded me that Americans are both the most polite and rudest people I've ever met, full of "hey how are you" but also "yo I ain't queuing". A weird weird country. It has a bizarre place in my heart.

That was my takeaway after spending 2 weeks there in the summer. Just the weirdest place I’ve ever been.

Yeeeup.

I mean, cold beer ffs.