Strangers in Their Own Land, Arlie Russell Hochschild

Strangers in Their Own Land:  Anger and Mourning on the American Right by Arlie Russel Hochschild.  This is a book by a Berkeley sociologist that was a finalist for the National Book Award.  Hoping to understand the undercurrent that brought Trump into office.

Started:  2/8/2017

Completed: 2/23/2017

Recommendation: Not recommended

Recommended By:  Nearly everyone

Review:

I found this book depressing.  It is exceedingly well written by a very good sociologist who is desperately trying to understand the forces that eventually brought Trump into office.  Ms. Hochschild does the difficult of work of trying to understand the very people she is trying to help as a liberal.  Her base understanding (and it is more complex than this) is that these people feel like they are standing in line for the American Dream, but minorities, illegal aliens, and, now, refugees are jumping the line and jumping in front of them.  This means that these people view the American Dream as a zero sum game--In order for someone to move forward, someone else must move back.  That is very depressing.

There is a phrase from the New England Council Chamber of Commerce that says, "A rising tide lifts all the boats."  While many Tea Party members would argue that the arguably rising American Economy has not budged their boat at all, the phrase points out that the American Dream is not a zero sum game.  It is possible for us all to improve with nobody else losing.  In fact, this is something that is true of the World economy as well.  President Kennedy understood this and he often borrowed the phrase.

Instead, the Tea Party members have found themselves on the receiving end of ill-advised government interaction with big business.  Somehow, it has become everyman who must support big business and when big business decides to defecate all over everyman--well, that is just the pain that must be endured.  Somehow, the Tea Party bought into the big business zero sum game which says that if big business is going to succeed, it will take it out of the hide of the working man.  Whether this comes from failed labor policies, dubious government handouts, poor regulation, or just the brass balls of the companies does not seem to matter.

Now, this snowflake sheds a tear for the everyman who feels that business cannot be forced to be part of the solution instead of just taking.  Having done that, I closed the book, put it aside, and realized that the Tea Party is pretty darn unreachable.  It is clear that no matter how I engage with them, they will perceive it as a zero sum game in which one of us must lose and the other win.  "Winning," harangues Trump.

The truly sad part is that these people have so much to contribute to society that could be positive.  Their perspective, their suffering, and their intuitions have high value and are needed in our society.  It is, however, anathema for them to cooperate.  They are so very tired of losing.  They want--they need--a win so badly that they will sell the farm to get it.  The same actions that led them into such a self-destructive relationship with big business guides their politics.  How is it possible to work with someone who feels getting dumped upon is just something with which one must deal?  In the end, I cannot value someone more than that person values themselves.

It is very depressing.