One argument for the Electoral College is to protect rural communities from subjugation by urban elites. There's an ironic asymmetrical dynamic between the two groups. On the one hand, rural communities supply the urban elites. So the urban elites are parasitic on roughnecks, viz. ranchers, farmers, loggers, miners, drillers. Not to mention natural resources (e.g. hydroelectric power).
On the other hand, urban elites have contempt for cow country. Contempt for hunters. They disdain contact sports. It's like feminists who look down on men even though they rely on male technology and construction workers.
That goes both ways. Who develops the software that many farmers now rely upon for planting and harvesting information? Who supplies farmers with financing for equipment purchases and seed? Who designs and launches the satellites that provide data to farmers about their crops? Who provides miners with the information as to where to dig for ore? Who designs the power infrastructure and the software that manages the electrical load across the country for hydroelectric plants?
ReplyDeleteAnd one can easily point to examples of contempt held by the rural population towards the urban populations. That's supposedly part of the whole Trump appeal to the rural areas of the country.
The simple fact is that few people/industries/businesses, if any, are self sufficient. We all need stuff produced by others from all across the country, and even the world.
Interesting counterargument.
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