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To me, the humorous term Redneckistan is a fitting comic description of the core of the modern day "Red States". On one hand, it includes the stereotype of the beer guzzling, pickup driving, unsophisticated yayhoo who votes against his own economic self-interest in favor of single issue, often intolerent, regressive thinking toward (1) women (2) gay people (3) other races (4) the "guvmint" (5) modest gun control (6) "liberals" (7) non-Christians (8) academia, etc. A redneck in today's lingo is often as much about attitude as it is about reality.

Unlike his father, George W. Bush is clearly in the redneck mold. Yes, he may be wealthy (thank you, big Oil and big Pharma) and have the reigns of power, but Dubya has that same intolerance of others and their opinions, a contempt for the value of inclusive democray, and an unfathomable cockiness/stubborness about his sole ownership of what is right and wrong for everyone else. He also clearly shows an absolute inability to admit mistakes or that he is ever wrong (understatement of the new century). I even get an impression that he kind of takes pride in his folksy educationally and intellectually challenged mannerisms and speech (cool to be dumb syndrome.)

The "istan" part of Redneckistan refers to the hypocritical religious intolerance and manipulation of the public which some have called the emerging "talibanization of America". Dubya, a fitting leader of Redneckistan, is a President who does not seek or want advice from his father or anyone outside his NeoCon circle partly because he is so certain of his decisions because he personally talks to God.

The Red States, in general, are far more likely to be influenced by and defer to the most intolerant Christian Fundamentalists, and, like Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Jim Bakker, Ralph Reed, Ted Haggard, etc. pay no attention to the ingrained hypocrisy when they are discovered to have lied, cheated, deceived, stole, advocate assassination, and generally manipulated everyone in the name of their "religion" and their typically political or financial causes. George W. Bush and the religious right are very much selfish, self-serving theocrats and not at all small 'D' democrats. These evangelical so-called Christians have the same obsession with "getting their way", "ends justify the means", and "no matter what the cost (to others)". This is not at all dissimilar to the same thinking from leaders of the Taliban and other muslim extremists that they, the "Christian" fundamentalists, denounce so fervently yet imitate so clearly in their actions.

It is this combination of the boorishness of the typically Southern/Midwest redneck culture combined with the extemist influence of Christian fundamentalism that makes "Redneckistan" dangerous to the world and to us as citizens of a supposedly "democratic" nation. So in order to deflect the inner alarm many of us have about the descent of our nation from its democratic ideals, we use a pointed, yet humorous term "Redneckistan" as shorthand for our very legitimate and serious concerns about the future of our country.

"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires."

--- Susan B. Anthony, 1820-1906

Valley 702 forums - 2

Given the worsening cultural and political divide between the rest of the country and areas one might consider Redneckistan, I would just as soon make it sooner rather than later that we realize we would all be better off separate and functional than bickering and dysfunctional. The "united" part of the "United States" is a joke. Yes, Redneckistan, we want a divorce.