• renrenPDX@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    Oddly I’m not bothered by that line so much. I’m more disappointed with the title and the chorus. Richmond, being the capital of Virginia was a border state of the Civil War. Yes technically Washington DC is very much north of Richmond, but I think the song resonates more with a certain crowd due to the former reason vs the latter.

    The song could have been better IMO if it targeted LOCAL governments by state, instead of trying to blame Rich Men North of Richmond. As if Rich Men South of Richmond wasn’t a thing…

    • somethingsnappy@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I don’t think Virginia was technically a border state in the civil war? MD. WV, and KY were southern states blanketing Virginia. When the government moved through Baltimore, didn’t they have to point federal hill and Fort McHenry cannons at Baltimore to stop the city from rioting against the government army?

    • Rev@ihax0r.com
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      1 year ago

      i’m not buying it. Sure he could be a confederate apologist but if you are writing a song about some rich old dudes in DC screwing the rest of us over its some hard rhymes. When I heard the song he pronounced the word “rich men” and “richmond” nearly identically. I was like what does “rich men north of rich men” mean, then later I heard “richmond north of richmond”

      Looking at the lyrics he was complaining that we have people in the streets with no food to eat while there are obese people getting fat on welfare. Sounds like he thinks government is incompetent.

      I saw a stat years ago that if we took all the money we spent each year on welfare and just gave the people those programs were trying to help straight cash we would have 5x the amount needed to push them all over the poverty line.

      • ShaggySnacks@lemmy.myserv.one
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        1 year ago

        I saw a stat years ago that if we took all the money we spent each year on welfare and just gave the people those programs were trying to help straight cash we would have 5x the amount needed to push them all over the poverty line.

        *Something, something can’t give money to poor people. Something, something, give money to rich people. *

        The bullshit argument that is all about hating and punishing poor people. With nice extra boot lick the rich.