If an alien arrived on this planet having read only the writings of Marx, Proudhon and other great leftist socialist thinkers, they would be very surprised by the reaction to Rich Men North of Richmond. Oliver Anthony's song was loved by some and hated by others with the usual weird subtextual energies of the Culture Wars infusing both. This episode looks at why, from a historical theoretical it could have been otherwise. And why it wasn't. ____________________ 📚 For Your Further Perusal: - Oliver Anthony's Rich Men North of Richmond https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqSA-SY5Hro&pp- Nicholas Kristof's article: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/30/opinion/oliver-anthony-liberals.html- Time article: https://time.com/6308121/oliver-anthony-country-music-divide-essay/- Guardian "Punching Down" article: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/aug/16/rich-men-north-of-richmond-oliver-anthony- The Independent's article: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/rich-man-north-of-richmond-lyrics-oliver-anthony-b2394954.html- Keith Woods's video "The Great Awokening": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOh_Ng0v1WE ________________ 🎼 Media Used: 1. Anguish — Kevin MacLeod2. Evening Fall Harp — Kevin MacLeod3. Mind Scrape — Kevin MacLeod4. Alone With My Thoughts — Esther Abrami Subscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic _________________ ⌛ Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction2:42 Why the Left Should Love Rich Men North of Richmond5:08 Why the Left Hated Rich Men North of Richmond7:42 The Chthonic Populists and Pure Woke11:31 What to do about the Oliver Anthonys?