Comments on: Oklahoma election post mortems http://peacearena.org/2008/11/oklahoma-election-post-mortems/ spotlight on progressive values and action Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:04:51 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Terry Baker http://peacearena.org/2008/11/oklahoma-election-post-mortems/comment-page-1/#comment-373 Terry Baker Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:30:47 +0000 http://peacearena.org/?p=1207#comment-373 Right...Oklahoma IS the Most Reactionary State. One element to consider is the state's portion of the nation's so-called "greatest generation," the one that mostly went for Ronald Reagan and before that Nixon and Ford, the one that largely backed the war in Southeast Asia that we call The Vietnam War and, yes, the one that even swallowed sufficiently, most of them, the lies that gave us our two current wars. There are still a lot of "The Greatest Generation" alive in Oklahoma...but they are dying out. And so...less reactionary politics in the state as they disappear as a group, assuming they aren't replaced by even more reactionary persons. I am willing to make that assumption. The economic part of Reganism, disastrous yet widely supported here NOW even as the economy demonstrates by failure how and why it can't be sustained, also soon DIES. This in a manner even the most distorted and obtuse ideology and dogma will not be able to ignore, I do hope. Some of the "blind faith" and simple minded prejudice that supports the idea that "trickle-down" and "absolutely free markets" are good ideas or that these are even possible remains strong in Oklahoma. A good dose of incredible poverty might cure many of this affliction. It might not. Oklahomans have been encouraged to work hard, spend hard, and engage not in serious political action, most sacrificing towards feeding an increasingly top-heavy reward system that largely doesn't represent their economic interests. More work, harder work, for less pay and with less social benefit (health care costs too much---some people just aren't worth the social cost)-sounds like a hard sell, doesn't it? As much so in Oklahoma, we might finally have to say, as anywhere else. Reactionary politics proceed from disenfranchisement, poverty generally, ignorance, corrupt elites and corrupt institutions that encourage them, and a long list of other pernicious influences. In confronting and fighting the evil empire Reaganism tries without apology to actualize, I suppose I am in the right place. Some have even suggested that the culture of Oklahoma was used as a model for what became the selling part of Reganism. How about that? Right…Oklahoma IS the Most Reactionary State.

One element to consider is the state’s portion of the nation’s so-called “greatest generation,” the one that mostly went for Ronald Reagan and before that Nixon and Ford, the one that largely backed the war in Southeast Asia that we call The Vietnam War and, yes, the one that even swallowed sufficiently, most of them, the lies that gave us our two current wars.

There are still a lot of “The Greatest Generation” alive in Oklahoma…but they are dying out. And so…less reactionary politics in the state as they disappear as a group, assuming they aren’t replaced by even more reactionary persons. I am willing to make that assumption.

The economic part of Reganism, disastrous yet widely supported here NOW even as the economy demonstrates by failure how and why it can’t be sustained, also soon DIES. This in a manner even the most distorted and obtuse ideology and dogma will not be able to ignore, I do hope.

Some of the “blind faith” and simple minded prejudice that supports the idea that “trickle-down” and “absolutely free markets” are good ideas or that these are even possible remains strong in Oklahoma. A good dose of incredible poverty might cure many of this affliction. It might not.

Oklahomans have been encouraged to work hard, spend hard, and engage not in serious political action, most sacrificing towards feeding an increasingly top-heavy reward system that largely doesn’t represent their economic interests. More work, harder work, for less pay and with less social benefit (health care costs too much—some people just aren’t worth the social cost)-sounds like a hard sell, doesn’t it? As much so in Oklahoma, we might finally have to say, as anywhere else.

Reactionary politics proceed from disenfranchisement, poverty generally, ignorance, corrupt elites and corrupt institutions that encourage them, and a long list of other pernicious influences. In confronting and fighting the evil empire Reaganism tries without apology to actualize, I suppose I am in the right place. Some have even suggested that the culture of Oklahoma was used as a model for what became the selling part of Reganism.

How about that?

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