George Floyd, Duante Wright...Derek Chavin, Kyle Rittenhouse...Brandon Hole...
From the Covid deniers who tried to kidnap the governor of Michigan, to the mass shooting in Indiana, the violence in Wisconsin, to the police murders around Minneapolis...there's some shit going wrong in the Rust Belt.
A lot of pixels have been spilled arguing whether the GOP's descent into Trumpist inchoate rage and racism has been caused by "economic anxiety." The idea that a trend this significant could have a single cause is ridiculous. Trumpism, the gun-humping, violent racism that engulfs so many white men is most broadly about "status anxiety" rather than specific economic issues, but there is no doubt that it is tied to the decline in status of white men without college degrees - no matter their income.
Being a cop is a pretty decent job for those without a college degree; it's a public service job with good benefits and the opportunity to make a lot on side jobs. Plus, up until recently it was a job that was respected. Through the actions of many police, that respect is gone - especially from the groups that white men (and women) feel are getting all the privileges: college educated and people of color.
This is at the heart of the "anti-wokeism" movement from even Republican elites. They are appealing to the anger of people who place of primacy has been diminished both by elevating pointy headed college grads and "those people." The fact that Donald Trump or Tucker Carlson is an heir to millions and went to fancy prep schools is besides the point. In fact, it helps that Trump is a fucking moron in this context.
It will be interesting to see if Georgia becomes like Virginia and North Carolina becomes like Georgia over the next few elections. But Ohio? That might as well be Alabama.
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