a zymurgian interlude

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the prose of Joe Bageant:

"We are insulated by ignorance, body fat, cheap spectacle and electronics. Hang around the working class places very long and you'll see that they almost never talk of current events. They never mention politics except in an election year. They never mention any larger issues than sports, movies, and where to get good ribs and seafood and why GM just can't seem to build a decent engine. They put up flags and patriotic symbols because it seems like the right thing to do because everybody else does. But no conscious analysis takes place. Most workingclass whites, blue collar, technical, service or whatever, are nonpolitical. And to the extent that they hold beliefs, they hold the beliefs they think they are expected to uphold. Just like they hold little flags and ribbons for the troops. That's to tell you who they believe they are. Americans and Americans only. Plain Americans cut from the rest of the world by a self-isolating belief that it's better to be American than anything else, even if they really can't prove why. Ignorance is bliss, and somehow America is where supposedly everyone wants to be. No depth of thought or consciousness involved or required. There is the American on top and the rest of the world who is envious and plotting to steal their freedom.
One thing for sure. Traditionally, we can count on working white Americans to go off in a homicidal swarm to "defend our way of life" whenever our leaders periodically declare it to be threatened. Whenever they nail the cowhide to the barn. Right now we have a full-blown case of the cowhide syndrome. Anyone who grew up on a farm knows what happens if you butcher a cow, then nail the hide up high on the barn. The rest of the cows go absolutely freakin berserk until it is removed. Now George Bush and the neos have nailed the hide to the barn and they have no damned intention of taking it down. For the moment, however, it is not election season so things have calmed down a bit. It is mostly the neo-con leadership and the liberal herd that is agitated and bellowing out there. Everybody else is at Wal-Mart.
Nothing to do but go home, break out the Old Grandad, and drink it straight from a rusty canteen cup. The voice of a ghost breaks in on the reverie-"AND DON'T EVEN BOTHER TO WASH THE MOTHERFUCKER!"
Right, Hunter."

Right, Joe.
(from his site "Deer Hunting With Jesus)