A modest proposal: End rural electrification

[NCDem777]

So, people in rural America hate government intervention in private industry, be they taxes, worker safety regulations, consumer protections, etc. Every good thing that has happened in the last 100 years, they have some philosophical grievance with. So you know what, fine. Let's end a BIG example of interference in the poor oppressed private industry by the big bad government: Rural electrification.

Back in the 30's, there was almost zero interest on the part of power companies in bringing electricity to small-town America. It was simply too expensive. The few places that got electricity got it at exorbitant prices until the Federal government stepped in.

But by the logic of today's rural Americans, they never should have.

1. Providing electricity to rural America is totally expensive. It's more expensive than bringing electricity to urban areas. How dare the Feds tell the poor oppressed power companies how to spend their money. The power companies have the God-given right to choose whether they bring electricity to rural America or not and how much they charge. Damn those Federales for taking that freedom away!
2. There's nothing in the exact text of the Constitution that says the government can make power companies provide rural America with affordable electricity. Even though it benefits millions of people, we shouldn't do it because it's not in the text of the Constitution. Who knows where that would lead? Nazi death camps, that's where!
3. If the government got out of the way, I'm sure someone from the free market will figure something out. If not, rural America being in the dark is still better than the government doing anything. If people had trouble affording electricity, I'm sure charities will manage. And if they don't, people could just move!

So put your money where your mouth is, rural America! Tell the government to turn your power off!

[dembotoz]

1. Not too modest.. look at Puerto Rico

Been there doing that

[NCDem777]

4. I know

I'm just borrowing a title from another satirical work

[Dawson Leery]

2. It is time to let the right wing live by their own rules.

I also oppose expanding the Mohamed Ali Act to cover MMA fighters.

Seeing that they are mostly right wing nuts, they should follow their own rules. The government should not protect them.
Let them fight with the promoters for their wages.

[Sophia4]

3. This should be the post of the day and given a special position on the front page of DU.

[2naSalit]

5. I really would like...

those of you who stereotype all rural people as RWNJs to do some homework on that topic, like go out to some rural places and see for yourself that we are not all alike just like you city-folks aren't all alike.

[Kali]

10. ...

proud member of my rural electric CO-OP and I love pointing out that socialist fact to my fellow rural friends and neighbors who may not be aware of it.

[nolabear]

17. God knows. This is mean and ignorant.

Was DU always like this or has hate just reduced us all? If so that orange blowhole’s work is going just the way they want.

[WhiteTara]

20. NolaBear

Did you reply to the right post?

[mopinko]

29. yes, it was always like that.

my time as a mod taught me a lot about the interwebs. back in the day, we would likely have locked this post.

[airmid]

22. Thank you for this. I try to refrain from posting for this very reason. I have watched many rural

Dems withdraw from local offices that only exist in towns due to this attitude. When I see posts like this, even though I have been a registered Dem for over thirty years, I feel unwelcome. edit...I see it's satire. Thank goodness. I would hate to feel totally unwelcome here.

[MyNameGoesHere]

23. Being from rural America

I agree with you. Only about 99.5% are rwnj's.

[NCDem777]

24. And I'd like conservative rural Americans

to admit that this anti-government kick they've been on for the last 30 years is a load of racist sexist bullshit.

None of them minded in the slightest when the New Deal welfare state applied ONLY to them. They didn't mind worker safety laws or any of the other stuff. The minute it applied to "those people" they started bitching.

[Docreed2003]

27. Except they did bitch when the govt brought in the New Deal...

They complained when “Yankees” from the CCC began projects in the south...They wailed when the TVA flooded their lands to build damns that would bring electricity to their homes...

This isn’t something new. Even when some of these areas were Democrat stongholds they were still very conservative. That hasn’t changed. What these areas need is more not less government intervention.

[treestar]

25. They vote predominately Republican

and are likely in favor of the free market. So why not? It's something that logically fits that theory. The free market can do it better, right? That's what they say, so they should be ready to "improve" things by letting the government out of electricity and letting the free market do a "better" job.

[moda253]

6. Can I share to social media?

Please?!

[NCDem777]

7. By all means

[Kali]

8. there are progressive people living in rural areas

and that is where your food is grown. try something else.

[NCDem777]

11. It's satire

[Kali]

13. well, sorry I don't usually miss that

guess I am a little touchy about how rural folks are viewed here on DU sometimes.

[NCDem777]

15. Fair enough

Last edited Wed Nov 29, 2017, 06:42 PM - Edit history (1)

I was hoping people would get it was satire when I started off the title with "A modest proposal."

A Modest Proposal was a historically famous satirical writing during the Irish Potato Famine wherein the writer suggested the starving Irish resort to cannibalism.

[treestar]

26. But most of them want the free market, right?

Why do the majority vote Republican? They believe this. Nothing wrong with challenging them with this idea. The progressives there will understand.

[dalton99a]

9. And mail delivery too

There is nothing in the Constitution that says Congress must establish or maintain post offices (only 'shall have power to')

[maranadem]

12. Perfect! Wish we could pin this somewhere

[nolabear]

14. God I hate posts like this.

It’s simple hate mongering. You know as well as I how many innocent people would suffer. How many animals. How many kids and sick people and elders who as far as I know could be the progenitors of our best and our future great leaders.

So since it’s a broad brush of a premise and literally a cruel, inhuman concept it’s only here to rouse outrage at a segment of the country the same way the right simplifies and rouses outrage at inner cities and “snowflakes”.

[NCDem777]

18. Maybe this will explain it

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Modest_Proposal

[Break time]

16. Another generalization

There are actually a whole hell of a lot of us that are "rural" that don't fit that generalization...we actually vote dem and hate repugs just as much as our urban counterparts.

[Lee-Lee]

19. Posts like this and the condescending attitude behind them

Are exactly the kind to stupid crap that plays right into the GOP’s hands in keeping rural areas voting red.

[LiberalFighter]

21. I am one house away from having a rural electric company providing my power.

[blur256]

28. My Interesting Take on This

So there is a tiny electrical station in the Midwest named after my grandfather. Back in the day (20s/30s) he volunteered his time away from being a farmer to go to rural homes and convince them that electricity was a good thing and not something to be scared of. His house was one of the first to be "electrified" in that part of the state. I realize this is satire - and I appreciate that. My grandfather was a democrat until the day he died. He would be APPALLED at what is going on in our country and reading this makes me wonder if he is rolling over in his grave knowing that people out in the neck of the woods where I grew up were so backwards and hateful. So I don't think it would be a stretch for him to agree. My mom still lives there as well as a lot of my family. They are pretty cool. But there are some terrible sob's out there that if they lost their power, I don't think my grandfather (or myself) would be too concerned.

[Horse with no Name]

30. As I live in a backwards ignorant racist rural area

I tend to agree.
Shut down the fucking power grid and make these hillbillies go live in an urban area where they have to interact with a society not of their own making.

[RobinA]

31. The Republicans

don't hate all intervention. Their rule is intervention that helps me or those better off then me (because I will be a millionaire one day), no problem. Intervention that helps someone else, particularly someone worse off then me, intrusive.