Posted on 06/26/2007 5:17:28 PM PDT by Mamzelle
Over the past months of this nightmare of immigration scofflawry, listening to the rhetoric from the aristocratic Republican elites--I’ve been carried back to the Magnolia Melodramas I enjoyed reading as a teenager. Gwen Bristow’s “Plantation Trilogy”; Frank Yerby’s “The Foxes of Harrow” and the magnificent mother of them all--Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone With The Wind.”
George Bush once said, “I’m not a southerner, I’m a southwesterner.” He was trying to distance himself from the south and the taint of racism, a “compassionate” insult to every southerner who voted for him. But he has every resemblence to the linen-suited julep-drinking Massa of the Old South.
And the dynamic of the Elites verses Middle-class Conservatives is exactly like the plantation owner and his nearest inelegant neighbors...White Trash. Scots-Irish subsistence farmers couldn’t afford to the leisured fineries of the Planter Class because they were trying to eke out an existence in competition with the institution of slavery.
Remember the characters of the Slatterys and the Macintoshes, Gerald and Scarlett O’Hara’s WT neighbors? Not only did the O’Haras hold them in contempt for being so hardscrabble, tacky and rough-textured, but the slaves themselves of the plantations held themselves in higher esteem than “po’ whites.”
And the Massa with the Big Heart dearly loved his servants, loved condescending to them--What treasures! Just like members of the family! Not that he set them free, or ate at the same table. There are limits to paternalism and noblesse oblige. But Massa and Missus were unfailingly thankful that Mammy and Pork picked up Scotty’s poop off the Big House lawn.
The irony--it’s the Southern middle class that makes up a lot of the soldiers who trusted him enough to serve in Iraq.
George Bush thinks he can afford to openly display the contempt he has always felt for Joe Redneck...er...Sixpack. His chief overseer, Tony Snow, let us in on the secret in the wee hours after election day. He can now concentrate on indulging his oozing childhood sentimentality by handing his house servants a deed to America.
I’m reminded of another scene from Gone With The Wind--Scarlett was being lectured by an elderly matriarch about Trash. “And when you’re done with them--kick them away and do it thoroughly, because Trash clinging to your coattails can ruin you.”
I have entered into many discussions about illegal immigration with a comment--housework and yardwork are political. This is a class issue between overlord elites who can’t conceive of a life spent actually cleaning up after themselves. They break the laws, then have to justify the transgression by accusing the law of being bad. That’s why they become insulting and defensive when requested to obey the law.
I’m done with Bush. I don’t trust him--or any member of his Indolent family.
I really disagree. He has been very sensitive in word and deed to any attempt to portray him as a Southerner. All that "racist white guy" stuff really bothers him, and he goes out of his way to deny that any of it applies to him -- when it falls to the attacker in the first place to prove that it does. I don't for a second think that he is a white-suit, string-tie racist pol, another "Pitchfork" Tillman or Theo Bilbo. The local NAACP trolls were trying to portray him as one, to "identify" (i.e., bracket, in propagandaspeak) him with them. All he had to do was to stand up to them. He didn't. He ran.
I find it extremely offensive that his statement would be twisted for political gain.
"Political gain"? The only people who tried for "political gain" are the President's adversaries and the President himself. If you are referring to my argument, that he has been less than loyal to "them what brung him" by running away from identification with them, then resent away, because he did it and I called him on it.
It doesn't matter if he was taking Karl Rove's advice or not. He was elected by Texas voters twice before he went into the White House (with their help, again). He owes us more than dissocation from us by creating artificial distinctions between "southwestern" and "southern" Texans.
“All he had to do was to stand up to them. He didn’t. He ran.”
Sometimes it is better to stay silent than dignify the argument with a response. I’m approaching that point with this entire thing, since I keep repeating myself, and people seem like they aren’t getting my meaning.
“He owes us more than dissocation from us by creating artificial distinctions between “southwestern” and “southern” Texans.”
If it is artificial then why all the fuss?
Because of the traduction and the intention to walk away that lies behind it.
Texas is a big place and has plenty of room for POV's -- lots of liberal populists, for example, as well as strong social conservatives up in Rockwall County and the other Dallas exurban counties.
Bush's defense, under propaganda attack by the dimwit race-pimps at the NAACP, could have been gracious, articulate, and principled. It wasn't.
As your tagline says, “Whatever.”
You say po-tay-toe, I say poe-tah-toe.
Have a great Fourth of July!
And where are you from? I notice that most of the people on this thread whining about Texas not being a “Southern” State are either non Texians or Yankee/Californian transplants.
As far as Bush being a “Texan” thats total Bull Shiitte! He’s a Conn. Yankee born and bred and Boogied back up to the N.E. as soon as he reached H.S. to attend a tony Prep school. He learned to effect a Texas accent when he was defeated in a Congressional Race in W. Texas. He vowed to never be out “Countried” again!
It doesn’t matter where I’m from, but if you must know, I am from California, formerly of El Paso, TX and Dewey, AZ. Guess that invalidates my opinion from your POV, don’t it?
BTW, since when do Texans use the word “tony”? Are you affecting....
You’re right about El Paso, anyway. It’s closer to L.A. than it is to Houston.
“Since when do Texans use the word “tony”?
Saw it in a “Society” column once. LOL!
“You’re right about El Paso, anyway. It’s closer to L.A. than it is to Houston.”
Closer to Houston, but not as nice. El Paso is not, (did I say “not), my favorite place in the world.
You sure you’re not one of those rich cattle or oil guys? I don’t think that good ole boys read the Society column. Just ask George Strait.
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