The Red State Brain Drain Isn’t Coming. It’s Happening Right Now.
As conservative states wage total culture war, college-educated workers—physicians, teachers, professors, and more—are packing their bags.
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Well, yeah, conservative policies are horrible. I don't see why smart people would want to live under them.
The problem is just because you're smart enough to realize this doesn't mean you have the money to move
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I imagine a lot of the stupid people who voted for right wing policies, and are then hurt by them, won't connect those dots
Part of being stupid is the inability to look at facts and draw a reasonable conclusion.
Someone might look at "we cut funding for the town, and now the library sucks" and realize there's a connection. An idiot might instead say "it's the black people's fault"
I really want to drive that home. Some people are stupid. They look at the world and draw bad conclusions. I don't know how to fix that.
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You say that as if they aren't taking the rest of us down with them.
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Well lead did a pretty big number on a certain generation that has been in power for quite some time, and you actually can't fix that.
It already is. For instance, the majority of rural texas's access to natal care, cardiology, and a few other of the major medical practices is in the same rank as places in central america. It's not just texas either.
It's been hurting them a long long time. But they've got that crab mentality. They believe things can't be better. But as long as they can make someone hurt worse than they believe they are. They're happy.
Facts. Never doubt these peoples ability to withstand suffering, as long as it makes it worse for the 'other'.
It's sublime and sad and sadistic at the same time. They'll cut off their own nose to spite your face.
I've been unable to find where in the bible this attitude stems from other than a misattributed 'trials and tribulations' vibe.
It doesn't directly state it, but religion has a system of rules behind it, and rigid rules are themselves attractive to a certain authoritarian mindset. Doesn't matter if they make sense; the rules are an end unto themselves.
That same mindset tends to not apply that to themselves either, being quick to abandon all norms, decorum or decency to attain or retain power.
And then the historical editing comes down heavy handed
He who controls the present controls the past
I need somebody to help me find a blue state where I can afford a 4 bedroom 2400 sf home.
I’m at twice the median income in my city and my house cost 280k built in 2020. Not to mention interest these days really kill the possibility of moving when I got a 2.75% interest rate and no PMI.
stares at you in Australian
hysterical laughter
I am a bit curious where the balance is for how much shit you'll put up with if it means a lower cost of living (or bigger/cheaper home, anyway). I'm personally of the stance I will pay (or give up) a significant amount of money to live in a good, mostly sane place.
It's obviously a balancing act. Nobody will give up all their money to have marginally better emotional safety. But where is the line? How much better do things have to be in a different place (or how much worse in your current place) to accept, say, a small apartment that costs a solid third of your income? Or inversely, would you put up with a Gilead situation if you got a sprawling mansion out of it?
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Thanks for the try but I’ve had a 35 year old house the energy consumption difference and upkeep cost is astounding compared to my current new build.
But yea I don’t think I’ve considered NE I’ve been everywhere else. I think that’s also fairly safe climate change wise? Or maybe it was a specific state according to pbs eons.
Same boat here.
or, some smart people don't care about politics. sadly most people also don't care about politics
I would argue that not caring about politics disqualifies you from being smart in a general sense. (obviously this depends on how one defines "smart", which is a whole topic)
Cheaper cost of living, and with remote work, that makes it easier to bear.
Easier to bear, maybe, but not great. You're likely making some pretty big trade offs. Like, Wisconsin is probably cheaper but it might be way more hostile to you if you're gay or black or otherwise considered an outgroup by the right.
And even if you're otherwise an in group, what're the music, food, and art, scenes like? If all you want to do is work and then sit at home on your couch then I guess one place is as good as another. Though this might be getting into an urban/not-urban divide more than left/right.
And furthermore, even if your "cost of living" is lower in the extreme short term, if you're in a right wing hellscape then you have to pay one way or another for the state being gutted. There's a non-fiction book titled "A libertarian walks into a bear" that talks a lot about how there were two neighboring towns, but one had gone hard right with its policies. The other had not. Turns out the libertarian one sucked. Like, they didn't have a working fire department.
That town was in New Hampshire, tho I can't recall the name from memory.
They voted out their garbage collection service. Civic overreach or some bullshit. Then the bears came, and got accustomed to being around people. And started breaking into homes. People were attacked. I think there was at least one casualty.
Libertarianism is great for the individual, but anti-thetical to the needs of the group.
I don't know why it's so hard for some people to acknowledge that their own personal choices and beliefs might not make the best policy. Government and law, do not need to mirror your internal dialogue. That is some serious center of the universe shit right there. They'd do well to ponder on the notion of sonder.
Was this oart of their Free State Project?
I believe so, yea
Like, Wisconsin is probably cheaper but it might be way more hostile to you if you’re gay or black or otherwise considered an outgroup by the right.
Worth noting that Wisconsin is a blue-voting state, generally, that has a heavily gerrymandered legislature.
Most of Wisconsin is absolutely nothing like the deep south kind of red state.
And even if you’re otherwise an in group, what’re the music, food, and art, scenes like?
This is, as you surmise, almost entirely an urban/rural thing.
Most of Wisconsin is absolutely nothing like the deep south kind of red state.
The parts of deep south red states where people actually live are absolutely nothing like the deep south kind of red state either.
Ditto. Spent the summer in Madison, WI, earlier this year. Anyone who tried to say that it represents the effects of conservatism is a fool.
I don't know why I picked Wisconsin. Possibly because I vaguely remembered Scott Walker being a huge asshole
They're only horrible when you aren't rich and/or care about the safety and well-being of others.
They're also horrible if you care about the long term. A lot of conservative policies are analogous to eating the seed corn. Yeah, you save some money now but in thirty years your infrastructure is collapsing. Or if you're really unlucky and push your luck, the state fails entirely. Most rich selfish people don't really want to die when a bridge collapses
