[HamRadioRocks]

Is it just me, or are some Peak Oil authorities (like Kunstler) prejudiced against Southerners? Southerners are characterized as lawless, prejudiced, dumb, short-sighted, racist, and trigger-happy. While there are many Southerners with these attributes, you can say the same thing about people in other regions of the country and other parts of the world. Hate crimes don't just happen in the South - Matthew Shepard was killed by homophobes in Wyoming. Hate crimes aren't even limited to "red" states - Vincent Chin was killed in Detroit. The Unabomber and the Freemen settled in Montana. Then there are the New York City parents who would kill to enroll their babies in prestige pre-schools.

The bottom line is, there are nutjobs everywhere - they just act out in different ways that can mean anything from waving Confederate flags to plotting ways to overthrow the US government to killing their peers for their Air Jordans to doing the best they can to rob their children of unscheduled moments during the day. Nutjobs can be of any race, religion, region, nation, continent, etc.

[NTBKtrader]

I do see that from time to time, they are probably self hating, jewish, or jealous that southern women are lot prettier.

[LadyRuby]

Take a look at the way the south is developing. Sprawl, more sprawl, planning more of it and proud of it. A couple of 24-lane highways planned, etc. Hard to respect "the south" when it continues to remain ignorant, ignore, whatever you call it, of the hard realities ahead. Same states where renewable clean energy isn't even on the radar screen. No thanks.

[NTBKtrader]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('LadyRuby', 'T')ake a look at the way the south is developing. Sprawl, more sprawl, planning more of it and proud of it. A couple of 24-lane highways planned, etc. Hard to respect "the south" when it continues to remain ignorant, ignore, whatever you call it, of the hard realities ahead. Same states where renewable clean energy isn't even on the radar screen. No thanks.

[uNkNowN ElEmEnt]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('NTBKtrader', 'I') do see that from time to time, they are probably self hating, jewish, or jealous that southern women are lot prettier.

[elocs]

So which is it: "so many" or "some" Peak Oil authorities hate Southerners? I am guessing that some do, some don't, and some don't think about it or care, much like the general population. And then, is it "hate" or "prejudice"? They are different things.

[LadyRuby]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('NTBKtrader', 'I')t's growing because the south has a ton of immigration from the north and from Latin America. If the south tries to control it's population the word racist and bigot is tossed around more than Jenna Jamison.

[TWilliam]

"Hateful" and "observant" are two distinctly different things. I've not found Kunstler's writings hateful toward any particular group (apart perhaps from suburbanites in general); he's just very observant in pointing out that certain mentalities are generally agglomerated in certain regions. The South does tend to harbor a rather higher than average percentage of bigots and violent sub-literates that are not only uninformed on major issues but that willfully choose to remain so.

This is from my own direct observations living there for a decade plus, not some distorted media image. I do have to say tho' that stereotypes are often more accurate than we like to admit.

I suspect however that anyone native to the South who frequents forums such as this one likely does not fit the general profile described...

[emersonbiggins]

Critics like Kunstler are blind to the perils of their own environment. Being situated a mere 100-150 mile march up Interstate 87 from Manhattan, Kunstler ought to feel more than a little apprehensive about the marching hordes of city-dwellers coming his way. I may indeed be forced to live without air conditioning, but Kunstler will have to live with some 8-10 million pissed New Yorkers (I know, redundant) showing up on his doorstep. I'll take my chances with the heat.

[azreal60]

Honestly, I think it's a left over of the bad old days when the south was the home of overt racism. That and they are doing some pretty stupid things down in the south planning wise. I'm not saying it's confined to the south by any means, but the south seems to have more states that put a lessor value on things I would put a higher value on. That and their overwhelming support of a president that I'd say 70 percent of the people regardless of party on this board despise, and you have the irrational disgust with the south in a nutshell.

Honestly, I like the south for alot of things. But I hate bugs. And I hear you guys have a huge problem with bugs down there. I'll take cold winters and 4 seasons any day over bugs.

[HamRadioRocks]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TWilliam', 'T')he South does tend to harbor a rather higher than average percentage of bigots and violent sub-literates that are not only uninformed on major issues but that willfully choose to remain so.

This is from my own direct observations living there for a decade plus, not some distorted media image. I do have to say tho' that stereotypes are often more accurate than we like to admit.

I suspect however that anyone native to the South who frequents forums such as this one likely does not fit the general profile described...

[threadbear]

Kunstler seems to dislike just about everybody. Leaving Southerners out would be regional prejudice, on his part.

[Merlin]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('LadyRuby', 'H')ard to respect "the south" when it continues to remain ignorant...

[americandream]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('HamRadioRocks', 'T')he bottom line is, there are nutjobs everywhere - they just act out in different ways that can mean anything from waving Confederate flags to plotting ways to overthrow the US government to killing their peers for their Air Jordans to doing the best they can to rob their children of unscheduled moments during the day. Nutjobs can be of any race, religion, region, nation, continent, etc.

[jmacdaddio]

Back on topic here .... self-appointed PO authorities (gee, I wonder who that could be) think poorly of the South because to them, the South is the embodiment of all that is wrong with our fossil-fueled society. NASCAR, sprawl, and pickup truck culture are only the beginning. Throw in resentment over the GOP's reliance of the South to win election after election, the US political format which gives the South electoral power disproportional to its population, and the breakdown of our nation into liberal blue states on the coasts and conservative red states in the south and midwest, and it's no surprise that PO advocates don't like the south.

The worst enemy of the PO authorities is a pickup-driving redneck living on the outskirts of <insert city here> in a new development, overweight from frequent stops at chain restaurants and a refusal to walk or bicycle anywhere, watching NASCAR (with the AC cranked) on weekends on a plasma paid for by a cash-out refinancing, refusing to accept global warming, and all too willing to send somebody else's kid to die in an Arab desert to "fight them over there before we have to fight them over here".

[azreal60]

I think that's why it's posted in the Americas discussion, because it's about America. =-)

[rwwff]

Because they know and realize underneath all the frills, Southern culture is not dependent upon the industrial economy. Sure, we play along, and juice it for all its worth, while its going.. But when the oil starts to dry up, and industries start to crash, we will remain who we are.

On the other hand, you guys in the North East are the definition of industrialization; and for the most part its been many generations since any of you spent more than 10 minutes "harvesting" some vegetables, and heaven forbid if any of you up there had ever spent hours filling bushel basket after bushel basket with calorie laden crops grown from your own dirt.

I think he hates southerners because he's jealous.

[Loki]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('americandream', '
')
Errrr...moderator...whats the relevance of this mungbeans to me, a kiwi?

Don't fergit folks, Peal Oil is global. Keep ya petty yankee/dixie squabbles to yer selfs will ya.

[rwwff]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Loki', ' ')the willfull ignorance about environmental issues doesn't help, nor does ranting about the "war of northern aggression." Fucking get over it.

[TWilliam]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jmacdaddio', 'T')he worst enemy of the PO authorities is a pickup-driving redneck living on the outskirts of <insert city here> in a new development, overweight from frequent stops at chain restaurants and a refusal to walk or bicycle anywhere, watching NASCAR (with the AC cranked) on weekends on a plasma paid for by a cash-out refinancing, refusing to accept global warming, and all too willing to send somebody else's kid to die in an Arab desert to "fight them over there before we have to fight them over here".