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andreahrome 's review for:
Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right
by Arlie Russell Hochschild
This books does what it claims to do- provide a deeper understanding of the mindset of the American right in the lower and middle classes... but not until you get to the "Deep story" section. Before that, Hochschild presents contradiction after contradiction about what her subjects believe and their actual life circumstances- much of it revolving around the serious pollution problems in Louisiana. The oil and manufacturing located in their home state were polluting their surroundings with apparent reckless abandon. The state didn't hold companies accountable for the damage they had done, and people were being forced out of their homes and becoming seriously ill from the effects. This first section of the book bummed me out, and I failed to understand the motivations of these people. I almost put the book down, believing that it would end in, "well, I guess we'll never know". But then she described their "deep story"-- the worldview the American right holds that explains a lot of their behavior. It helped me understand.
The problem is, their worldview is based on fear that there isn't enough American Dream to go around. That the "line-cutters" are taking what belongs to those patiently waiting, and any minority who succeeds must have cheated. The worldview that there isn't enough, and they shouldn't have to worry about "the other" until they get everything they need is selfish and short-sighted, any way you slice it. The people in the book seem like nice folks, and yes, they've had a rough go of it. But the misinformation and bitterness they've been spoonfed makes everything worse. And their way of "fixing" their problems is to try to keep all their money, circle the wagons with only their friends and family, buy some guns, and wait for the Rapture.
The real challenge is making the world better for everyone, including these people, despite their best efforts to close themselves off, and fighting the misinformation battle that everyone seems to be mired in. Wish I knew how to do that.
The problem is, their worldview is based on fear that there isn't enough American Dream to go around. That the "line-cutters" are taking what belongs to those patiently waiting, and any minority who succeeds must have cheated. The worldview that there isn't enough, and they shouldn't have to worry about "the other" until they get everything they need is selfish and short-sighted, any way you slice it. The people in the book seem like nice folks, and yes, they've had a rough go of it. But the misinformation and bitterness they've been spoonfed makes everything worse. And their way of "fixing" their problems is to try to keep all their money, circle the wagons with only their friends and family, buy some guns, and wait for the Rapture.
The real challenge is making the world better for everyone, including these people, despite their best efforts to close themselves off, and fighting the misinformation battle that everyone seems to be mired in. Wish I knew how to do that.