Bageant: Sarah Palin is a redneck

I've become fond of checking in with the site of redneck Democrat Joe Bageant. Here, in a piece for the BBC, he explains redneck culture to his UK audience. What I like about Bageant -- again, a Democrat -- is that he's rather clear-eyed about redneck culture -- from which he comes, from which many of us come -- without sentimentalizing it or demonizing it. It has its strengths and its weaknesses, but it's deeply American. He says Sarah Palin may be from Alaska, but she is a redneck -- which is not a term of insult for him. Here's Joe's list of redneck cultural attributes, which again, he says constitute the particular strengths of American culture, and the particular weaknesses:

Ultimately, the Scots Irish have had more of an effect on the American ethos than any other immigrant group. Here are a few you will recognize:

+ Belief that no law is above God's law, not even the US Constitution.

+ Hyper patriotism. A fighting defence of native land, home and heart, even when it is not actually threatened: ie, Iraq, Panama, Grenada, Somalia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Vietnam, Haiti and dozens more with righteous operations titles such as Enduring Freedom, Restore Hope, and Just Cause.

+ A love of guns and tremendous respect for the warrior ideal. Along with this comes a strong sense of fealty and loyalty. Fealty to wartime leaders, whether it be FDR or George Bush.

+ Self effacement, humility. We are usually the butt of our own jokes, in an effort not to appear aloof among one another.

+ Belief that most things outside our own community and nation are inferior and threatening, that the world is jealous of the American lifestyle.

+ Personal pride in equality. No man, however rich or powerful, is better than me.

+ Perseverance and belief in hard work. If a man or a family is poor, it is because they did not work hard enough. God rewards those who work hard enough. So does the American system.

+ The only free country in the world is the United States, and the only reason we ever go to war is to protect that freedom.

It's interesting to me, reading Bageant's list. This is a dead-accurate take on the worldview of the culture in which I was raised. Totally agree with Bageant that there are great strengths and great weaknesses in this worldview. But it is what it is. And no doubt about it, Sarah Palin is a redneck. For better of for worse. I know you're surely worn out with me making this point over and over here, but this is why there's a culture and class war over Sarah Palin. Not saying redneck culture is immune from criticism -- no way! But I hope you can see why there has been such a fierce sense of identification with Palin among many Americans, and why many of the kinds of attacks that have been made on her so far (attacks on her person, not her governance of Alaska) are taken as an attack on a people's culture and identity. Even relatively cosmopolitan rednecks like Your Working Boy.