How Trump Happened - From Someone Who Lived With His Base

Discussion in 'Bulletin Board' started by Gravy Chips, Aug 27, 2020.

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  1. arabian_ian

    arabian_ian Well-Known Member

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    To which you obviously replied, I could only wish.
     
    arabian_ian, Aug 28, 2020
    #21
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  2. Tyke_67

    Tyke_67 Well-Known Member

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    In fairness Ian you do have some beautiful scenery and countryside in Scotland, just wish I could visit more often.
     
    Tyke_67, Aug 28, 2020
    #22
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  3. 55&counting

    55&counting Well-Known Member

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    Good assessment. GC gives a great insight into living there and they are shocking observations but somehow not surprising.
    Im an avid reader of Alan Bennet and your comment on the place and its vastness and not tarring them all with the same brush is spot on......pretty much the same as ABs.
    Its pretty scary watching the idiot Trump and his "rallies" and in particular the frenzy he manages to work up into the masses of ordinary people. Not dissimilar to pre war Germany.
     
    55&counting, Aug 28, 2020
    #23
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  4. Dan

    DannyWilsonLovechild Well-Known Member

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    I can't disagree with that position about the gap between polarity of voters. And US is by far a bigger basket case, but in the next 5 years, I can see large parts of the UK veering towards an even greater americanised nature and others wanting to realign or deepen european ties.

    On another note, I'm part way through watching "rise of the nazi's" and its shocking to see how swiftly they dismantled many of the institutions and belief systems during uncertain times. There are some frightening parallels with where we are now and what "populist" governments are trying to do to strengthen their control.

    We desperately need some of the bigger countries to return to decency and a modicum of competence. Hopefully the US can be the start of that transition.
     
    DannyWilsonLovechild, Aug 28, 2020
    #24
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  5. fir

    fired Administrator Staff Member Admin

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    Interesting post. Doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. My experiences of USA are at the other end of scale - very wealthy families sending their kids away to Camp in the Summer.
    I was there in 1989 and it was a real eye opener.

    What shocked me was the young age 6-7) of the youngest kids. Sent away from home for 2 months so Mum and Dad could enjoy a Caribbean cruise. This at a time of no mobile phones, so letters the only contact. Some of these kids were traumatised by it.

    Their kids were sent “trunks” of clothing ahead of them for the staff to unpack. My first job on camp was to upack brand new designer item after brand new designer item and hang them in the closet. It was definitely a statement of wealth by the families.

    Two of the kids I looked after had their own Psychologists - at the age of 10! They all had private orthodentists, and perfect teeth.

    The levels of Nationalism and competitiveness were off the scale. I had one kid go into complete meltdown because the team she was on, lost “Colour War”. She ended up in hospital as she started hyperventilating.

    Every day we had to pledge allegiance to the flag. Well, except for once, when the British staff declared that Queen Mother’s Birthday, August 4th was a huge day. We managed to get them to raise the Union Flag and taught them the National Anthem!

    I have only been to USA once since then, and I’m afraid I won’t be rushing back. I realise not everyone is the same, but there are too many things that i can’t agree with or get my head around.


     
    fired, Aug 28, 2020
    #25
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  6. George Kerr

    George Kerr Well-Known Member

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    As someone who has visited Georgia this post strikes a chord. We have good friends in East Tennessee in the foothills of the 'Great Smokey mountains. He is a retired Methodist Minister, an ex army chaplain from the Gulf war and an anglophile he is the antithesis of the typical southern Trumpist, as a socialist democrat in a sea of the GOP. I sent him 'Gravy Chips' post and he replied:-
    "There is a lot of truth in his review especially in the deep and rural areas of the South. The urban areas not as much, but still pockets of ignorance and nationalism. Trump has played them and they still don't see it. It is so depressing to realize how low this country has fallen these past nearly four years. I hope a vast majority of voters will give him a sound boot kick November 3rd. If we were younger and had the option I would immigrate if he should win a second term".
    There are many good and decent people in the US, I only hope there are sufficient numbers to vote out the current occupier of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
    Gravy Chips comments on the American culture are 'spot on'. For a better understanding I would urge people to read Jon Sopel's book "If only They Didn't Speak English". It goes into the detail of how different our cultures are. It's basis being that if Americans didn't speak English we would treat them as 'foreigners' with a different culture from our own.
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Only-They-Didnt-Speak-English/dp/1785942263
     
    George Kerr, Aug 28, 2020
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  7. Gravy Chips

    Gravy Chips Well-Known Member

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    Good point about the urban areas; Metro Atlanta is very different politically to the surrounding countryside
     
    Gravy Chips, Aug 28, 2020
    #27
  8. Sco

    Scoff Well-Known Member

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    Technically, the majority of the voters rejected him last time - Clinton won the popular vote by 3 million (as did Gore by a smaller margin). The USA voting system favours the Republicans (who we have to remember weren't always the bad guys being against slavery).

    The difference between the big cities around the edges of the USA and the rural areas in the middle is like comparing London to the poorest areas of Albania.
     
    Scoff, Aug 28, 2020
    #28
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  9. Ses

    Sestren Well-Known Member

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    I once chatted to somebody from London who patronisingly told me that she had decided to visit the rest of the country, like we were some sort of zoo. She asked me whether Birmingham was in Yorkshire.
     
    Sestren, Aug 28, 2020
    #29
  10. Fon

    Fonzie Well-Known Member

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    It is bonkers you're right.

    But then you have weirdos on here defending him last night - so they're everywhere.
     
    Fonzie, Aug 28, 2020
    #30
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  11. CarltonRed

    CarltonRed Well-Known Member

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    Once when we were on safari in Zimbabwe we asked the guides what were the daftest questions they’d been asked, and they said they were all from Americans (so the ones who have the money and passports to travel):
    “Is that the same moon we can see at home?” “Can you drive us closer to the sunset?”
     
    CarltonRed, Aug 28, 2020
    #31
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  12. fir

    fired Administrator Staff Member Admin

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    I was on a train when an America lady got talking to the person opposite her.
    “Where are you from?”
    “Oxford”
    “Oh that’s great. You might know our friends, Sue and John Marples. They live in Oxford.”
     
    fired, Aug 28, 2020
    #32
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  13. Dan

    DannyWilsonLovechild Well-Known Member

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    If only you could mute them!
     
    DannyWilsonLovechild, Aug 28, 2020
    #33
  14. thetykester

    thetykester Well-Known Member

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    Really, they are posters on here Defending him?
     
    thetykester, Aug 28, 2020
    #34
  15. Fon

    Fonzie Well-Known Member

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    Yeah. Forget which thread, sorry. The conversation basically went....

    "Yeah but...."

    "Yeah but...."

    "Yeah but...."

    And I'm pretty sure it was signed off by saying he hadn't broken any laws or something.
     
    Fonzie, Aug 28, 2020
    #35
  16. thetykester

    thetykester Well-Known Member

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    Fck me I have just read bits of the thread, wtaf. I don't think weirdos is the word to describe them, sinister barstewards is more appropriate
     
    thetykester, Aug 28, 2020
    #36
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  17. Sco

    Scoff Well-Known Member

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    First time I went to America (95ish), we went to Boston and took a day trip on the train to Salem. Shortly after leaving Boston station we went through the suburb of Chelsea. At the time, it had been going through years of industrial decline and was probably the worst example of a shanty town I've seen (including in India or Piccadilly Gardens).

    It looks like it has seen a reversal in fortune again and is now a thriving community again, but it was shocking to see it so close to the centre of a major rich city.
     
    Scoff, Aug 28, 2020
    #37
  18. Brush

    Brush Well-Known Member

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    Before last summer, I'd only ever been to Scotland once (Edinburgh for a day while on holiday in Northumberland). Last summer we had a week on Aran which was absolutely beautiful. On the way home we stopped off to visit the home of my ancestors, The Armstrongs, at Gilnockie Tower. Now we have a little motorhome we're planning to tour Scotland next year, we'll call in for a beer....
     
    Brush, Aug 28, 2020
    #38
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  19. tomaiba

    tomaiba Well-Known Member

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    I don't think that has anything to do with Trump but interesting read anyways.
    I think the UK is more brainwashed, people actually still believe in monarchies.
     
    tomaiba, Aug 28, 2020
    #39
  20. tomaiba

    tomaiba Well-Known Member

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    I could write a book on things British people have said to me like this too.
     
    tomaiba, Aug 28, 2020
    #40
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