Rural people are pretty well off, given their choices

Read Kevin Drum’s post and look at the data he’s charted. Here’s the conclusion of the post, after the presentation of the data that backs it up:

Despite the fact that most rural problems aren’t all that bad—and are mostly of their own making anyway—they’re convinced that the big thing holding them back is urban liberals who refuse to give them their fair share of federal money. This is despite the fact that it’s common knowledge that urban areas transfer vast amounts of tax money to rural areas:

Here’s my point: Rural America has problems. These problems aren’t nearly as big as they’re often made out to be, but they do have lower incomes, a declining population, and a less educated community.

But these are almost all caused by their own free choices. They refuse to tax themselves to pay for good schools and the infrastructure needed by business. They hold on tight to their social conservatism, which drives out both the young and the educated. Then they sit around and complain that the urban liberals who support them aren’t supporting them enough.

Being rural is not like being Black or gay or female or Jewish. It’s a choice. And the rural lifestyle is also a choice. They could do the things they need to do to become more prosperous, but they don’t want to. They’re comfortable the way they are.

And that’s fine. Not only do I have no objections, but I’ll even keep paying high taxes to support rural America in the manner to which it is accustomed.

But do I want to spend a lot of the government’s time on a rural “policy renaissance” even though it’s mostly alphabet soup money distribution that will always be resisted and scorned (“those city boys all think they know better than us”) and will never solve the real problems of provincial culture? I’m not so sure I do.

Italian with the Rockwell Model T

Not so late a start as it might seem: I was distracted by receiving my FutureMe email from a year ago, and drifted into drafting a reply, now sent to the me of 12/31/2023. (See previous post for details.)

I’m feeling pretty chipper, as who isn’t as we leave the past year behind us. Perhaps some of the upbeat feeling comes from having had a very nice shave. It began with the Colonia shaving soap, whose label has now become so smeared that I’m not even going to try to figure out what to call it. The name of this soap has always been a puzzle, anyway, but despite its nominal challenges, it’s quite a good soap, and my G.B. Kent BK4 brush did a good job of strutting its virtues: wonderful lather, thickly applied.

This is the original Rockwell Model T, not the later T2, and it did a very nice job. As you see in the photo, I have it dialed to “4,” and that seems to work well for me — three easy passes did the job, and my face is fully smooth (though some credit goes to the prep, which of course included Grooming Dept Moisturizing Pre-Shave).

A bit of the Antica Barbieria Colla aftershave milk, a balmy sort of finish (not meaning “warm,” but rather “like a balm”). And the sun is out!

The tea this morning is Murchie’s Baker Street Blend, a favorite: “Lapsang Souchong, smooth Keemun, rich Ceylon, Gunpowder, and floral Jasmine.”

An email from a year ago

I just received the FutureMe email I wrote to myself a year ago: December 31, 2021. I had expected to get an email from my year-ago self tomorrow, but today does seem like a good day to look back at the coming year and plan for the next. I hit some specific topic areas that might serve as grist for your own FutureMe mill:

1. A brief description of your current situation (social, emotional, financial, educational (that is, what you’re in the process of learning), spiritual, and relationships).
2. Your worries and concerns and even fears for the coming year. (No one else will see this.)
3. Your hopes for the coming year.
4. Your specific goals for the coming year — emotional, financial, educational (i.e., what you want to learn), spiritual, and your relationships.
5. Any plans or ideas by which you might achieve those goals.
6. Anything else that occupies your mind: dreams, concerns, activities (current and planned), and so on.

This post on planning might be helpful. And see also see the previous post.

Two updates: 1) This brief article suggests additional uses for FutureMe.  2) See also “How putting purpose into your New Year’s resolutions can bring meaning and results.”

Today I ponder the email I received and write an email for delivery a year from now.

Thinking about a new year, our resolutions for it, and whether those are good.

A short video, and an interesting contrast of ideas. Full disclosure: On the first of January, I shall get an email to myself that I wrote one year ago, about my plans, goals, fears, and hopes for the coming year, and I shall write one to be delivered a year later. However, the same is true for the first of each month.