Joe Bageant

The Bastards Never Die

A short history of why we eat oil, can't smoke pot, and why assault weapons are so expensive in our hour of need

By Joe Bageant

(With running commentary by THE SCREAMING MAN)

Well, for starters, the above title is a damned lie, since this little screed is not a history. It's just rumination on the tilting point at which Americans started the slide into the deepest sort of cultivated consumer consciousness -- which is to say our corporate managed engorgement and swinedom at the service of the rich.

Very rich families and corporatists, to whom, as in earlier articles, we shall refer to as "the bastards," have always been with us. Even Tom Jefferson thought periodic revolution against wealth and authority was desirable to keep these bastards in check. Which implies that he figured they would inevitably get us by the throat down on the floor from time to time.

But the bastards scared the hell out of later presidents too. Abe Lincoln feared the large corporations born of business profiteering during the U.S. Civil War -- the military industrial complex of the day -- easily constituted the greatest threat to the American republic. Being president and all, he couldn't call them what they were, and settled for the term "money power," and predicted that, "money power will … work upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed."

Slacker kid nails it: money IS slavery

Joe:

From the beginning of recorded history there have been slaves and other forms of cheap labor. For many centuries, most people were just subsisting. Whether they were serfs, owned a small plot or otherwise got by, they were effectively slaves to their work in order to survive.

When serfdom ended with the industrial revolution, people were able to switch to the cheap labor jobs in factories. Then with workers uniting in unions, things got a little better, but we were still slaves to our job because even those of us who had a middle management job, were still only a paycheck or two from losing everything.

Ideology discussions have been demonized

Joe,

I have never read you describing your ideology. So this could mean that you don't find ideology important, or it could also mean that you never felt the need to talk about this topic. But for me ideology is important.

An example: a few months ago here in Australia, Malcolm Turnbull (opposition leader, head of the Liberal Party, which in Australia is the "conservative" party, go figure) criticized Kevin Rudd (prime minister, Labour Party) for what he considered an unjustified move against a justly deserved middle and upper class entitlement. The specifics of the case are unimportant. His words were something like: "Rudd is acting on ideology". Supposedly left-wing, or, God forbid, socialist.

America's White Underclass

When seeing ain't believing, somebody's blind

By Joe Bageant

"White underclass" is a term I've used often in my writing, and most American readers seem to know what I mean. They've got eyes and live in the same nation I do. But in a sudden burst of journalistic responsibility, I decided that if I am going to throw around the word underclass, then I should offer some clearer, perhaps more scientific definition.

So I started writing this with a pile of published research papers before me. Now they are in the trash can by my side. Looking down on them, I can see the gobbledygook titles, the stuff of which government policy and political platforms are made. They run together in slurry of the language of our society's commissars: Concerning-Prevalence-Growth-and-Dynamics-Concentrated Urban Poverty Areas- block-level vs. tract-level segregation-800-tract-tables-urban abstracts-Defining-and-Measuring-the-Underclass-from-The Journal of Policy Analysis and Management-statistical-summary-of …

Australian shocked by US poverty

Dear Mr Bageant,

I noticed your book Deer Hunting with Jesus at Borders while killing time waiting for my plane, bought it and couldn't stop reading. I just loved it, although you do paint a very sad picture. However, if sad is the truth then there is no point sugar-coating it, and you haven't.

I am 32 and my only overseas trips (I'm Australian) have been to America. I went in 2005 and again last year, with my ex. We could have afforded to go anywhere in the world, but both had our heart set on going to America. What has Europe got that can be more fun than America? Our 2005 trip was non-stop fun, including Vegas, Grand Canyon, Manhattan, New Orleans, Miami and San Francisco. It was a big adventure in a booming economy where everyone had lots to spend. After one month, we had to leave, but promised to come back because we loved it.

Live simply and do what feels right

Hey Joe,

I have been reading your stuff online for a few years now and finally ordered a copy of your book. Imagine my surprise to see my high school get such a prominent mention. When you broke out the numbers on the New York lovely upstate village where I was raised, and compared them to your own hometown, I understood why I felt like I knew so many of the people you were talking about.

I may have had a stranger time of coming up in my part of the "global south" than you did. My Mom's side of the family were middle American types who were recovering from my definitely white trash grandparents. And I don't mean redneck. My Mom left this nest at age 13, spirited into the foster care system along with her sisters.

Q&A about Virginia Senator Jim Webb

Joe,

Please answer a few questions for me.

1. Your article regarding your father was powerful and disturbing. Of course, you like to shake things up, even if the lotus eaters end up with indigestion. In this article you mentioned speed, greenies, black-beauties, etc. etc. Do you think the DEA caused the present speed epidemic by essentially banning these substances and making things even worse?

Joe: No. I think misery, oppression and ignorance and hopelessness imposed upon poor working class whites caused the epidemic. I don't see any millionaires cooking meth in their mansions. The farther down the social and economic scale you go, the more meth pipes you find tucked down in the couch cushions.