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I don't know much about the who and what of county music. On my list of favorite music genres it rates down pretty low. What little I do know is knowledge of much recent, modern American, political, social history. So, when I saw the e-mail blurb- Country Music and political ideology- my interest was peaked. Here I go. On the conversation about Woody Guthrie and his political leanings in 1940. Those who lift up County Music and what it stands for today, as far as ideology, have somewhat of historical amnesia. Most Americans in 1940, not of the moneyed class and just coming out of the Depression were at the least left of center on the political scale. Many of Country Music's fans today call themselves independent and conservative, yet they or their families, like everyone else took advantage of those now hated "far left wing" -- "New Deal" policies and programs. In fact, some of those programs and others that followed after World War II worked so well that some of the "hillbilly" roots families have since moved into the somewhat moneyed class today or at least they think they are. My point is, Woody Guthrie in his time was not far left, it is that County Music and its fans have moved far right. Juan Salter
 Humanities & Social Sciences Online 
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