Good question posed by the WSJ; are you one? I know I am, and I am praying the “Forgotten Man” comes alive again in two weeks!
The 2020 Election: The Final Days, or Will It Be Weeks?
After the initial shock of Donald Trump’s 2016 victory wore off, a few thoughtful people across the ideological spectrum attempted to wrap their heads around what happened. How did a brash, sometimes crude political neophyte beat everyone from Jeb Bush to Hillary Clinton at their own game on the world’s largest stage? Those more prone to introspection and self-awareness than denial and vindictiveness came to the conclusion that the country’s political and media elites had forgotten about the plight of the “average” American—the so-called Forgotten Man.
The term, first coined by Yale social scientist William Graham Sumner (1840-1910), was used to describe the American who, too poor to have political influence and too rich to be considered worthy of a helping hand, was often taken for granted by the political classes. As Sumner so aptly noted, “he works, he votes, generally he prays—but he always pays.”
There was a post-2016 awakening among those who realized they had ignored a big part of the country—the one that lives far from the corridors of power and the bright lights of cable television studios. Those who hadn’t read J.D. Vance’s “Hillbilly Elegy” before the election rushed to buy a copy. For a while, everyone seemed to understand the hidden pain of those in the so-called Rust Belt of the American Midwest who had paid the highest price for 50 years of social engineering at home and abroad.
The costs of trade and immigration policies that favored big business were most often felt by the working class in “flyover country.” These policy changes came at a pace so rapid that people had little chance to adapt. Those same families sent their sons and daughters to fight in far off wars with few obvious connections to the national interest.
Those who complained were either ignored or deemed xenophobic racists and “deplorables.” How dare they question the collective wisdom of highly educated experts? Never mind that those experts bore almost no consequences for the disastrous effects of their policies. To my knowledge, no politician, university professor, news anchor, military officer, or Wall Street titan has ever seen his job outsourced to a foreign land.
From the opinion pages of The Wall Street Journal, critical perspective and analysis on developments from Washington
Originally posted 2020-10-19 11:55:19.
This view point although true is not the mainstream left opinion of why Trump won. The purveying view is that we are all extremely ignorant and uneducated cult members that follow a madman like those that died for Jim Jones when he handed out cyanide laced cool aid. Logic is tossed to the wind by the left and they don’t even want to hear this kind of rational thinking. As for you Mike, you may feel forgotten but you are in our prayers and have our gratitude for your service. Very few answer the call to serve our country and you are one of the few, the proud and the eternally respected.
Paraphrasing the article, “To my knowledge no … military officer … has seen his job outsourced to a foreign land.”
Well, that’s probably because Biden hasn’t been elected, or because no one so far has been stupid enough to appoint HRC as Secretary of Defense. If any one of those two things happen, our military hierarchy (as bad as it is now (careerists vs. warriors and sycophants vs. leaders)) could easily be raghead mullahs or Chinese field marshals. I have no little faith in the US voter that nothing that bad would surprise me.
A few thoughts for Mike. I do worry about “the forgotten men.” This is why I try to tell the stories of Marines on my blog. Percentage wise, Marines occupy a small number when compared to the other services or general population. We do things in peacetime what would scare the living hell out of most people; it gets worse when sent in to take care of business. Every Marine who served honorably is my brother, but I cannot remember those whom I never knew.
Let me say that I think Marines do a lot of things extremely well, but friendship above acquaintanceship isn’t one of them. There are all kinds of reasons for this, of course. Maybe as professionals, we’re too competitive. Maybe over time, we just grow up. Maybe our responsibilities change us. It probably doesn’t matter. It is what it is. But none of us is a forgotten man.
I do remember the Marines I’ve served with for three decades —even those who I never saw again after executing PCSO. They are constantly with me (just not all at once, thank goodness). By remembering them, I honor them; I honor the time we served together.
I know there are organizations that “reach out” to our veteran Marines. “Keeping touch” may be difficult at first, but all you need is one contact to re-establish ties and then expand on them. Giving the Marine Corps League a call would be a good first step.
Jim, you once opined that if you could go back in time, knowing all that you know now about American society, you’d not opt for the Marines much less a career. I’ve thought about that a lot over the past seven or eight years. If I could go back in time, knowing all I know about how unworthy the American people are to be served so well by the United States Marine Corps, I would do it again. That’s because I never did it for a bunch of ungrateful, long hair, crap-for-brains civilians in the first place. I did it for me. I don’t regret one day of my active-duty service. Yes, I did run across a few ass holes. I may even have been one myself, on occasion. But if I could go back and do it all over again, I damn sure would
Semper Fi
You’re correct HB,. perhaps I misspoke during a time when I was extremely frustrated at some of Americans. YE, I would definitely do it all over again and not change anything whatsoever. Thanks for hitting me with that, I’d forgotten I said that. Dumb! Semper Fi, my brother. .
My wife & I filled out our ballots this morning and tomorrow I will drive down to City Hall and personally deposit them in the County Clerk’s ballot drop box. Then we will sit back and wait until after the election and rejoice with all the other “forgotten Americans” when the results have been posted and President Trump is elected for 4 more years. How much fun that will be to watch once again all the shocked faces and scratched heads on CBS,ABC,NBC, MSNBC, and of course CNN. It will be the best laugh fest we have had since the last election.
William Graham was describing the silent majority..
I am proud to have lived most of my life in almost complete anonymity.
The political class is holding on for dear life right now.. They seem to have lost their minds….Morning Joe melt down this morning was priceless.. Almost as much fun as watching last post election day..
And yet they still reinforce failure.. I have been polled on the phone once…not a pleasant experience for the poll taker on the other end. Must have been put on a national don’t ever call this guy list for a poll..
I am being overlooked by everyone but one.. The one who somehow got my attention, lifts my soul, and keeps his promises while really pissing off everyone else who has been pissing down my back and telling me it was raining for four to five decades…
#MAGA, #4MOREYEARS, #DonaldJTrump
PS. Mike Suchman, you are a brother and a hero to everyone who ever earned the title of Marine. Sometimes we forget to show it, but we never forget another Marine ever.
Master Guns, always enjoy and ALWAYS agree with your comments to posts, thank you sir!
Am I a “forgotten” man? Yes I am, but I am also a forgotten Veteran. I am a disabled Marine with almost 11 years of service. All NON-war years, NO deployments, NO shots fired in anger, NO rounds incoming, NO “sea” stories, NO medals, ribbons, or glories to be sung about. Even our younger brother & sister Marines shun those of us who are much like me. Then throw in the injuries that I had received while in service at Yuma, left leg and foot with a rod, screws & pins, the multi head injuries…Well my days of going out & earning a living were long gone.
So now here I sit a lost & forgotten man & Marine
Don’t give up Mike. You are not forgotten, you’re a Marine — go VOTE!!!!