The Statist Divide

To protect your pharmaceutical induced delusions, you'll be wise to cut me off early. If you want to believe in something like government protection or democratic socialism, don't ever get close. If its private banking or legal authority, we're not going to have a chance.

We left San Fransisco for a southern Louisiana bayou, from Democratic headquarters to Republican ground zero. I sure see some differences but they're not remotely what the media would have us believe. The divide is not between dems and republicans, its between those who want to protect the state, and those who do not. And its pretty clear that one side has a big margin.

The first thing Leroy ever said to me was, "You're from California. Are you a democrat?" to which I immediately and without equivocation said "FUCK NO!!" He laughed and gave me a high five. If he asked if I was a republican I'd have offered a similar response, but gratefully that didn't come up.

Government is really just a gang of thugs that care not what party you claim. Extortion by way of fear of death (or it's little brother incarceration) is its only concern, expanding its tax base allows for greater weapons of war and subjugation, it knows no means to minimize its footprint or lessen its affect. Government's only role is an ever increasing bureaucracy and invasiveness. To the machine, your party claim mean nothing.

While ninety year old Jake and I spoke of such things outside, Cheryl was at the card table watching a game. Had she joined she would have taken all their money, and on the first date, that would probably be unwise. It was an honour to be included in the community and we have both learned sufficiently to not squander such opportunities by besting them early. I guess they asked if she supported Trump, to which she said she was a Goldwater republican, but I guess it wasn't enough. We are not sufficiently democratic for California or republican enough for Louisiana.

Turns out that both teams have bought into big government ideology. Republicans support big government, democrats definitely. All for the right reasons: republicans need to protect from foreigner invaders and democrats protect the weak from the strong. Thus both need government largess. Statism is the new religion, and anyone who seeks to protect their financial 1's and 0's is necessarily a huge believer.

Socialism has a very distinct divide: either the government controls the means of production, or the workers control the means of production, but it cannot be both. Democratic socialism involves voting privilege so that is surely big government, 51% choosing to manhandle the 49%. I once asked a California democrat if he thought 51% of the people should be able to choose to steal from the others, but he didn't want to discuss that. He knew it to destroy his entire belief system, a system built around keeping his government entitlements flowing steady. We accept no government support and make it work anyway, however it must be.

Muh money, I need to protect muh money. Donald just vetoed a bill to end the US support for the war on Yemen, seems that has been lost to the masses. To me, that was the final deal breaker. On the campaign trail he said things that sounded so anti-war, he questioned the whole 9-11 fiasco, but then tries to overthrow Venezuela.

We just spent the last eight weeks on this bayou, and almost the whole time we were alone. Millions of dollars in boats and no one around. Where are they? Working I guess. For what? Bigger piles of money? More toy boats that they don't ever use?

Ammon pointed out a boat on the water that had a $25,000 motor. We met a high school fishing team their boat had two motors that looked like such. For what? For social status.

Here in Republican Louisiana, social regard comes from the ability to display wealth. The people that Jimmy respects most are able to spend frivolously. But for them to give the photographer even a hundred bucks for the best photo they've gotten ever, its anathema. They make $100K per year, and spend 0% on independent art. They give $100 to Donald before $5 to the photographers who just gifted their new facebook profile pic.

One supports the state, the other does not. And the state is the new religion. All hands on deck, non believers are over the side.

all photos ©ramsayphotography 2019