What is (was?) different about Wisconsin?

[Fat Tone]

Pardon my ignorance. A couple of nights ago I watched 'Men of Honour'. When Cuba Gooding Junior's character was finally admitted to the U.S. Navy diving school (in the late 1950's) only one man was prepared to share the bunk house with him. When asked why, he said "I'm from Wisconsin".

So why was a white man from Wisconsin more enlightened than all the racists in the Navy at that time?

[Brian R.]

Not sure, but Wisconsin is know for being liberal. Not enlightened, just liberal.

[Dr Mordrid]

These days some call it "The Peoples Republic" of Wisconsin. LOTS of PC BS going on there now, dispite its past of being tolerant as noted above.

The PC BS amounts to "little" things like widespread voter fraud by the Dems in Milwaukee, harrassment of home schoolers (esp. the Amish) and some interesting violations of free access as in forbidding Christian groups from using public building meeting rooms while Wiccans, Muslims etc. are allowed, and even encouraged, to.

Dr. Mordrid

[KvHagedorn]

Originally posted by Brian R.
Not sure, but Wisconsin is know for being liberal. Not enlightened, just liberal.

In my humble experience, the two are mutually exclusive.

[Dr Mordrid]

Usually that is exactly the case.

Dr. Mordrid

[Brian R.]

They are independent concepts. Liberal is simply a political stance (a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties). Enlightened generally means highly educated (having extensive information or understanding).

People in Wisconsin are not generally highly educated, being a rural state (although the U of W is a great school). However, the population is considered liberal in the cities (from my understanding).

Currently, being enlightened politically means seeing the mess the conservatives in power have gotten us into. Thus, currently enlightened and liberal are one and the same, and you can thank GW for that.

[Dr Mordrid]

This'll probably send this to the Temp Forum, but here goes....

Enlightenment typically presumes some degree of enhanced tolerance.

Tolerance for divergent views are, and have been since the McGoverites took over the Democratic party, the furthest thing from the mind of far left liberals in the US.

Note that I distinguish the far-left liberals from other "liberals" and other wings of the Democratic party. They are a special breed whose influence far outweighs their actual numbers and proportion of US public opinion.

Example: the Democratic convention. Did you see anyone like Joe Lieberman given prime-time speaking time? Sen. Zell Miller? Nope, and you won't as long as the far-left liberals control that partys platform committee and leadership.

Sen. Zell Miller, an old time Democrat who is more in line with the general public in his views, will have to go to the Republican convention to discuss his views and the damage he perceives the far-left liberals have done to the Democratic party.

I agree with him. I used to be a Democrat....at least until the McGovernites took over the party; choking off all debate, avoiding common sense at all costs and giving "superdelegate" status to only those who buy their whole line, therefore perpetuating their status.

In fact the whole idea of "superdelegates" at their convention is about the most un-democratic policy I've ever seen.

Dr. Mordrid

[Jon P. Inghram]

Also, having spent some time in Wisconsin as a truck driver, I'd have to say that their version of enlightenment very likely is related to getting stinking drunk at any of the trillions of bars that seem to make up most of the towns there.

[Brian R.]

Well, I'll stick with my more general definitions to keep this civil. Right now, I'd settle for almost anything except Bush. I'm even listening to Joel....

[KvHagedorn]

I'm not particularly crazy about all Bush's policies, but at least he isn't some prefabricated, manufactured candidate like Kerry. People who knew Kerry in Vietnam say that even then he was just there for the photo op, filming himself all the way. And he looked amazingly fake during the interview with Rather.. someone did some amazing makeup or something, and the answers were always cautious and without vision, like he was playing a game by answering as he should in order to create the best image for himself. He's playing. The presidency would just be a toy for him.

Bush's speech to Ohio workers, though, was pretty good. I would not agree with him on every point, but we do agree that a weak-kneed response when dealing with terrorists only creates more terrorism. He doesn't strike me as a fake.. picks a running mate based upon qualifications rather than finding a pretty boy to appeal to women voters. Bush did keep most of his campaign promises, too, at least the tax cut and medicare ones.

If there was a candidate who was conservative on a moral basis, and clear headed about how to handle threats to national security, as Bush is, yet was a true friend to Americans who work for a living, as Bush is not, that candidate would win going away (at least if he wasn't some fake, predigested "Stepford" candidate like Kerry.) Truman was that kind of president.. Teddy Roosevelt was that kind of president.. I really think those are the best ones we have had this century (and let's not bring up the a-bomb. That was an extremely tough decision which probably saved more lives than it took. War is never ever pretty, and at least that ended a particularly ugly one, and gave future generations a grim warning about fighting a nuclear war.)

I would not say "anyone but Bush" at all. At least he has the courage of his convictions. That's a prerequisite for any real leader.

[schmosef]

I think you guys are all way off base.

Wisconsin is known for what? Cheese!

What did the writers need? A cheesy line to explain why someone would accept Cuba as a bunk mate.

There you have it!

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

[KvHagedorn]

Re: What is (was?) different about Wisconsin?

Originally posted by Fat Tone
Pardon my ignorance. A couple of nights ago I watched 'Men of Honour'. When Cuba Gooding Junior's character was finally admitted to the U.S. Navy diving school (in the late 1950's) only one man was prepared to share the bunk house with him. When asked why, he said "I'm from Wisconsin".

So why was a white man from Wisconsin more enlightened than all the racists in the Navy at that time?

To answer the original question, being from Wisconsin, that particular sailor did not grow up with the tradition of segregation that was prevalent in the South at the time, and had probably never even known a black person growing up. That was what made him "enlightened."

[Brian R.]

Originally posted by schmosef
I think you guys are all way off base.

Wisconsin is known for what? Cheese!

What did the writers need? A cheesy line to explain why someone would accept Cuba as a bunk mate.

There you have it!

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

Close to the truth.

[Brian R.]

Kv - You are the King of speculation.

[Wombat]

Let's please keep this out of the Temp Forum.