Book about the white working class

At the end of the day, we are all living under the 'Masters Constitution'

 

The question is what is a workable alternative. But your point remains. What's so frustrating is that even when we get a moment like that which led to 14th Amendment, the powers that be just deny the language and the political moment

 

I agree but would ask you this. If policies are written or put into place to help the working class, should race even be a factor in determining what the policy is? If it is good for one race of working class, shouldn't it be good for any race of working class?

 

Who would be doing that? The thing is both parties are controlled largely by people who don't have working class interests and are actively hostile to them but need their votes (but they dont represent an overly powerful bloc either way so as to set an agenda). What is on offer is usually window dressing or just adopting faux concerns of those groups without offering tangible material relief. For example "woke" is a godsend to conservatives and monied interests because they can simply just blame an abstract concept instead of you know, the fruits of capitalism coming home to roost. None of our politics concern any sort of material critique, they want to actively avoid it, keep it as abstract as possible. I think "white rural rage" serves that purpose as well, a way to move politics away from the material, and represent class and politics as a cultural phenomenon. Its not surprising many of the critiques of the book are coming from the anti-capitalist left.

 

I would think so generally, particularly when it comes to issues such as health care and social security. I would guess, on the other hand, that debates about coal jobs and farm/corn subsidies are relatively less universal given those issues seem more impactful on "Whiter" communities/families. Also, as someone alluded to above, I think there's a tendency to characterize certain White people (perhaps those who don't have advanced degrees or work in traditionally blue collar sectors) as "working class" - even if they can afford the $50K to $80K pickup truck and are doing pretty well. Part of that characterization seems to me to be more accurately related to culture and identity rather than things I would consider more pure pocketbook issues.