Can America's progressives undo the damage of neoliberalism? |
Many Americans today experience a pervasive sense of anger and frustration that has contributed to the rise of far-right politics. Populist leaders have successfully harnessed the discontent of blue-collar and lower-middle-class Americans whose prospects for upward mobility have steadily diminished. As a result, genuine economic insecurity has increasingly been redirected into identity-based politics and rising xenophobia across the US.
Instead of addressing the structural causes of economic hardship, opportunistic American politicians have been channeling public resentment toward other working people, both within the country and across the world. It was ironic to see billionaires surrounding President Trump being cast as the ones who can "drain the swamp", even as they have been presiding over the dismantling of what remains of the American social protection system, already weakened since the neoliberal turn of the Reagan........