Something has definitely gone wrong in America these days, and I'm not even talking politics. I'm just speaking on a personal level. It seems the world is suddenly full of the worst kind of narcissists, losers, whiners and malingerers. A perfect example of this is this guy:
What bothers me about this inbred motherf*cker is that there are a whole army of this guy roaming the streets of Colorado Springs compensating for their tiny dicks by driving these exact same pickup trucks, trying to make themselves feel like men by terrorizing children in crosswalks, throwing crap at athletes at sporting events from afar, and screaming at defenseless employees that they ain't wearing no mask... always lashing out at a target chosen carefully for their inability to fight back.
These guys are the definition of cowards. They desperately need to bully others to prove their manhood, but they lack the physical and mental prowess to do it, because they are small and weak and stupid and pointless -- and frankly, if you have to prove your manhood, then you don't have it in the first place. So they hide behind machines to compensate... small-dicked cowards in pickup trucks... pointless loses with guns who shoot up schools... pathetic loners trolling the internet... nasty sheep pushing intolerant tolerance to control from afar.
In the past, these beer-bellied goat-f*ckers were shunned by society and busted by the cops when they picked fights at strip clubs or got caught masturbating behind the dumpster. Now, it seems that banks are lending them money to let them move out of the trailer park, country music and talk radio glorify their idiocy, and the world is a worse place because of them.
These subhumans aren't the only problem in American society, far from it, but they are the model of what has gone wrong with this country. The rugged, educated individualist has turned into the whiny, retarded, compensating bully.
These guys are the definition of cowards. They desperately need to bully others to prove their manhood, but they lack the physical and mental prowess to do it, because they are small and weak and stupid and pointless -- and frankly, if you have to prove your manhood, then you don't have it in the first place. So they hide behind machines to compensate... small-dicked cowards in pickup trucks... pointless loses with guns who shoot up schools... pathetic loners trolling the internet... nasty sheep pushing intolerant tolerance to control from afar.
In the past, these beer-bellied goat-f*ckers were shunned by society and busted by the cops when they picked fights at strip clubs or got caught masturbating behind the dumpster. Now, it seems that banks are lending them money to let them move out of the trailer park, country music and talk radio glorify their idiocy, and the world is a worse place because of them.
These subhumans aren't the only problem in American society, far from it, but they are the model of what has gone wrong with this country. The rugged, educated individualist has turned into the whiny, retarded, compensating bully.
I was ruminating earlier on how there is a certain sort of empathetic hardness that accompanies material softness. These people who couldn't work a faucet or stand up to a stiff breeze are completely callous to the feelings or circumstances of others.
ReplyDeleteI guess that's all I've got.
tryanmax, This one just pisses me off. These people are the exact opposite of everything we believe to be good about the human race at its finest and yet they are multiplying like some cancer in the species. If they are the future, then the human race has been pointless.
ReplyDeleteAs an aside, we watched a pathetic hipster the other day who went out of his way to park in one of these grocery store spots meant for people getting their groceries delivered to their cars. The spot was further away from the door than other open spaces, it was not as convenient for him as other spaces, and he was not using the service. So the only purpose we could see was that he was trying to interfere with other people using the service.
ReplyDeleteThat's pathetic. Talk about a pathetic goal. Even worse, his little protest went unnoticed because he did it in a cowardly sneaky fashion. And it was ineffective because he only blocked one of 8 spots.
As best I can tell, this was some form of laughable thrill seeking: he broke the rules in some totally nondangerous way.
And indeed, when he came back, he had a guilty countenance about him. My kid and I were stunned. Could there really be a human being who acts this way? Apparently. Just as their are people who get off racing up to kids in crosswalks and then revving their engines until the kids run away. Seen that a lot. Just as there are people (many interviewed in this state) who intentionally drive slowly 'to slow everyone else down.'
A huge chunk of us have become a species of losers who want to interfere with other people because that pathetic little moment of power gets us off. Disgusting.
You might find the book "Alienated America" by Timothy P. Carney interesting. He looks into why Trump won in 2016 and why the elite were so shocked. I'm only about halfway through it but it's an interesting read. The things that created Trump's core support have also, I'd bet, played a role in creating guys like you described.
ReplyDeleteStacy, I'll have to look at that. Could you explain more of what you're thinking?
ReplyDeleteAs an aside, I do understand feeling alienated. It's clear to me that our government (and others) are run by an elite. And that elite does not share our values. In fact, they look down on us. What's more, they are brazen pillagers, thieves, and nepotists. And they don't care about us and they aren't going to give up anything they have taken. To the contrary, they are looking to take more -- read my article on investment firms buying up houses. So I very sympathetic to this idea and I totally understand why Trump won and why the elites didn't get it.
That said, these people are messed up. These people are not upset about lost freedoms or unfair economic conditions; they only hide behind made-up freedoms as an excuse. As far as I can tell, they aren't even ideological, and the people they attack have no connection to any of the freedoms they claim to be defending. Even worse, they are not even fundamentally good people. They just get off thinking they are making the world burn.
It's also a very broad group. It covers supposed conservatives, libertarians, liberals, progressives, etc. It covers all races, all age groups. It's like society merged with a dive bar.
Stacy, I think what kills is that I know there are millions of good, decent people. But that's not what's running society. On the one hand, you have an aristocracy that is worse than anything I've seen in history. It's like they are literally trying to destroy society. On the other hand, you have these terrible people roaming around just trying to mess with anyone they can. Then you have the secret police/Nazi-wannabe progressives trying to destroy everyone they oppose. You have corporate America lying and deceiving average people while embracing the Nazis.
ReplyDeleteWhat is left for the good people? It's deeply depressing.
So far the book is suggesting that those for whom Trump's message of "Make America Great Again" resonated are the result of a lot of circumstances...economic decline, the breakdown of the traditional family, and a loss of community being chief among them. The elite view America as great and progressing toward the future because they have more education, earn more, tend to live in traditional families, and have solid social networks. Also, the elite are more and more congregating in the same areas creating prosperous communities out of reach for the blue-collar worker. Because they are doing fine and they see everyone around them doing fine, they believe things are great. The blue-collar worker is often in less prosperous areas or even those in serious decline (Fayette Co. and Monessen in PA are examples). There is no or limited economic growth and with only a high school diploma or less the lack of hope for men is demoralizing. The author looks at several studies and thinks the break down of the family can be attributed to the lack of good jobs and the breakdown of civic networks. Jobs, organizations, and churches all taught and encouraged men (and society) to act according to certain standards. They taught them to be responsible and reliable and encouraged caring about your neighbors. With those things gone it all starts to break down.
ReplyDeleteIt really is fascinating. I live in sw Pennsylvania and since the author gives off a kind of liberal vibe I was expecting to be insulted and angry (because that's how "Hillbilly Elegy" left me feeling) but he's actually very fair in his views. I'm curious to get to the end and see if he has any ideas about how to bridge the canyon that lies between the two "sides" of the country.
Stacy, I'll check that out. I know exactly the people you are talking about. I saw them in Wheeling and Morgantown in massive numbers. The modern world simply forgot them and Silicon Valley types look down on them something fierce.
ReplyDeleteThe people I'm talking about right now are different though: they have money. They live in an area with $500-$700k homes. Their trucks are worth $80k. They even wear designer t-shirts sometimes. But they are white trash through and through.
I could definitely see lack of religion. They have none of the hallmarks of religious belief: compassion, patience, fundamental decency, sense of right and wrong, and belief in something better. They are pure narcissism, hate and schadenfreude.
I suspect the internet is largely to blame. I suspect they made themselves feel good being a-holes online and it's drifted over into their regular lives.
Either way, it's frustrating.
That it is.
ReplyDeleteAs an aside, a family member, who is not vaccinated -- though I don't know how anyone would know -- was shouted at in a grocery store today for not wearing a mask. This same nut job then went after other people, hoping they would all die of COVID.
ReplyDeleteThis insane assholery is getting out of hand.
Unfortunately, I see no way to undo what I am seeing. The world's petty-Nazis and cowardly-bullies seem to be multiplying and getting more nuts as days go by. I doubt something like that simply fixes itself and I don't see anything society will let itself do to fix it.
Trolls are the new normal.
Ug.
Not sure if this helps, but my ceased father upon trying to visit me years ago in NJ exclaimed: "All trucks are assholes. ALLT of them. You know what I meas, right?" (meaning, pick-up trucks).
ReplyDeleteI've run into my share of the "unhinged" in NJ (recommend the movie). Most dangle these dye cast metal symbols hanging off of their tow hitches . . that resmble; ahem, "testicles." I guess you can get this at the road raged trucker superstore in NJ?
Oh well, actively working on leaving this state.
Hope things work out fo ryou Andrew. Try not to poke the animals, never know when they're packing. I wish there was a way to pacify them... take away their trucks?
Just rambling, here...
Just for full disclosure, I get what Stacy is saying. I grew up in Lebanon, PA. I think upon growing up there, attending undergrad in western PA, and getting my professional credentials in Philly I've run across the "rich" pick-up tuck owners vs. th "poor" pick-up truck owners. This is a hard nut to crack. I'm beginning to think that unhinged personalities work them up to a brink, trying brinksmanship-behaviors to deal with some inner conflict. I'm out of my depth in terms of psychology, but I suspect the truck culture might be an expression of rage, something that had no place to go. "Big tuck, must intimidate, then I am validated."
ReplyDeleteThankfully I'm not seeing much of that kind of behavior around here aside from drivers getting dumber and dumber... Car manufacturers might as well make turn signals optional at this rate, especially for changing lanes. The Internet does seem to have inflamed these attitudes like you said, especially social media. It just seems designed to inflame and promote narcissism, which is at the root of a lot of this behavior. I don't know how it'll end either except that right now it's looking like the best case scenario for straightening this all out on most levels is the book Starship Troopers (forget the movie for this) once enough people get fed up, especially with lawless behavior going unpunished. Although Gozer with a worthy Destroyer like Rustbelt suggested is sounding pretty good too right now...
ReplyDeleteJon,
ReplyDeleteThis: "Big tuck, must intimidate, then I am validated." is what I think it is too.
And it's not just big pick-up trucks, though they are super obvious about it. Like I said about the hipster in the Subaru... there was nothing openly aggressive about that guy, but he was ultra passive aggressive. It's like society is suddenly full of people with issues who think it's acceptable to lash out at the rest of the world. It's not an ideological thing either, it's on all sides, from all corners. It's abuses of power no matter how small the power.
Ultimately, it's just really noticeable from these pick-u truck guys because they are so loud about it and so utterly unjustified.
P.S. Jon and Stacy, When I was in Wheeling, used to spend a lot of time in Pittsburgh and in "Little Washington"... where they had a Krispy Kreme. :)
ReplyDeleteDaniel, I enjoyed the book very much.
ReplyDeleteSadly, I'm not sure there is an answer. I think between a number of causes (the anonymity of the internet, the detachment from our physical limitations in gaming, the absence of the values taught by religion, ignorance of our history and philosophy, and a 'system' that clearly lies to us to control us), these people are only going to get worse and others will follow in their footsteps. Even worse, the solutions being offered almost seemed designed to make it worse, not better.
So honestly, I don't know how this corrects itself.
I saw a headline which reminded me of another group like this: airline crazies. What the hell is going on that people are suddenly trying to start fights, break into cockpits and open doors mid-flight?
ReplyDeleteEven when we came back from Greneda, the plane was a half empty yet this guy (60ish in a polo shirt) decided to cause problems. He thought someone was sitting in his seat (he was wrong). The stewardesses told him to take a seat because we had a narrow takeoff window and they promised to figure it out when we got in the air. He flat out refused -- became belligerent actually and started yelling. Keep in mind, there were whole empty rows right where this guy said his seat was supposed to be, but BY GOD he wasn't going to take some. other. seat. He'd paid for THAT seat and he was getting it! The pilot actually had to come back and threaten him with removal by the cops before he sat down and we left at the last second.
How can someone be so entitled and so fixated to think they had the right to stop the world to get their issue addressed right now when there were identical empty seats everywhere he could take and they told him they would fix it once we got in the air?
Okay, now I feel bad. Because the other day, I was waiting for a break in the traffic to turn out and the impatient dude behind me started honking. Because of his little outburst, I let two openings go by that I would've otherwise taken. So, I guess that's a little shame on me.
ReplyDeleteI might have an explanation: I think people are looking for a sense of control in their lives. A sense that no one can achieve so long as they are addicted to media, websites, and politicians intent on telling them that they are out to get them.
ReplyDeleteLiving in Tennessee, pick-ups are so common I have not really noticed. There are some guys who go overboard. Equally obnoxious are the crotch rocket cowboys eho dart in and out of traffic like a speed racer cartoon. Or, the would be olympians on their 24 speed bikes with skin tight neoprine shorts and bullet helmets who get on two lane roads with no shoulder and ride down the middle of the road like they own it
ReplyDeletetryanmax, I think it's definitely about control, but it's the wrong kind of control instinct. It's like oppressing someone weaker to make yourself feel strong.
ReplyDeleteJed, It's an epidemic of a-holes of all shapes and sizes, but each trying to control others around them. We fought a war here against a bike lane the city imposed at the behest of those very guys and actually won. It was ridiculous. And they did it not even just to get a bike lane, which they could have had, but to turn a drive lane into a bike lane so they could control the drivers. That's why they lost. People lost their minds!
ReplyDelete