Joe Bageant

USA is too large, broken and unfixable

Hello Joe!

The USA as an economic and political system is dead man walking. It takes millions of dollars to get into US Congress or Senate, way out of reach of middle/poor class people, the majority. Almost all of your congressmen and women are either rich themselves or friends of the rich. Middle class is just another minority to them, a real nuisance.

You can email, write, fax and phone to your US congressmen every day for five years straight but his army of assistants will not most likely pass your message to him. Even if your message goes through, what he is gonna do about it? Probably nothing. After all, you are not one of his rich pals that provide him those crucial millions for reelection campaign.

Publisher's press release on Joe's book

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Crown Publishing, a division of Random House

A fascinating look at why small town America
is on the brink of catastrophe

DEER HUNTING WITH JESUS
Dispatches from America’s Class War

By Joe Bageant

"Bageant mixes a reporter’s keen analysis, a storyteller’s color, and a native son’s love of his roots in this absorbing dissection of America’s poor. A wise, tender, and acerbic look at life among America’s working poor." —Booklist

The decency of Americans needs nurturing

Hello Joe,

In your essay "Thank Heaven for 7-Eleven", you wrote: "These are not stupid people. They are simply Americans. And because we are friends, we moved on to another topic. This is the sort of strange national disconnect that has so many folks like myself silently screaming inside our heads."

Let me tell you something, THEY is US

Joe,

You have convinced me that keeping my mouth shut is not an option. I’ll be 60 in July. I grew up hating Nazis, Japs and guys in black hats. I had a paper route at age 10 because the old man was having trouble keeping a job. My first car cost me 60 bucks and I couldn’t even drive it until I fixed the leaky oil pan.

Most of my friends and neighbors were from Appalachia and had just a tad less or more than I did. We learned math figuring out the batting averages of Mickey Mantle and Rocky Colavito. We combed our hair and washed our clothes so girls would look at us. Cops were tough guys who actually came when they were needed. They didn't command respect. They didn't need to. Their actions were enough.

Obese nation circling drain of history

Hello Joe,

I found your site yesterday and enjoyed reading what you think about all the situations being scrutinized. I agree on all matters of any consequence that you expound upon concerning the present states of affairs here in the USA -- also on what the oligarchy is up to internationally. I even agree philosophically about the beauty of a left wing solution, but do have my doubts about a political implementation of said philosophy, not because it is wrong, but because the unlettered (as Screaming Man calls them, please give my regards to Screaming Man, by the way) would bring the whole shooting match down with a blood curdling agonized shriek "Where the fuck is mine! Goddamit! Fuck you. I want mine!"

Hope is the center of Christian message

Dear Joe,

I can verify that there are many people out there who've pretty much figured out how the economic system is basically just a con system for the international half-of-one-percent to become even more rich and powerful. I know because I speak to them on buses, at work, on the street. Yet they feel isolated since they are invisible to the university elites and unheard by elected officials. I've had conversations in bars about politics, economics, and theology -- and as I've said to grad students, these are the same ideas discussed by educated people, although maybe not as articulately and with "fuck" as every other word.

Sick of fear and loathing all around us

Hi Joe,

Reading your essay "Ghosts of Tim Leary and Hunter Thompson" and the associated issues of freedom vs. authority got me on my own stroll down the memory lane from "back in the day." It's cool that you got to spend time with them in person.

I was one of the many who was influenced by them from a distance. Reading your essay made me want to dig into some pot that I think is still stashed in the back of my freezer to smoke a bowl and ponder the old days -- lol -- I think I might have been that "forty foot vagina," figuratively speaking.

Americans afraid to leave their bubbles

Hey Joe,

I read the letter from Dean. The "third world" is really not a useful expression anymore. Have you ever been to Oklahoma???? Resting my case.

I'm currently staying in a lovely place in Southeast Asia, outside a big city. I have 2MB+ internet speed, fresher food than you would ever find in the USA. Health care for the locals is paid for by the government. There's no crazy redneck running the country. There is freedom to be who you are here, and much less overt greed on display.

I'm living on my Social Security check

Joe,

Your essay "Dispatch from the Chinese Landfill" is the best thing I've read in some time. I live in the land of the Trophy Wife (eastern outskirts of Sacramento, California). Twenty years ago this was a nice farming community with fruit trees, a packing shed, and quiet streets. Now it's bisected by Highway 80 to Reno and points east. The school kids used to like school now they bitch and complain about testing oriented homework and put up with teachers who can't spell or correct the homework papers.

A report from the heartland

Hey Joe,

It's about 1:35 a.m. here in Rockville, Tennessee. I had begun to miss your crusty old ass and so went and looked at what you've been putting up there in the ether. And it's a reflection of pretty much what's goin' on with me.

I go to a little church around here, as you know, the members of which are families that have been here ever since the east coast powdered-wigged Very Rich, needing a buffer between themselves and the Injuns, gave away land to our Irish Scots ancestors as reward for their service in the Revolutionary War. And by God, I do hope you're wrong about the Bushes being Scots.