Frank writes: "Another relevant article https://hbr.org/2016/11/what-so-many-people-dont-get-about-the-u-s-working-class"; Thanks for the article. I wonder, are there really surprises here, especially to our middle aged (and older) readers? Oregon tends to vote democrat thanks to Portland and the large university town of Eugene. Most of the rest of the state is conservative. There are some exceptions like Bend (in the center of the state) that is becoming less conservative. Outside of the suburbs of these it is conservative. I grew up just below the Cascade foothills and some kids from my high school did live in the hills. Families in the area often worked in the Willamette valley in agriculture or in timber business or in various kinds of blue collar support jobs. There wasn't much in the way of professional work and I didn't know any kids, except for my father, that had parents that drove into the city to work. He was a teacher. I recognize the families in these articles. However, it is from the perspective of someone that felt captive in such a community. Looking back, my frustration toward them didn't come anything my parents said or did, but from the awareness that the community didn't value learning and hated dissent. They valued calloused hands, sucking it up, and going to church. The dignity of work relied on this set of assumptions. Dignity was important. (Given these assumptions I claim the dignity is just invented and illusory.) It was hard to find a way out of this community. For one thing, this was before the Internet. There were a few teachers that tried to help, but I don't think that even some of the good ones knew what to do to develop their own intellectual lives. Others didn't know enough to feel despair. Modems were available but it was long distance rates and I could spend money faster than I could make it. In those days it was important to get into the city to go to school, to establish an intellectual social network, and learn about opportunities. Now there is the Internet. I understand the concern that people now see the world through their Facebook filters, etc. and don't consider opposing points of view. But, at least in principle, it is possible to find people with shared interests outside of a geographic region, and this is important for a person to measure and develop their skills. It is something Millennials do have that is new and good. I understand that poor families may not be able to create an environment for kids to explore or study. There is neither time, space or resources to do it. My experience is there is another important factor for lower middle class areas: The values of the community itself are an obstacle to change. When I look at Van Jones' series on CNN interviewing voters in Gettysburg PA, I feel pretty confident I know folks like that. They are collectively self-reinforcing that they can't change, don't want do, and shouldn't have to. Donald Trump comes along and tells them they are right, and furthermore that illegal immigrants and trade policy are to blame. The HBR article claims that professionals are distrusted by the white working class. That is consistent with my experience too. Of course, it isn't unique to the class. Professionals are constantly being told by other `senior' professionals what to do, and often it is poor or even ridiculous guidance. Just look at the popularity of Dilbert. It seems like a pretty profound lack of imagination to think that Hillary Clinton hasn't been given some pretty ridiculous `guidance' in her time in government, too. See the recent Frontline on the candidates for a soul-crushing story of the horrors and disappointments she's been though. Marcus
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