The Paradox/Enigma that is the Working Class Republican

     Working Class Republican Conundrum

      I was talking with a republican coworker one day a few years ago. We were discussing republican and democrat views on homosexualism, guns and abortions. I told him I partially agreed with him on all those issues. He said" you see, you're a republican and don't know it!" My reply to him was that even though I agree with him on a few things, there are many more things I disagree with republicans than I agree with them on. I am really socially and fiscally conservative, but not in the way republicans or the news media defines these terms. There are many in the republican party who feel the same as I do but remain in that party because they are afraid to leave or speak out for one reason or another. There are many good guesses why, which I won't get into here.
      Many republicans are counting on you being flattered that they would even consider you to be affiliated with them. I believe that is what happened concerning the latinos in this country during the time GW Bush was re-elected president. The republicans used the latinos love of family, telling them that they were a natural constituency of the republican party because of family values. Since then, the latinos have found out that was no more than a trick to get their votes and then vote against any bill that came up in congress that would help their cause in this country. And many of those so-called family values politicians really had no "family values" or any other values at all, except for the love of money. Now, just like they feel they don't need the African American vote, they feel like they no longer need the latino vote either. Just as they did in the south during the pre-civil rights era they feel that the "white hate" and "white fear"vote will convince enough white Americans to vote with them.
      But many in the republican party do not feel this way. They are more part of the main stream in this country. And by main stream I don't mean the "political mainstream" or the "media mainstream", I'm speaking of people who really care about the wellbeing of this country and want to do what's best for it. 
      Some of the paradoxes for working class republicans beginning with the most recent; Many working class republicans were on unemployment insurance, but now that has been cut from the budget by republicans. Republican politicians are decrying welfare, but without UI where are these people going to turn BUT to welfare?!
      Another paradox of the working class republican; Most of the best paying jobs in America have been shipped overseas and they (working republicans}need jobs. It was the politicians they voted for who shipped their jobs overseas, but they continue to vote for those same politicians even though they now have no jobs. The politicians they vote for tell them about trickle down economics and they believe them. But the politicians are getting rich voting for corporate rights and less taxes for the superwealthy while the workers themselves are becoming poorer. And add to that the fact that many of them blame the unions that bargained for fair compensation for their labor while the CEO's of corporations become billionaires.
     The next paradox I'll cite is the fact that this country is in desperately in need of infrastructure repair. Not only would working class republicans benefit from the government jobs, but so would all of America, and our country would be rebuilt and reinvigorated at the same time. Yet working class republicans vote for the very people who won't lift so much as a finger or say one word in favor of passing such a bill in the US congress to do so. 
     The last example I'll give is the need for energy independence. At this point in world history, dependence on petroleum fuel is not sustainable. Just look at all the environmental disasters and mishaps caused by mining and drilling for shale oil and tar sands oil; polluted drinking water, fish kill, bird kill and ruined farm land. Republican politicians would rather allow oil corporations destroy our environment than to redirect the country's energy policy. Kind of makes think of a movie I saw recently called Elysium. In that movie, after ruining the whole world's environment, The richest of the rich moved to a paradise they had built for themselves in space above the earth and wouldn't let any of the common people so much as visit for any reason. We were unwanted intruders to be shot down if we attempted to go there. This is a TRUE picture of where we're headed. The US should be looking for other, cleaner solutions like solar and wind. Working class republicans claim to love nature, so how can they possibly vote for people who don't give a damn about destroying the environment for the sake of PROFITS?! But the fact remains is that THEY DO!
     Here is the enigma; What can we do about separating the working class people from the political party that is systematically destroying not only our country's economy, but the entire world's? The problem is they really believe all the crap they are being fed even though evidence points to a different conclusion. What do you do when people have a gun to their head and you can't convince them the killer holding the gun is about to pull the trigger? How can you convince them that they are voting against their own self interests. How can you convince them that misinformation by so-called "fair and balanced news"  are really lies and innuendo, propaganda. How can you convince people that they need to think for themselves especially it's a no-brainer? I guess we're living in a time when people would rather believe a lie than the truth, even if it's killing them and they're watching themselves die. How would you rather die than help yourself?! Truly an enigma!