The Soapbox

Joined: 01/30/2000 Posts: 8922
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What's this?

Thanks. I missed the link. Really a remarkable story.

I know the economic changes in the UK at least have been similar to here -- with jobs moving into the service industries and away from manufacturing, coal etc. So I would expect that non-college educated whites are facing similar job pressures there. Of course, folks who are not college educated often moved into apprenticeship programs after their O Level exams over there (16 years old) so maybe the employment situation is different.

My pure speculation as to some causes is that the opioid pill issue is a significant difference, although alarm bells are now going off over there about over-prescription and addiction also. It was until recent years much harder to get pain prescriptions over there from what I understand. And I think Americans in general assign more self worth to the idea of self-sufficiency and their jobs compared to the British, so perhaps the loss of that is more impactful.

(In response to this post by Joey Wahoo)

Posted: 03/23/2017 at 1:00PM

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Current Thread:

Deaths of Despair -- Joey Wahoo 03/23/2017 06:21AM

I wonder if this is uniquely American or if peer western countries -- KCHoo 03/23/2017 09:18AM

Check out the graphic in the linked article -- Joey Wahoo 03/23/2017 12:35PM

Thanks. I missed the link. Really a remarkable story. -- KCHoo 03/23/2017 1:00PM

Here's a piece from today's WaPo on the subject -- Joey Wahoo 03/24/2017 12:12PM

Honestly, much of it comes down to better medical ethics in other countries -- WahooRQ 03/23/2017 1:07PM

I am probably over-extrapolating, but in my circle of friends, -- HoosWillWin 03/23/2017 07:31AM

I'm an older white guy and I've gotten progressively more angry since -- Seattle .Hoo 03/23/2017 10:11AM

I think the rise of hate/fear-mongering outlets like Rush Limbaugh and Fox -- JSHoo 03/23/2017 09:31AM

Please explain how this is different than perpetuating blatant economic -- CharlestonSC 03/23/2017 11:20AM

Who or what do you think is "perpetuating blatant economic falsehoods"? -- JSHoo 03/23/2017 1:00PM

I'm also interested in the ginned up economic falsehoods. ** -- hoodeyo 03/23/2017 2:28PM

Well, Trump did a lot of that too. -- WahooRQ 03/23/2017 11:56AM

There's a difference between making sure the underpinnings of society and -- CharlestonSC 03/23/2017 2:50PM

And how about blaming it on the "political elites" or "the regulation" or -- WahooRQ 03/23/2017 2:55PM

"Elites" yes .... when you start talking about "Regulation" if you're just -- CharlestonSC 03/23/2017 3:26PM

Everyone has their own boogeyman ** -- Cold Hoober Hoo 03/23/2017 3:07PM

Even the racist, misogynistic rednecks who voted for Trump, right? :) -- WahooRQ 03/23/2017 3:08PM

Yep, and especially the elitist pricks that drive Audi's ; ). -- Cold Hoober Hoo 03/23/2017 4:54PM

I would argue that class warfare democrats participate in is ginning up -- TomKazanski 03/23/2017 11:51AM

Yea fear mongering (aka The democrat party centerpiece) is rush and fox -- TomKazanski 03/23/2017 10:49AM

I agree. These guys believe some crazy stuff, and have no -- HoosWillWin 03/23/2017 10:20AM

Maybe the Dems don't know how to connect with -- Capital City Hoo 03/23/2017 11:29AM

I agree. The two concepts are not mutually exclusive. Honestly, -- HoosWillWin 03/23/2017 11:41AM

I think there is a deeper issue here... we like to talk about people -- Capital City Hoo 03/23/2017 1:36PM

The democrat party believes in the almighty govt. even with a track record -- TomKazanski 03/23/2017 10:50AM

Symptoms, not causes ** -- Beerman 03/23/2017 10:19AM

They were angry during the Clinton and Bush W years? ** -- psychobilly 03/23/2017 09:02AM

Maybe, but it has become to where they can barely speak -- HoosWillWin 03/23/2017 10:25AM

You want to see anger just look at the posts from your pals on the left -- TomKazanski 03/23/2017 11:38AM

Increasingly, yes, probably. -- hoolstoptheheels 03/23/2017 09:13AM

No I don't think you are over-extrapolating. -- hoolstoptheheels 03/23/2017 09:02AM

Agreed. I wish there were more easy solutions. ** -- HoosWillWin 03/23/2017 10:27AM

It's not a movement. It's a protest. -- Beerman 03/23/2017 10:25AM

And that differs from most movements how? -- hoolstoptheheels 03/23/2017 10:41AM

Tomayto, Tomahto :) -- Beerman 03/23/2017 10:53AM

As I alluded to yesterday, I think this changes when people see what a shit -- Seattle .Hoo 03/23/2017 10:19AM

I'm not so sure. I believe they will defend him and scapegoat the -- southdenverhoo 03/23/2017 10:49AM

For a little while that will certainly be true. But the GOP is showing -- Seattle .Hoo 03/23/2017 11:26AM

Knowledge economy presents some un-PC questions ... it doesn't take a lot -- CharlestonSC 03/23/2017 09:50AM

How many rural white people voted for Obama or John Kerry? ** -- WahooRQ 03/23/2017 09:13AM

I didn't really respond to your question. -- hoolstoptheheels 03/23/2017 09:24AM

Exactly. What changed? Trump gave them a movement. -- hoolstoptheheels 03/23/2017 09:20AM

Romney and McCain dominated the rural white vote too. -- WahooRQ 03/23/2017 09:36AM

I should introduce you to my sister. You guys agree on this. -- hoolstoptheheels 03/23/2017 09:54AM

It's also important to look not just at the general election -- Joey Wahoo 03/23/2017 12:41PM

Ted Cruz did very well with rural voters in the GOP primaries. -- WahooRQ 03/23/2017 1:04PM

Agreed. But at the time I never imagined it would translate -- hoolstoptheheels 03/23/2017 12:48PM

Here is a hispanic woman (I think) who regrets voting for Trump now -- KCHoo 03/23/2017 1:42PM

Good point. Here's the most interesting piece I read on the situation -- Joey Wahoo 03/23/2017 1:02PM

Thanks, Hool. I more or less agree with you. -- WahooRQ 03/23/2017 10:44AM

Maybe my disagreement is more about semantics than anything else. -- hoolstoptheheels 03/23/2017 12:41PM

I agree. I still think Trump is mostly the result of a white demographic -- Seattle .Hoo 03/23/2017 11:34AM

If hillary had received the same african american numbers or close to them -- KCHoo 03/23/2017 11:44AM

Right but failure to capture 90.9% of a demographic is not -- southdenverhoo 03/23/2017 9:43PM

Very true. But it would not have captured the Senate I don't believe. The -- Seattle .Hoo 03/23/2017 11:51AM

I think that is correct. Certainly the state houses are very repub. ** -- KCHoo 03/23/2017 12:03PM

The Republicans really got their shit together after Obama in 2008. -- WahooRQ 03/23/2017 12:13PM

Folks like the Koch brothers recognized the value in that ** -- KCHoo 03/23/2017 12:20PM

Both literally and figuratively, yes they did. ** -- WahooRQ 03/23/2017 1:10PM

Rural-Urban Divide -- Joey Wahoo 03/23/2017 06:24AM

I think this divide is under-explored and undervalued as a reason things .. -- HowieT3 03/23/2017 08:47AM

It does, has, and always will. It's cultural more than anything. -- WahooRQ 03/23/2017 09:12AM

Those disability rates in Appalachian coal country are very sad ** -- Tuckahokie 03/23/2017 07:19AM