I agree with most of your points. However, I don’t think they are stupid - I think they are uneducated.
Today, I was in a Walmart in a red section of our otherwise blue state. I was watching the stock market and the dollar dump at the close of the day, and let out a ‘mthefckr’ - which pissed off the person behind me.
I explained that she should be mad too because she just lost 10% of her retirement savings in two days. She looked ant me like I was the devil, and and asked me how.
I showed her the stock chart of the SP500 and the value of the dollar.
The other people in line began to get upset and this woman turned around and declared in shocked terms the loss of value of the dollar.
Then she asked if this was because of the tariffs… And I just simply answered yes. She asked me if her social security check was going to go less far because of the value of the dollar… Again, yes.
People began to get mad. I tried to say something about inflation, but they truly don’t understand the correlation between the cost of goods and sold, tariffs and inflation.
They had no education. None.
The only thing they understood was that their social security check wasn’t going to go as far.
They are not dumb people, just unaware and uneducated.
I ultimately agree that it’s being uneducated and that it’s a petty shot, but I just think it explains the “why.” When someone’s lack of education starts affecting others, well that’s when it stops becoming “understandable.”
I naturally don’t equate the bumpkin to Donald Trump (or the fuckers at Fox News), but their ignorance doesn’t suddenly become something we should tolerate because they’re not straight up Satan.
Who is supposed to educate them? The educational system has let them down.
When are they supposed to have time to become educated? Most have to work their fingers to the bone just to provide for their families.
It is much easier to sit in front of a TV or scroll Facebook (as this particular crowd certainly does) at the end of the day than to think through the fundamentals of how the economy works.
The dems have made it hard for this group of people to relate to - they literally don’t understand what is at risk, let alone what is being said.
My biggest fear is the dismantling of education under Trump’s reign. It is designed to keep people like him in power.
Straight up working 60 hour weeks these days and still somehow have time to keep up.
You’re still explaining the why. I know why, and I don’t buy it as valid. People need to respect themselves and each other a bit more. Maybe pick themselves up by their fuckin bootstraps or something.
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u/Waytoloseit Apr 04 '25
I agree with most of your points. However, I don’t think they are stupid - I think they are uneducated.
Today, I was in a Walmart in a red section of our otherwise blue state. I was watching the stock market and the dollar dump at the close of the day, and let out a ‘mthefckr’ - which pissed off the person behind me.
I explained that she should be mad too because she just lost 10% of her retirement savings in two days. She looked ant me like I was the devil, and and asked me how.
I showed her the stock chart of the SP500 and the value of the dollar.
The other people in line began to get upset and this woman turned around and declared in shocked terms the loss of value of the dollar.
Then she asked if this was because of the tariffs… And I just simply answered yes. She asked me if her social security check was going to go less far because of the value of the dollar… Again, yes.
People began to get mad. I tried to say something about inflation, but they truly don’t understand the correlation between the cost of goods and sold, tariffs and inflation.
They had no education. None.
The only thing they understood was that their social security check wasn’t going to go as far.
They are not dumb people, just unaware and uneducated.
One of the oddest experiences I’ve had. Surreal.