The topic for today is "humblebrag," defined by Merriam-Webster as follows:
To make a seemingly modest, self-critical, or casual statement or reference that is meant to draw attention to one's admirable or impressive qualities or achievements.
I have already commented on the guy who is pictured above - more than once, in fact. Yep! That's J.D. Vance, now joined with former president Donald J. Trump on the Trump/Vance ticket. They are hoping you will vote for them in the upcoming presidential election.
In case this might have any influence with you, I am hoping the opposite!
The earlier comment I linked above pointed out the autocratic and anti-democratic tendencies of both Trump and Vance, and specifically highlighted the idea, which both seem to find attractive, that the real objective of "democracy" is "dictatorship." Here's a reminder to read about Project 2025, if you think I might be overstating the case.
In this blog posting, I want to provide a very brief report in on Vance's acclaimed book, Hillbilly Elegy - which I have also mentioned before. I had picked up this book at a Little Free Library long before Vance became a Vice Presidential candidate. The book was reposing in a large stack of books on a table in my office. It was ready to read, but still unread.
After Vance secured the Vice Presidential nomination, I thought I should probably "read all about it." And I did. I found the following statement on page two:
The statistics tell you that kids like me face a grim future - that if they're lucky, they'll manage to avoid welfare; and if they're unlucky, they'll die of a heroin overdose, as happened to dozens in my small hometown just last year.
I was one of those kids with a grim future. I almost failed out of high school. I nearly gave in to the deep anger and resentment harbored by everyone around me. Today people look at me, at my job, and my Ivy League credentials, and assume that I'm some sort of a genius, that only a truly extraordinary person could have made it to where I am today. With all due respect to those people I think that theory is a load of bullshit.
Vance attributes his successes (a law degree from Yale, an acclaimed and best-selling book, and business success - and now, of course, his Vice Presidential nomination) to the fact that "a handful of loving people rescued me."
I would have preferred Vance to have told his readers (some of whom might actually be in a situation like the one he describes) that while he faced truly difficult obstacles and challenges, he was able to succeed, despite them - and then go on to tell his readers that this is something that everyone else can do, too. I found no such message.
Humblebrag!
Dishonesty is a Donald Trump specialty, and it looks like his handpicked Vice Presidential candidate is ready to carry on that Trump "tradition." Trump's desire to perpetuate himself, politically, is how The New York Times explained Trump's choice of Vance as his running mate.
Whether that works, or not, is going to be up to us, and the presidential election is coming up soon!
Image Credits:
(2) - Gary A. Patton, personal photo
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