I have watched with a passing interest, the Republican spectacle that is Donald Trump. He seems to have broad support across the US but more auspiciously in many of the “fly over” states. Much of this area encompasses the “Bible-Belt” located in the southeastern portion of the US. If you look at maps of the “Bible-Belt” and US maps of people living below the poverty level, you will see a strong correlation. You will also find a common overlap with maps of people aged 25 and over who have failed to complete high school. These latter comparison maps now also include broad portions of the southwestern US.
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| Bible Belt |
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| Tan = fewer than 80% of HS graduates aged 25+ |
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| Dark Blue = 30% or more of the population below the poverty level |
While Trump’s appeal crosses many ethnic and social boundaries, his largest and most vociferous supporters are blue-collar workers and those who consider themselves “country.” I recently watched an hour long special featuring Hank Williams, Jr. He is a talented country singer with an even more famous father. The concert was given in an open building at his home/cabin. Mr. Williams wore camouflage pants, a western shirt, and a cowboy hat. He seemed to embody the very essence of what we call, “country.” He strummed various guitars and sang several songs. He gave a tour of his home where he proudly described, in detail, his collection of civil war cannons. He talked about hunting big horn sheep.
Country music has many common themes. One of the songs performed during the H.W. Jr. concert was his recent hit titled, God and Guns. Lines from the song:
“God and guns keep us strong, / “We might as well give up and run / If we let ’em take our God and guns / That ain’t gonna happen.”
It seems to express a common country theme outlining a perceived fear that the government is coming to take away their God and their guns. This religious fervor runs through much of country music but it also runs next to songs of hard drinking and extramarital sex. No one in this population seems to see the conflict.
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| Hank Williams Jr. |
Country music is also emblazoned with patriotic fervor. While patriotism is good, blind allegiance to a patriotic theme is bad. Our founding fathers, through our US Constitution, amendments thereto, and our Bill of Rights, provided a structure of tolerance. This would include racial equality, freedom to practice any religion, and freedom to NOT practice any religion. Our country was not founded as a theocratic state. People need to revisit these valuable documents and thoroughly read them. All individuals have a right to express themselves, not just those people who support your opinions. There are many ways to express your beliefs that don’t involve anarchy and violence. There are means provided within our laws to implement change.
I like country people. I enjoy their thoughtful manners and hospitality. These values are lacking in many places in our society. I enjoy much of their music, when I’m in the mood. I will however confess that I don’t fully understand their political bent. Their efforts seem to be contradictory to their own self interests. Not all country people are racist but at least a portion of that population will fall into that category. I believe that many of the problems touched on here will be improved with a better investment in our educational system and a sincere effort to raise more people out of poverty. These two items are intrinsically linked.
I believe that many Americans think that their problems, both actual and perceived, can be solved by an all powerful president. They look for an authoritarian leader who promises them what they want even though the president lacks the power to fulfill those promises. Donald Trump makes these big promises and people want to believe him so much, that they support his campaign. In 1925 Hitler coined the term, the Big Lie. At its heart was the belief that if you told a really colossal lie, no one would believe that someone "could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously."
The US Office of Strategic Services had a psychological profile prepared on Hitler during the war. In it was the following:
His primary rules were: never allow the public to cool off; never admit a fault or wrong; never concede that there may be some good in your enemy; never leave room for alternatives; never accept blame; concentrate on one enemy at a time and blame him for everything that goes wrong; people will believe a big lie sooner than a little one; and if you repeat it frequently enough people will sooner or later believe it.
I believe that the above profile fits the personality of Mr. Trump. He has shown as much to the American public both in the many recent debates and as recorded in public records during his lifetime. Students of history (not just the American Civil War), will recognize the similarities in Mr. Trump's personality and the one quoted above for Mr. Hitler. Individuals with lesser levels of education will be more apt to fall for Mr. Trump's empty rhetoric. His statement, "I love the poorly educated" has validity and meaning. He would be lost without them.
Any individual, from either party, who would run on a platform that vows to improve our educational system, break the cycle of poverty, and invest in our infrastructure while still managing the national debt, would go a long way in achieving my vote. They would however need to not just say the words. I would need them to outline a comprehensive and detailed plan for achieving these goals. That plan would also have to be viable. Standing in front of a crowd and gearing your comments to that specific group without actions and plans to implement your stated goals, is meaningless rhetoric.
