Papageorgio
The Ultimate Winner
Yes, we do have a problem with extremism in the US. The idiocy on the Malhuer Game Refuge just highlighted the seriousness of that problem. And that so many here were cheering the felons on, is an example of that very extremism.
But, in many way, that area is an example of the behavior that has created the extremism. In 1973, Harney County, Oregon had the highest per capital income of any county in Oregon. They were harvesting timber way ahead of growth, and everyone there was making money. A strong lad with only a grade school education could get a job on the green chain, and make upper middle class wages.
But when you harvest ahead of growth, it has to end sometime, and it ended. And now, even when the growth is ready to cut, the mills will only hire a third of the people that the old mills used to. And they will process more wood with those people. If you do not already have work experiance, with referances, you are not going to get any kind of job. High school education, minimum, preferably community college. Without a definate skill set, you are not going to make upper middle class wages, even if you do get hired.
For those that are middle aged, this is a real bummer. Most do not have the means or time to go back to school, and the good paying jobs they had are gone. So now they have seen their standard of living in steady decline, and continuing to do so. So they look for someone to blame. And since the good jobs now require an education they don't have, those damned educated liberals are keeping them from having a decent life. A situation rife with possibilities for demagogues.
So we see groups like the militias and the Sovereign Citizen movement. A sad comment on a lot of people's ability to reason.
My dad pulled green chain in the 70's, middle class wages were not what he made. He studied while pulling chain and became an electrician, that paid well. Green chain didn't.
Also, you have colleges today that produce lots of graduates that can't find a job that pays well.
Most the people in my circle of friends do well. Education or not they do well. They have enough years under their belt that they get God jobs.
Work with your "educated" liberals in telephony, and they were smart but not street smart to find solutions for issues that we had to confront daily.
Today's graduates expect to come out of college, jump to the top of a business and make the big bucks. It isn't happening. It takes years to get to the top and the grad doesn't want to put in the time.