I am a liberal forest worker and I get along better with conservative rural America than I do the professional meritocracy. These folk have real skills and values and get it when an overeducated elite looks down on them. Often the overeducated lack the self awareness to see the bigotry of the meritocracy. I also find it easier to disagree with conservatives on issues like abortion and guns then to disagree with liberals on gender creationism and grievance hierarchies. Thanks Abigail
Most people on both sides of the political spectrum are normal decent folks who can get along fine, and we're being trained to hate each other by a vocal minority that profits from the effort, as Shrier points out in this article and others.
I have met several Libs like you who accurately perceive and point to the serious flaws of the Lib-Leftists, but who, for some reason that eludes me, cannot break free of their pernicious ideology.
David I hear you. Here’s the thing though. All the basic tenets the Left used to stand for: free speech, diversity of opinion, and yes even respect for those who are different, has not just been abandoned by the Left but attacked by it. There is now censorship and calls for more, respect for only certain “approved” categories of people who are different (religious people, conservatives, black and brown people who don’t toe the party line are not in that “approved” category and are denigrated, “cancelled” and censored). I used to be a “liberal” until the majority of my fellows turned completely illiberal. I don’t know what I am now but find more common ground with conservatives—who are more liberal on basic tenets
I agree with all that you say. I often find equal rights for women easier to find in a conservative ranching or logging family, than I do with an entitled workforce.
Slightly off topic, but what happened to the Atlantic is sad. It is probably the worst example of media properties that spent 100 years building their brand and then flushed it down the toilet. Toilet is a good symbol for the kinds of stuff the Atlantic publishes now. I had a subscription to the Atlantic in the '90's. It leaned left on its articles about the economy or politics, but it was mostly very well written, long-form, general interest articles. The editing was also first rate. I haven't read anything on the Atlantic in years. Giving space to faux conservative grifters like Tom Nichols is a good reason why. I think Dems are scared shitless of people like Vance who move into politics, so they and their media allies are doing a preemptive campaign against him. They don't have a sustainable coalition if the working class fully abandon them, so attacking Republican politicians who appeal to working class is a top priority.
“The Atlantic needs to make $50 million in annual subscription revenue in order to break even, according to Thompson. Hitting that target has become more complicated since Trump left the White House and the pandemic let up. New subscribers are coming in at about a quarter of the rate they did last year (10,000 a month, on average), and the magazine faces challenges keeping some of its existing audience, which may have less of a need for The Atlantic’s journalism in a post-Trump, post-Covid world.
Without Trump or the pandemic, the path to $50 million is significantly harder. Since February, the magazine has brought in about 10,000 subscribers a month — roughly analogous to its growth rate before the pandemic. Meanwhile, its retention rate for existing subscribers is about 75 to 80 percent, Thompson said. The net result, according to Thompson’s presentation, is not growth. It’s a static or slightly declining subscriber base.”
How or why they need 50 million per year to operate such a rag is beyond me. They are funded by Steve Jobs’ widow with millions. It seems like these publications are filled with elites who have no clue what ordinary people care about. The Atlantic was also the source of the bullshit Russian bounty story last year which after the elections turned out to be complete fake made up bullshit. They should just become private contractors for the military industrial complex.
I agree. I was once an Atlantic fan and print subscriber. Now if I see an article is from the Atlantic I won't even click on the link without a special reason. In addition to the loss of Mike Kelly it is hard to understand the elevation of David Frum, who has demonstrated himself to be one of the most toxic people in media, in addition to his disgraceful record on Iraq reporting. The Atlantic has grown toxic at a similar clip.
The death of Mike Kelly in a vehicle accident in Iraq spelled the end for The Atlantic. It had recovered and was publishing great, thoughtful articles under his leadership.
"We don’t need or even want smart cities. We can live without autonomous trucking or delivery-by-drone. No app will save America. Helping us recover a “normal life” will be the great project of the next generation of political winners."
Great essay! I do have one bone to pick with it. When Vance says that conservatives must hold two thoughts together (personal responsibility & circumstances matter) I am of the belief that if you polled many conservatives, you would find that they already hold those two thoughts. The loud voices get the most attention. Ted Cruz doesn’t speak for me directly, but I agree with him far more than I do AOC. I am an immigrant that has worked hard to get an education and rise above my circumstances. This was partly due to my father’s conservative views. I have empathy for the rough situations of some of my students. I do not, however, counsel them to cry on my shoulder and blame “the man.” I help them problem-solve a solution that works best for their circumstance. It would be a disservice for them if I didn’t point out how their poor choices have led them to the predicament they’re in. That said, it’s always done with love and compassion. It seemed to me that Vance was vilifying all conservatives based on those loud voices. We’re all complex and not a monolith.
I agree whole heartedly with your comment. As Thomas Sowell once said, "We are all born poor and ignorant." The question is, what are you willing to do about it?
This is the most inspirational piece I've read in a long time. I can't remember how it was I found your Substack in the first place, but now I'm sure glad I did. I want to go find more of your work. Please keep churning out such greatness. (And such fine examples of the writing craft, too.)
So many people I know don't want to vote either Democrat or Republican. If someone who was a common sense centrist came to the fore, all these disaffected folks and independents wold propel him or her to victory. We're all sick of the ultra-left and the ultra-right! I hope Vance does well, and I hope, Abigail, you'll be his VP!
We cannot know what the popular vote was .. since Republicans in California and Democrats in Oklahoma did not bother sharing theirs, due to it not being worth the effort.
Correction: They THOUGHT they were voting for a centrist. Trump's hard-right appointees and positions on many (though not all) issues undermine any view of him as a centrist. His presidency turned out to be a Tea Party revival.
In fact, if you closed your eyes, you would have thought many of Trump's positions were those of a Democrat. The use of government coercion, big spending, pandering to select groups, half-baked ideas, ad hominem arguments, and self-contradiction. Remember, Trump was a life-long NY Liberal.
Yup, indeed many of his "hard right" policies seemed to be purely in response to media wags telling him he could not do them. Al Gore tried to take advantage of this Trump contrarian tendency when he had a successful early meeting with Trump on environmental policies immediately after the election while Trump was still sore at the Republican establishment .. but then Al Gore was shouted down by his own Party for "normalizing" the Trump presidencly.
I politely disagree .. his actual policies were very much old school Democrat blue collar populist (google Jerry Brown's statements and policies towards illegal AND legal immigration, for example). I didn't vote for him as I am an actual libertarian-conservative, but I did warm up to him due to his example of loudly resisting the judgemental mob.
Biden wags his finger at America all the time with his moralizing about all the current moral piety's of the left. What else can his talk on white supremacy etc be called besides judgmental?
I agree and disagree with a bunch of stuff in this article. The main thing I disagree with is that the article seems too milquetoast fence sitting.
The current infrastructure bill which they are claiming to be bipartisan defines gender identity as a protected class.
“American Medical Association’s (AMA) Board of Trustees kept busy during the summer crafting a resolution in favor of removing the terms “male” and “female” from birth certificates, claiming evidence of an individual being born is the only information necessary."
Women rights have gone backwards half a century, terms like mother, breastfeeding etc are no longer allowed.
All this is because the “conservatives” aren’t conserving shit and liberals ain’t liberal. This all occurred because of too many spineless incompetent Republican who keep trying to please the left and giving up ground. Speaking out against all this insanity can be used against the main premise of your article - “Non-Judgmental”. Leftists will simply claim that speaking out against men in women sports or bathrooms or prisons is judgemental, speaking out against injecting kids with hormones is judgemental etc. Leftists know how to wordsmith and exploit people’s emotions. Sitting on the fence may not be the best idea.
I think you hit upon a thought I had as well. I see no virtue in being "non judgmental". There is such a thing as right and wrong. People who would seek to control others through collectivism deserve judgment, and that cannot come too soon.
I don't know Tom Nichols. I do read his Atlantic pieces and follow him on Twitter. I honestly think that none of his other beefs with J.D. Vance would've moved him to condemnation, had Vance not recently thrown in his lot with the Divider-in-Chief, aka The Former Guy.
I'm a leftist. But I too yearn for a sense of common purpose again. We won't get that as long as Trumpism rules the GOP. We need more Liz Cheneys, Jaime Herrera Beutlers, and Adam Kinzingers. We won't get them as long as Trumpism continues to suffocate the party.
And yes, I can hear people countering: but what about The Squad? The left-wing of the Dems is unelectable in the vast majority of districts, even in the primary, whereas Trumpists are ascendant in virtually every safe GOP district and state.
Like Nichols, a Republican never-Trumper, I see Trumpism as a clear and immediate threat to democracy. Perhaps the common cause going forward will be a coalition of those who wish to preserve democracy. I will hold hands with my Republican friends, tightly, until democracy is safe and we can get back to squabbling about ordinary policy differences.
The threat to democracy that the Orange Guy provided was to be so outrageous that decent-thinking people crumbled and gave in to the Far Left's violent and abusive rhetoric and actions. I personally know many people who really do have Trump Derangement Syndrome and this has given rise to budding Communism in the U.S.
Excellent piece, thank you. Our issue as a nation, a society, I believe has been that we believe all of us should achieve some "normal" life. A life is defined by one's values and the goals and tactics that support achieving that normal life. For the last several decades we have created and funneled a vision to our children that there is but one way, which is a college education and a high paying services job in the professional class. We pumped money into people's hands not necessarily through economic growth but by drowning ourselves, collectively, in debt. Along the way we have confused what a human being's basic right truly represents. Our Declaration holds the key: that man has a Right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It does not mean that those values will be achieved. That is every man, woman and child's responsibility, regardless of circumstances.
I am a liberal forest worker and I get along better with conservative rural America than I do the professional meritocracy. These folk have real skills and values and get it when an overeducated elite looks down on them. Often the overeducated lack the self awareness to see the bigotry of the meritocracy. I also find it easier to disagree with conservatives on issues like abortion and guns then to disagree with liberals on gender creationism and grievance hierarchies. Thanks Abigail
Most people on both sides of the political spectrum are normal decent folks who can get along fine, and we're being trained to hate each other by a vocal minority that profits from the effort, as Shrier points out in this article and others.
Makes it hard to be constructive when bad apples rule the day
'Nother sip o' Kool-Aid, bro?
What?
It's a way of saying you're clueless.
They may be "overeducated" but one might ask "educated in what?" Few in any useful course of study.
In forestry, recent college grads are often in regulatory positions and do not collaborate with familes with both local and generational experience
Don’t pretend they are part of the meritocracy. If they were they would know better.
I have met several Libs like you who accurately perceive and point to the serious flaws of the Lib-Leftists, but who, for some reason that eludes me, cannot break free of their pernicious ideology.
A good part of liberals is to respect those who are different. Perhaps you should try it
David I hear you. Here’s the thing though. All the basic tenets the Left used to stand for: free speech, diversity of opinion, and yes even respect for those who are different, has not just been abandoned by the Left but attacked by it. There is now censorship and calls for more, respect for only certain “approved” categories of people who are different (religious people, conservatives, black and brown people who don’t toe the party line are not in that “approved” category and are denigrated, “cancelled” and censored). I used to be a “liberal” until the majority of my fellows turned completely illiberal. I don’t know what I am now but find more common ground with conservatives—who are more liberal on basic tenets
I agree with all that you say. I often find equal rights for women easier to find in a conservative ranching or logging family, than I do with an entitled workforce.
One thing that's certain is that Libs are too muddleheaded to be trustworthy and Leftists are always lying.
Really? You sound like such a great guy.
Not really. But I am not quick to judge others.
So, you consider slow perception and bovine analyses to be a virtuous.
Try equine as all you seem to espouse is the working end of the donkey
Slightly off topic, but what happened to the Atlantic is sad. It is probably the worst example of media properties that spent 100 years building their brand and then flushed it down the toilet. Toilet is a good symbol for the kinds of stuff the Atlantic publishes now. I had a subscription to the Atlantic in the '90's. It leaned left on its articles about the economy or politics, but it was mostly very well written, long-form, general interest articles. The editing was also first rate. I haven't read anything on the Atlantic in years. Giving space to faux conservative grifters like Tom Nichols is a good reason why. I think Dems are scared shitless of people like Vance who move into politics, so they and their media allies are doing a preemptive campaign against him. They don't have a sustainable coalition if the working class fully abandon them, so attacking Republican politicians who appeal to working class is a top priority.
Quotes from a recent piece on the Atlantic:
https://archive.is/aDOav
“The Atlantic needs to make $50 million in annual subscription revenue in order to break even, according to Thompson. Hitting that target has become more complicated since Trump left the White House and the pandemic let up. New subscribers are coming in at about a quarter of the rate they did last year (10,000 a month, on average), and the magazine faces challenges keeping some of its existing audience, which may have less of a need for The Atlantic’s journalism in a post-Trump, post-Covid world.
Without Trump or the pandemic, the path to $50 million is significantly harder. Since February, the magazine has brought in about 10,000 subscribers a month — roughly analogous to its growth rate before the pandemic. Meanwhile, its retention rate for existing subscribers is about 75 to 80 percent, Thompson said. The net result, according to Thompson’s presentation, is not growth. It’s a static or slightly declining subscriber base.”
How or why they need 50 million per year to operate such a rag is beyond me. They are funded by Steve Jobs’ widow with millions. It seems like these publications are filled with elites who have no clue what ordinary people care about. The Atlantic was also the source of the bullshit Russian bounty story last year which after the elections turned out to be complete fake made up bullshit. They should just become private contractors for the military industrial complex.
I agree. I was once an Atlantic fan and print subscriber. Now if I see an article is from the Atlantic I won't even click on the link without a special reason. In addition to the loss of Mike Kelly it is hard to understand the elevation of David Frum, who has demonstrated himself to be one of the most toxic people in media, in addition to his disgraceful record on Iraq reporting. The Atlantic has grown toxic at a similar clip.
"Now if I see an article is from the Atlantic I won't even click on the link without a special reason."
I feel that way about the NYT. Can't bring myself to give them the clicks.
The death of Mike Kelly in a vehicle accident in Iraq spelled the end for The Atlantic. It had recovered and was publishing great, thoughtful articles under his leadership.
The Tom Nichols piece is a lesson: name-calling changes no-one's mind; name-calling hardens divisions.
Good piece. The last paragraph says it all:
"We don’t need or even want smart cities. We can live without autonomous trucking or delivery-by-drone. No app will save America. Helping us recover a “normal life” will be the great project of the next generation of political winners."
Thank you!
Great essay! I do have one bone to pick with it. When Vance says that conservatives must hold two thoughts together (personal responsibility & circumstances matter) I am of the belief that if you polled many conservatives, you would find that they already hold those two thoughts. The loud voices get the most attention. Ted Cruz doesn’t speak for me directly, but I agree with him far more than I do AOC. I am an immigrant that has worked hard to get an education and rise above my circumstances. This was partly due to my father’s conservative views. I have empathy for the rough situations of some of my students. I do not, however, counsel them to cry on my shoulder and blame “the man.” I help them problem-solve a solution that works best for their circumstance. It would be a disservice for them if I didn’t point out how their poor choices have led them to the predicament they’re in. That said, it’s always done with love and compassion. It seemed to me that Vance was vilifying all conservatives based on those loud voices. We’re all complex and not a monolith.
I agree whole heartedly with your comment. As Thomas Sowell once said, "We are all born poor and ignorant." The question is, what are you willing to do about it?
Learn genetics.
What?
Are you actually that dense?
This is the most inspirational piece I've read in a long time. I can't remember how it was I found your Substack in the first place, but now I'm sure glad I did. I want to go find more of your work. Please keep churning out such greatness. (And such fine examples of the writing craft, too.)
Thank you so much!
Shrier’s articles have been on my must-read list for years. I don’t always agree with some of her perspectives but they always make me think.
Straight to the heart of the matter.
So many people I know don't want to vote either Democrat or Republican. If someone who was a common sense centrist came to the fore, all these disaffected folks and independents wold propel him or her to victory. We're all sick of the ultra-left and the ultra-right! I hope Vance does well, and I hope, Abigail, you'll be his VP!
The American people did vote for a centrist in 2016 and 2020 when they overwhelmingly voted for Donald Trump.
How did they overwhelming vote for Trump? He lost the popular vote. Twice.
We cannot know what the popular vote was .. since Republicans in California and Democrats in Oklahoma did not bother sharing theirs, due to it not being worth the effort.
Correction: They THOUGHT they were voting for a centrist. Trump's hard-right appointees and positions on many (though not all) issues undermine any view of him as a centrist. His presidency turned out to be a Tea Party revival.
Only someone on the far left would think that Trump and his policies were far right. They were anything but!
In fact, if you closed your eyes, you would have thought many of Trump's positions were those of a Democrat. The use of government coercion, big spending, pandering to select groups, half-baked ideas, ad hominem arguments, and self-contradiction. Remember, Trump was a life-long NY Liberal.
Yup, indeed many of his "hard right" policies seemed to be purely in response to media wags telling him he could not do them. Al Gore tried to take advantage of this Trump contrarian tendency when he had a successful early meeting with Trump on environmental policies immediately after the election while Trump was still sore at the Republican establishment .. but then Al Gore was shouted down by his own Party for "normalizing" the Trump presidencly.
I politely disagree .. his actual policies were very much old school Democrat blue collar populist (google Jerry Brown's statements and policies towards illegal AND legal immigration, for example). I didn't vote for him as I am an actual libertarian-conservative, but I did warm up to him due to his example of loudly resisting the judgemental mob.
Who are the "hard-right" appointees? YOU see them as "hard-right" because they rfeflect Americanist values that you, as a socialist, detest.
Stephen Miller. The short lived John Bolton. Betsy DeVos.
So, I have you pegged - you call genuine Americanist values "hard right."
You're a dupe.
What?
Biden wags his finger at America all the time with his moralizing about all the current moral piety's of the left. What else can his talk on white supremacy etc be called besides judgmental?
ugh *pieties... we (I) need a comment edit feature, substack!
I agree and disagree with a bunch of stuff in this article. The main thing I disagree with is that the article seems too milquetoast fence sitting.
The current infrastructure bill which they are claiming to be bipartisan defines gender identity as a protected class.
“American Medical Association’s (AMA) Board of Trustees kept busy during the summer crafting a resolution in favor of removing the terms “male” and “female” from birth certificates, claiming evidence of an individual being born is the only information necessary."
Women rights have gone backwards half a century, terms like mother, breastfeeding etc are no longer allowed.
All this is because the “conservatives” aren’t conserving shit and liberals ain’t liberal. This all occurred because of too many spineless incompetent Republican who keep trying to please the left and giving up ground. Speaking out against all this insanity can be used against the main premise of your article - “Non-Judgmental”. Leftists will simply claim that speaking out against men in women sports or bathrooms or prisons is judgemental, speaking out against injecting kids with hormones is judgemental etc. Leftists know how to wordsmith and exploit people’s emotions. Sitting on the fence may not be the best idea.
I think you hit upon a thought I had as well. I see no virtue in being "non judgmental". There is such a thing as right and wrong. People who would seek to control others through collectivism deserve judgment, and that cannot come too soon.
Alright - that's two people.
Thank you. It's encouraging to see that at least one person can see beneath the surface.
ASIA FOR THE ASIANS, AFRICA FOR THE AFRICANS, WHITE COUNTRIES FOR EVERYBODY!
Anti-Whites say there must be no White Countries.
Anti-Whites say there must be no White Towns.
Anti-Whites say there must be no White Neighborhoods.
Anti-Whites say there must be no White Anything.
Anti-Whites say there must be no White People.
Immigration = Colonization – “Diversity” = Fewer White Children
“Multiculturalism” = WHITE GENOCIDE
Anti-racist is a code word for anti-White.
Most Americans reject white nationalism. And if you pick up a history book, it's easy to figure out why.
Is there no comment board you won't defile with you racist screed?
You're disturbed by reality, aren't you?
A morally depraved democrat incapable of dealing facts a truth hiding in his safe-space under the CNN rock.
Douglas - It's not clear to whom you are referring.
I don't know Tom Nichols. I do read his Atlantic pieces and follow him on Twitter. I honestly think that none of his other beefs with J.D. Vance would've moved him to condemnation, had Vance not recently thrown in his lot with the Divider-in-Chief, aka The Former Guy.
I'm a leftist. But I too yearn for a sense of common purpose again. We won't get that as long as Trumpism rules the GOP. We need more Liz Cheneys, Jaime Herrera Beutlers, and Adam Kinzingers. We won't get them as long as Trumpism continues to suffocate the party.
And yes, I can hear people countering: but what about The Squad? The left-wing of the Dems is unelectable in the vast majority of districts, even in the primary, whereas Trumpists are ascendant in virtually every safe GOP district and state.
Like Nichols, a Republican never-Trumper, I see Trumpism as a clear and immediate threat to democracy. Perhaps the common cause going forward will be a coalition of those who wish to preserve democracy. I will hold hands with my Republican friends, tightly, until democracy is safe and we can get back to squabbling about ordinary policy differences.
The threat to democracy that the Orange Guy provided was to be so outrageous that decent-thinking people crumbled and gave in to the Far Left's violent and abusive rhetoric and actions. I personally know many people who really do have Trump Derangement Syndrome and this has given rise to budding Communism in the U.S.
Pretty sad narrative, if true. But let's try a little experiment. Name one right you lost under the "Orange Guy." I'll be impressed if you even try.
You likely would have been a fan of Vidkun Quisling as well. More Kiinzingers means more crocodile tears.
great article, right on target
Excellent
Brilliant. Thank you. I've often wondered how people can so quickly judge others without knowing a stitch about their lives. You go, Vance!
I'm conservative but don't relate to your accusations about how they judge those who are gay or not religious, etc. Not everyone is Shaun Hannity.
Maybe not even Sean.
Ms Shrier,
Excellent piece, thank you. Our issue as a nation, a society, I believe has been that we believe all of us should achieve some "normal" life. A life is defined by one's values and the goals and tactics that support achieving that normal life. For the last several decades we have created and funneled a vision to our children that there is but one way, which is a college education and a high paying services job in the professional class. We pumped money into people's hands not necessarily through economic growth but by drowning ourselves, collectively, in debt. Along the way we have confused what a human being's basic right truly represents. Our Declaration holds the key: that man has a Right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It does not mean that those values will be achieved. That is every man, woman and child's responsibility, regardless of circumstances.