I Trying To Wrap My Head Around Something ...

and I'm hoping family can help me out.

I was watching the Arizona Candidates for Governor's Debates last night. (Yeah, there really are Black folk living in Arizona)

The State ranks 17th worst in terms of the unemployment rate (at 9.6%); we rank in the bottom half in terms of wages; we rank in the top 4 in terms of foreclosure rates; we rank in the top 5 in terms of state budget deficits; and, we rank at the absolute bottom for quality of education and in the bottom 3 for per capita spending on education.

Sad picture, right? Then why did the incumbent Governor, Jan Brewer, answer every single question - for two hours - with some reference to illegal immigration? The Democratic challenger (the current Attorney General and my former boss) did a good job at attempting to bring her back to the issues, even at one point flat out asking her "what does that have to do with education?"

I thought the debate victor was clear ... until I read the on-line comment section of the morning paper. Apparently many, many Arizonans thought Brewer held her own during the debate.

Okay, here's what I'm trying to wrap my head around ...

I thought what drives the rightwing is greed; but I'm starting to believe that it is something more; and I'm not talking about racism - that's a given. I'm thinking that for the rwingers, getting stuff is not as important as stopping other folks from getting stuff ... even if their stopping the others, actually prevents them from getting stuff. From example, take the case of education: we are at the bottom; but for the rwing that isn't the issue of the day. The issue of the day is ending all ethnic studies curricula. Okay, that could be racism ... but how does stopping ethnic studies classes improve state-wide education?

Another example ... jobs/job creation: the state Democrats proposed taking the stimulus money and adding some state money to create a "Corridor of the Sun" where along a corridor stretching from Tucson north to Phoenix, zones would be created to attract solar energy technology companies that would be granted research partnerships with the anchoring public universities (U of A and ASU). This plan was projected to create some 20-30,000 high paying jobs, not counting the construction related jobs needed to build the factories; the rwing response: "No! We have deficits. Cut taxes ... Smaller givernment ... and oh, yeah, secure the border." Okay, that may be racism too because high unemployment hurts our Black president even more than other Democrats (but that's a whole 'nother 'nother) ... but I would have thought that my, un/under-employed a$$ getting a high(er) paying job today, would trump any deficit, government size or border argument.

What is wrong with these people?

Greed is definitely one. Racism is definitely another. Fear would also be a primary motivator.

A friend of mine is a teacher in the Nebraska Public school system. The current governor sent an email to the board telling them that they needed to come out publicly against the new health care bill or he's holding back some funds for education! What kind of shit is that? How do the two even relate?

The current governor sent an email to the board telling them that they needed to come out publicly against the new health care bill or he's holding back some funds for education!

What the F*CK??! :wtf: :wow:

If that's not illegal, it damn well SHOULD be

they're constructing what will be your life based upon their crazy fantasies and stories told to them while they were being bounced on their grand pappy's knee.

if keeping others they deemed undeserving from something means that they burn themeselves out of their own rat holes, then so be it.. because they're too stupid to understand the destruction wrought when doing something in diametric opposition to their own best interests.

is their stupidity directly affects my life; even though I'm not their PRIMARY target .

For this election, there are about six propositions that these working-class rightwing kooks are supporting, even though each of the propositions run directly counter to their interests.

And so grateful to the Universe for providing me the choices that so many lack.

I thank my lucky stars every day that I was not born in Afghanistan, Japan, Congo, JesuslandUSA, or in any other place where the chances of getting-the-fuck-outta-Dodge are so slim. I watch from a distance and with the mind-altering experience of living in another culture. The Rabbit Hole is deeper than I could have ever imagined...