It’s also that there are so many liberal Americans and self identified Democrats who secretly hate the poor as much as the elties do. There are a lot of folks who want to “help” the homeless just so they don’t have to look at them anymore. They don’t realize that to someone like Staley, they’re also despicable, worthless poor people.
They fear winding up like the homeless people they pity, and commiting the social sin of not being economically productive. So they’re unlikely to to risk giving up the trappings of a “middle-class” life even to stop the rise of fascism, at least until they themselves are threatened with being poor.
Basically, Staley’s assertation is correct, if a little shallow.
I mean yea… I do want to help the homeless so I don’t have to look at them anymore. Who wants to watch people suffering under a broken system? That seems like a very reasonable motivator for trying to help them and fix the system.
Difference being that you’re actually concerned with their suffering and how broken things are, while others don’t really mind if Republicans put people in jail just for being homeless. They might cluck their tongues about it, but they aren’t going to put up any real opposition because it “keeps crime down”.
There are people who find looking at homeless people depressing because they empathize with someone who is suffering, and to be clear, nothing about my first comment implies that prejudice against the poor is a universal attitude among US liberals and Democrats.
But there are also people who don’t want to look at homeless people because having them around brings down their property values, or it makes them feel threatened, or judged, or because they believe everyone who’s homeless brought the situation on themselves. A decent number of these people are what the US calls liberals, they verbally support racial equality, equal rights for LGBTQIA persons, and probably pay lip service to public education and the idea of economic mobility. But, when you suggest something like building more public housing they whine about crime rates, complain about how people who live in the projects will just languish there and not improve themselves, and wring their hands over the safety of their children.
Hell, some will donate to build portable sheds to keep people from freezing to death, but will fight against building proper homes for them. That only makes sense if part of you believes that the homeless no longer deserve basic human dignity.
Look at the media representation homeless people have, crazy old men, exploited runaway teenage girls, and drug addicts. All people who “brought it on themselves” and all people to be pitied. You almost never see anything else. No one who simply got priced out of the housing market. No one who got evicted due to medical bills. No one living in a car while they work at McDonalds. No one moving from cheap motel to cheap motel while getting the kids to school. Few are in a situation that can’t be blamed on their own actions. No one who isn’t a danger or a cautionary tale. No families. No young children.
The US’s ideal of rugged individualism has absolutely pickled some people’s minds with the fundamental attribution bias to the extent that they don’t seem to believe the poor really belong among “productive members of society”. They didn’t keep up with the Joneses, as the good kind of people should, and somehow it must be their fault. They should be… elsewhere, and they don’t much care as long as they’re out of sight and out of mind. Prison might seem harsh, but at least they’re off the street and getting hot meals… They’d never suggest something so cruel, but they won’t turn out to protest or vote against it…
So, until these people feel directly threatened, they’re going to cling to the “consumer goods” the OP’s image is talking about, to the things that make them “belong” in our society, a big TV, an SUV instead of an economy car, a mortgage they can’t really afford, and the job that pays for them. They want those things more than social justice, not for the sake of the things, but because of what they represent in a consumerist society. They won’t go out and protest and they certainly wouldn’t risk participating in a general strike, at least not until there seems to be enough of a change in public opinion that they can do it safely. They’ll let the fascists win as long as they can keep counting themselves among the non-poor, to avoid being pushed out to go elsewhere by their former neighbors.
Their complacency is driven by classism. They’re just too dumb to realize that someone like Staley thinks they’re also worthless as anything other than another demographic to exploit.
Do people hate the car they drive? Why should the elite hate the poor? They use them. It’s the middle class who hates the poor in parts because they have to interact with them.
Difference being, when it comes time to maintain their car they’re likely to see it as an investment or worthwhile since that big fancy car has at least some value to them.
But when the poor need health care to keep working, the elites would prefer to simply discard them.
the only sjw are the ones going out to protests, or active in the communites. almost every other D voters are center right, and do not like to be associated with poors or even some whites do not like INTERACTING with pocs and even lgbtq+ people, and display very CONSERVATIVE beliefs if not for being in a blue county, they would all be like schumer/jefferies.
thats why their isnt a cohesive movement, the right are all enamored by trump and they actually dont protest in general, because they are eaisly distracted by things they are told to hate, and not actually form a opinion on.
It’s also that there are so many liberal Americans and self identified Democrats who secretly hate the poor as much as the elties do. There are a lot of folks who want to “help” the homeless just so they don’t have to look at them anymore. They don’t realize that to someone like Staley, they’re also despicable, worthless poor people.
They fear winding up like the homeless people they pity, and commiting the social sin of not being economically productive. So they’re unlikely to to risk giving up the trappings of a “middle-class” life even to stop the rise of fascism, at least until they themselves are threatened with being poor.
Basically, Staley’s assertation is correct, if a little shallow.
I mean yea… I do want to help the homeless so I don’t have to look at them anymore. Who wants to watch people suffering under a broken system? That seems like a very reasonable motivator for trying to help them and fix the system.
Difference being that you’re actually concerned with their suffering and how broken things are, while others don’t really mind if Republicans put people in jail just for being homeless. They might cluck their tongues about it, but they aren’t going to put up any real opposition because it “keeps crime down”.
Most people don’t want to look at them because it’s depressing. Why do they find it depressing?
There are people who find looking at homeless people depressing because they empathize with someone who is suffering, and to be clear, nothing about my first comment implies that prejudice against the poor is a universal attitude among US liberals and Democrats.
But there are also people who don’t want to look at homeless people because having them around brings down their property values, or it makes them feel threatened, or judged, or because they believe everyone who’s homeless brought the situation on themselves. A decent number of these people are what the US calls liberals, they verbally support racial equality, equal rights for LGBTQIA persons, and probably pay lip service to public education and the idea of economic mobility. But, when you suggest something like building more public housing they whine about crime rates, complain about how people who live in the projects will just languish there and not improve themselves, and wring their hands over the safety of their children.
Hell, some will donate to build portable sheds to keep people from freezing to death, but will fight against building proper homes for them. That only makes sense if part of you believes that the homeless no longer deserve basic human dignity.
Look at the media representation homeless people have, crazy old men, exploited runaway teenage girls, and drug addicts. All people who “brought it on themselves” and all people to be pitied. You almost never see anything else. No one who simply got priced out of the housing market. No one who got evicted due to medical bills. No one living in a car while they work at McDonalds. No one moving from cheap motel to cheap motel while getting the kids to school. Few are in a situation that can’t be blamed on their own actions. No one who isn’t a danger or a cautionary tale. No families. No young children.
The US’s ideal of rugged individualism has absolutely pickled some people’s minds with the fundamental attribution bias to the extent that they don’t seem to believe the poor really belong among “productive members of society”. They didn’t keep up with the Joneses, as the good kind of people should, and somehow it must be their fault. They should be… elsewhere, and they don’t much care as long as they’re out of sight and out of mind. Prison might seem harsh, but at least they’re off the street and getting hot meals… They’d never suggest something so cruel, but they won’t turn out to protest or vote against it…
So, until these people feel directly threatened, they’re going to cling to the “consumer goods” the OP’s image is talking about, to the things that make them “belong” in our society, a big TV, an SUV instead of an economy car, a mortgage they can’t really afford, and the job that pays for them. They want those things more than social justice, not for the sake of the things, but because of what they represent in a consumerist society. They won’t go out and protest and they certainly wouldn’t risk participating in a general strike, at least not until there seems to be enough of a change in public opinion that they can do it safely. They’ll let the fascists win as long as they can keep counting themselves among the non-poor, to avoid being pushed out to go elsewhere by their former neighbors.
Their complacency is driven by classism. They’re just too dumb to realize that someone like Staley thinks they’re also worthless as anything other than another demographic to exploit.
Do people hate the car they drive? Why should the elite hate the poor? They use them. It’s the middle class who hates the poor in parts because they have to interact with them.
Difference being, when it comes time to maintain their car they’re likely to see it as an investment or worthwhile since that big fancy car has at least some value to them.
But when the poor need health care to keep working, the elites would prefer to simply discard them.
They simply let them die. That’s ignorance, not hate.
Indifference.
They’re aware of what the world they built does to people, but that’s just what they think the natural order of things should be.
the only sjw are the ones going out to protests, or active in the communites. almost every other D voters are center right, and do not like to be associated with poors or even some whites do not like INTERACTING with pocs and even lgbtq+ people, and display very CONSERVATIVE beliefs if not for being in a blue county, they would all be like schumer/jefferies.
thats why their isnt a cohesive movement, the right are all enamored by trump and they actually dont protest in general, because they are eaisly distracted by things they are told to hate, and not actually form a opinion on.