Thursday, December 15, 2005

Welfare States

In a typically brilliant post over at his place, TBogg quotes a sarcastic conservative comment about "rubes in middle America [you know - the people who fight the wars, pay the taxes, etc.]." In typical liberal fashion, TBogg responds to this wanker's claim with the unfair use of facts, data and reason.

First, TBogg references a fact that's probably familiar to most liberals by now, namely that the Red States are generally the ones who get more back from the federal government than they pay into its coffers in the form of taxes.

But he also challenges the other half of that conservative assumption, the claim that "middle America" does all the fighting. As this map shows, a surprisingly large number of our soldiers killed in Iraq come from the decadent cities of the Blue States.

Is there anything that the Red States are doing while the Blue States are out there paying taxes and fighting wars? Does the Republican War on Science and Foreign Languages really take up all their time?

7 comments:

Thrillhous said...

That map of where our fallen soldiers come from is obviously biased.

If it were truly accurate, it would show not only those who have died in service, but also those who really and truly wanted to serve but couldn't, such as those with terrible health problems like butt cysts or a pregnant wife. And there's also all those guys who rushed down to the recruitment centers only to find that there was a bunch of minorities taking up all the good spots.

Those are your true patriots, my friend.

Otto Man said...

You should go read the comments at the original post. They're all outraged that Hollywood would dare make a movie about gay cowboys, but they see this as an intentional effort from Hollywood to stick it to them. Their sense of victimization is ridiculous.

ORF said...

Um MF not to be belligerent, step the FUCK off the South, my friend...

If you want the Red Staters to understand that not all NYers live on the Upper East Side and dine on beluga, then you can start by not assuming everyone down South is a backwards cousin kisser.

Mr Furious said...

As soon as I saw the "orf said..." I thought, "Uh-oh, I think she's from Carolina..."

"step the FUCK off the South, my friend..."

Not to worry, orf, my fury has pinpoint contol. No one with an open mind, a brain in their head or a vote against Bush need concern themselves.

For what it's worth, the top half of Michigan is just as crazy...

Mr Furious said...

"Actually, all the bloggers here are Southern by birth and by the grace of God"

Yeah, I knew there was some Southern connection/origin thing happening here. Obviously my comment was pure over-the-top rhetoric.

Truth be told, the people that make me the most angry are those that think of themselves (and those like themselves) as "the most American" wherever they happen to be.

Those people are all over the country—North, South, you name it. There are "red-staters" up North just as sure as there are "blue" folks down South. I DO realize that no state went 100% for Bush. It's just the winner takes all electoral system makes it seem that way.

Sorry if anyone took my comment seriously. I consider myself among friends here, and wouldn't dream of offending any of you.

Mr. Contrition

Otto Man said...

No apologies needed, Mr. Furious. And get back to the fury!

ORF said...

I concur with Otto, no need to be contritious. And in the words of the illustrious Tupac Shakur, "I ain't mad atcha!"

Just taking out some of my own Hulkette fury on you for being on the receiving end of countless Yankee jokes about the South for the last eight years of my life from people who've never set foot down there. I often think it akin to people who say "all gays are bad...except that guy Tom in accounting because he doesn't rub it in our faces or anything and so he's ok, but everyone else is lethal."

Just had to get that off m'chest...now onto the FRT!