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Now see.. in the North like here, its a burden to have all these different people and different cultures as unfriendly as they are with one another.. judging by how it is here, all this diversity cannot get along and much tension with even nonwhite cultures and ethnicities like Haitians and Jamaicans. I cant stand most of the mofos and that's even judging by how many interact in places like here but people still put the token black in the group so long as they act white or do as they want them to do.. to me that's a form of racism.
Now in the South a place that doesn't promote diversity and a place where there actually is some is more impressive to me. It shows that it could bring in the best of people with the laid back attitude toward life despite backgrounds so the tension just isn't felt. Its like they say.. when in Rome... Now I cant see myself racially mixing in the South still but in the right circumstances I could probably have a convo with more blacks anyhow.. Theres spots down there they compare to Brazil you know, especially when it comes to attractive women.. were you aware of that?
I think the differences are historically based. There was traditionally much more interaction between blacks and whites in the south, unequal as it was, and because their relationship was governed by a series of twisted Jim Crow restrictions, it was "safe" for blacks and whites to live near each other and interact regularly.
The great black migration to the north was based around the industrial revolution, so blacks in the north did not come to work on farms or as domestics in jobs where they would interact extensively with whites. Instead, they came to work at jobs where their co-workers were mostly other blacks. The north lacked the Jim Crow laws and traditions to regulate interaction among the races, but substituted distance, with blacks living largely in separate neighborhoods rather than in close proximity to whites, a situation that continues to this day.
There is a saying that in the south, white people didn't care how close the black man got, as long as he didn't get too big. In the north, white people didn't care about how big the black man got, as long as he didn't get too close. Cynical as it is, there is at least some truth to it.
Which is worse? I don't know. They're different social structures. I hope for the day when skin color no longer matters or is at least no longer a defining feature. I think that day is still relatively far off.
Still, I don't think liberals in the north who don't live within miles of a black person are in a great position to look down on the "inclusiveness" and "commitment to tolerance and diversity" of other people. It's phony and hypocritical.
For real.. whats so progressive about a dominant democratic class? A spendthrift mayor who couldn't speak proper English when he was in here. First state to allow gay marriage whoopty frikken doo. Banning Chick Fil A WOO HOO because we hate those homophobes from the south so much right??
From what I see with the plows, the handling of the roads is that even the Boston metro does a terrible job at clearing the roads. This is a social backwater as most people only stay to the friends they grew up with. Theres a lot bad about this state that I can name and I can praise NH to death because they actually do the right things.
MA is all about lining pockets and about fueling the greed for this regime and I am tired of it! Been tired of it for awhile. This place is only good if you're rich and have connections. That's it and even then is it? Gotta weigh all these things out the way I do it best. All I know is I cannot build a life in this god for saken state. I moved back home because I got sucked in by my dad and now I know why I was never meant to be here. He will stay here till death and put up with the crap the state feeds us but not me. I am hardcore conservative and wouldn't have it any other way but the liberal environment brought it out in me. Anywhere hardcore blue I been I didn't like when I spent more time in places like that. I will say that for the record.
I'm not a conservative, but agreed. MA is set up to destroy any non rich inhabitants until they break and then become a subject of their life support system in which forcing you to keep the hands that now feed you (literately) in power, or leave. It's sad because I really do like the state itself, my friends and family that live their. But since moving out me and the now wife went from renting a crap apt that we could barely afford and struggling every month to owning our first home, having newer cars, got the first kid on the way, and have money in the bank. Something we couldn't accomplish after YEARS of trying in MA. Keep in mind that's after our combined salaries dropped 60k leaving the state! What's that tell you! When I moved out I knew the state was screwed (hence the move) but didn't truly know how bad it was until I saw the other side. I really feel bad for those not woken up to reality. Instead you just get the kneejerk defense mechanism of "Then Move Out" LOL, Already Did!
This isn't what I'm questioning. There are plenty of cities and/or states that know they've suffered from different forms of segregation, and plenty are aware they're in economic decline. My issue is that Boston acts like everything's never been better, and the minute you get on a plane and see what's happening in so many smaller cities, it's hard to suppress the feeling that something's not quite right. I have a lifelong Bostonian friend and I was explaining Charlotte's light rail to him and he literally told me I was lying about it. And this guy isn't stupid -- I just think if you've lived here your whole life and don't travel that much it becomes pretty easy to underestimate just how much traction emerging cities in the US actually have right now and how much progress they've made. My worry is the population loss in MA's 2020 census will be a higher % than 2010, and while Boston is certainly no Detroit, I'd hate to see the city I love begin to go into a more overt form of decline. Economically the city is probably too diversified for that too happen, but it's something I'm increasingly worried about.
Charlotte and other so called Sunbelt cities like Austin, Dallas, Phoenix and Miami are relatively newer cities than Boston (and I don't mean founding date either) with newer housing stock and so are able to better attract new people and new ideas. If you told me that Charlotte has a light rail system I will believe you. If you told me that Charlotte's light rail system is far cleaner, faster, and more efficient than our Green Line, I will believe you too. The Green Line evolved from a series of streetcar routes that happen to run underground to avoid surface congestion. There was no thought of time to destination computations, signalized controls, or any modern mechanisms in its planning. In 1897 when the first piece of it opened, it was viewed as state of the art technology but how long ago was 1897. Yet again how many cities can build off from something that started long ago and survive to tell the story? Let's face it, Boston and New York are seen more as pioneer cities than innovation cities but somehow, the two are making strides at maintaining a balance between old and new. We're never going to be the newest but we try hard not to feel like the oldest either.
It's ironic -- I'm a Democrat, but I think in some ways you have a point. I've been discussing with all the good people here in some other threads about my concerns with Boston's inability to stay open later. Not 24/7 like Vegas, but just a little later. And I keep kind of arriving at the idea that the city (and state), while fundamentally liberal, actually has this undercurrent of conservatism to it. Not politically -- obviously if it were political you'd like it here -- but just kind of conservative in the most basic definition of the word. Like, in trying to be very inclusive, they openly tell Chick-Fil-A to stay out, which winds up becoming its own form of conservatism. And, to some degree, makes the city look no better than they people they're rejecting -- both parties look unprogressive for different reasons.
So, in a way, I kind of see your point, despite being a Democrat and not having as many wider gripes with Boston as you. My gripe is mainly that it's going to experience an ever-accelerating population decline and -- before they do enough to counter it -- the ship will have already sailed. And, in a way, you do touch on that with the idea that some of Boston's attitude may be a little anachronistic at this point.
Sorry you had a rough day, hope tomorrow's better.
There are a small number of Chick-Fil-A's in California. Most of California is left of center, but at least we realize that tolerance also involves inclusion of those who believe differently as their CEO does (regarding gay marriage) while still disagreeing. Banning will boomerang back on you in the end. Maybe that is why you people have failed miserably to elect anyone from your state for President since Kennedy. Dukakis and Kerry were trounced. BTW, I voted for Kerry, but knew odds were slim as his MA affiliation was an albatross nationally and meant people thought he was a snob. He was not, but the perception in the "flyover" zone and the south won it for Bush. I can guarantee you that the banning of Chick-Fil-A in Boston will come back to haunt you. You will be painted as more intolerant than the far right and really will have no defense at all.
I am a little more liberal than the OP, but have heard other people say the same things about the Boston region. On a sports note however, I will say "Congrats Red Sox"! I have a nephew attending Boston University.
There are a small number of Chick-Fil-A's in California. Most of California is left of center, but at least we realize that tolerance also involves inclusion of those who believe differently as their CEO does (regarding gay marriage) while still disagreeing. Banning will boomerang back on you in the end. Maybe that is why you people have failed miserably to elect anyone from your state for President since Kennedy. Dukakis and Kerry were trounced. BTW, I voted for Kerry, but knew odds were slim as his MA affiliation was an albatross nationally and meant people thought he was a snob. He was not, but the perception in the "flyover" zone and the south won it for Bush. I can guarantee you that the banning of Chick-Fil-A in Boston will come back to haunt you. You will be painted as more intolerant than the far right and really will have no defense at all.
What's funny is that I don't think most people in Boston really supported what Menino said on the Chic-fil-a thing (and many other things). Yet at the same time, he wasn't trounced out of town like a mayor would in most cities. It was just kind of snickered at, like we expect that kind of ignorance from our pols. Even most democrats (or liberals) that I know will freely acknowledge that our politicians are horrendous, yet I have no doubt they would vote for them yet again rather than one of those evil republicans. And so it goes on...and why we are often the laughing stock of the nation.
Instead you just get the kneejerk defense mechanism of "Then Move Out" LOL, Already Did!
And good for you! Glad it has worked out the way it has.
Massachusetts is certainly long past it's prime. It's not that in itself that really dooms us. It's the pervasive attitude (as is evident on this thread), that things are fine and dandy and that there isn't an urgent need to change the way things are done here. If the masses can accept that and take action (and demand it from our pols), then there is hope for us. As it stands now, the brain drain will continue and we will be the new Greece.
And good for you! Glad it has worked out the way it has.
Massachusetts is certainly long past it's prime. It's not that in itself that really dooms us. It's the pervasive attitude (as is evident on this thread), that things are fine and dandy and that there isn't an urgent need to change the way things are done here. If the masses can accept that and take action (and demand it from our pols), then there is hope for us. As it stands now, the brain drain will continue and we will be the new Greece.
Connecticut has the same exact problem.
The attitude of superiority can blind people to reality, and ultimately do us in.
Whatever rebels we do have, we're in such small numbers but we need some of the irish and Italians for sure who are fed up and they have to be younger and work together with other rebels around this nation to help fix issues.
Actually the MA democrat party is filled with politicians with Irish, and to some extent Italian last names. To be completely honest, over the course my lifetime, I have never found the majority of Irish-Americans to be politically conservative. Perhaps that is the Kennedy effect. Most of the politically conservative people I encountered in New England have been of French, Italian and German descent.
Not too long ago I overhead an acquaintance refer to the Massachusetts democrat party as the "Irish Mafia."
Look no further than Market Basket if you wanna find it in hyper drive but they hire gays, blacks and all minorities but still.. STILL practice racism by keeping them the minorities and not treating them equal although many will treat them as equals to their faces.. they really don't think it though and theres much closet racism in their ranks. How many black or hispanic guys you see in red jackets? They just hire enough to not look racist.
I go into Market Basket roughly once a week and I will testify that I never see anything but white males in the management uniforms, not even white women.
"But since moving out me and the now wife went from renting a crap apt that we could barely afford and struggling every month to owning our first home, having newer cars, got the first kid on the way, and have money in the bank. Something we couldn't accomplish after YEARS of trying in MA. Keep in mind that's after our combined salaries dropped 60k leaving the state!"...
This makes no sense. If two people with solid jobs making, say, just 60K each (quite modest salary level for this state...very average and if you have a solid education, you certainly can make this per year). Then when they become a couple, their combined income becomes 120K....certainly enough to purchase a solid middle class family home with one kid in tow and enough to feed, provide and invest for retirement. Anyone who cannot do this clearly have made wrong life choices, or live too indulgently. So don't blame the state if you cannot instill some fiscal discipline to make ends meet.
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