The ways in which each version of “Hillbilly Elegy” avoids this crucial topic are different, but both are tragically ill-advised. sandwiched between slapdash social science commentary on the “lurking” “ethnic component.” Vance argues that the bad genes passed down through his Scots-Irish ancestors are the cause of the current social ills he is examining. He bases this argument almost entirely on a blog post from Discover magazine by a writer with a history of contributing to racist, far-right publications. But James Watson himself told me that he’s Scots-Irish, and that that is the best ethnic background to have! Well, I guess if Vance has a “lurking” “ethnic component,” that ought to disqualify him for the position of vice president.
