Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Good God almighty, where are we headed? (Rant) [View all]lambchopp59
(2,809 posts)68. My two cents on, esp. US culture
From the advent on of the automobile, the belief that the car is a symbol of social superiority. Many car drivers still consider themselves superior to those who use a less powerful form of transport or a less prestigious type of car. Once behind the wheel of a car, the driver is often - for himself and for others - no longer just the man in the street. He demands and is given priority, which implies superiority and sets him apart from cyclists and pedestrians.
I've observed as family, friends, neighbors, and acquaintances adopt a new, uptight narcissism upon purchasing a new car, the bigger more powerful or pretentious, the worse they behave. The bullies, upon obtaining some ridiculously jacked-up pickem-up truck became more tyrannical than ever. My neighbor has become a Cadillac-widow ever since her husband bought the new, towering, intimidating "Escalade", it's been nearly a year now, and his insufferable abject snobbery still hasn't waned, and my SMART car driving self no longer rates for even casual greetings or a wave, just a nose up drive by.
Topping the prestige cake is the usurping of the term "entitlement" by the right wing screwballs to kick around the fortuneless.
My own diatribe here doesn't even begin to address the impractical, selfish nature of driving gas-hoggs in our environmental blight, yet there is the most explosive of "protected rights" especially from the RWNJ's you don't want to hear. Again.
Contrasting this where "We're all in the same boat"-ism prevails in urban environments where only some exceptionally accessible situation affords a private car commute. Public transit has a great equalizing effect to some extent, but the further from deep urban areas this gets misunderstood.
Now my statement here gets a bit tongue in cheek-- but those who know realize getting used to some unwanted contact, blowing it off as, hey it's rush hour... only goes over the top when some objectionably odoriferous, perhaps homeless individual "assaults".
I don't miss the days when "express lane" meant a half hour's wait as opposed to one hour's. Next person, a bit of annoyance with the person having difficulty working the PIN pad correctly, then beep, beep, beep, receipt, out, done and home represents progress I can live with.
My own mother was touch-phobic. She complained ad nauseum about the "touchy-feely" sort. This frigidity came from her pseudo-religious mother, and in our family has become far better. My brothers, cousins unabashedly hug at the airport coming and going that would have elicited scowls from grammy. This is considered unwelcome contact, and gets deflected by our family's doctorate-degree holder, and is glaringly evident in casual on-line communiques as well. They are "doctors" and us proletariat family must have an "appointment".
Precisely the syndrome I see in those who buy the overblown new vehicle.
Edit history
Please sign in to view edit histories.
78 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
RecommendedHighlight replies with 5 or more recommendations
"People here are condemning anyone who touches them as if it were a violent crime."
eShirl
Apr 2019
#1
Headed toward finding out our military readiness is going to be zero for decades because the amount
uponit7771
Apr 2019
#2
The Biden story is being propelled by someone who thinks it will benefit them.
LonePirate
Apr 2019
#3
I'm also 70 & have expereinced both; the difference is very clear. Another thing
Amaryllis
Apr 2019
#21
This 70 year old Male appreciates your post and agrees that we are in the verge of losing
Atticus
Apr 2019
#9
I agree with you. Especially about how men see it as an unspoken privilege to touch women.
Demit
Apr 2019
#33
Nice rant. Thank God and thank you for it. We really need to hear this. Nobody is perfect to
KPN
Apr 2019
#25
Thank you. Love your post and completely agree with your common sense assessment of
c-rational
Apr 2019
#32
Your automation point is silly, people of complained about automation forever. You....
USALiberal
Apr 2019
#48
The cat's out of the bag. We've been marching with "believe women" signs for decades.
MadDAsHell
Apr 2019
#50
"As a mid-50s male I agree with you. I love pats, hugs and kisses." -bitterross
Different Drummer
Apr 2019
#58
Agree completely!. Had you noticed that men are becoming more demonstrative with
Karadeniz
Apr 2019
#60
Completely agree. There's a distance and isolation from one another that is growing and I think
suffragette
Apr 2019
#61
I feel sorry for persons who interpret all human touch as sexual advances.
sinkingfeeling
Apr 2019
#73