A couple of days after the election, Mike Moore sent me an email with an article column attachment that was written by Peter Coyote. The writing looked long – for internet viewing that is, it is short for, say, a New Yorker article – and the title, OVERLOOKED DRAFT BOARDS FOR TRUMP VOTERS, seemed confusing and awkward so I put it aside to read later which often means never. In this case, it really did mean later, and I’m glad. It very roughly correlates with my election point of view, that Trump is a visible and outward manifestation of a deeper and less visible problem. Peter Coyote is an excellent writer and he more than makes up for the title with a very passionate and sympathetic short essay – for lack of a better word – that makes his case.
I, conversationally at least, have held the opinion that things starting going down hill for labor, and by extension, the middle class, during the Ronald Reagan presidency but Peter Coyote pushes it back:
In 1973, when the Treaty of Detroit—a long-standing deal between management and labor to raise wages as profits rose—was ended to ‘fight inflation’ wages were frozen and have never recovered despite astronomic rises in American productivity. The unintended consequence of this betrayal of labor was that ‘demand’ on industry fell as people felt they could not afford new appliances, cars, and winter coats. Once again the “great policy minds” created an illusory short-term fix by distributing credit cards as if they were Halloween candy. Remember those days? Coming home and finding a sheaf of invitations for a credit card? Easy credit disguised the backwards slippage of millions of Americans and the credit kept the factory lights on, satisfying campaign contributors. Coincidentally, they also delivered millions into the hands of bankers and financiers who were only too happy to advance money at 29% interest rates. When the bills became due and the downturn became a slippery slope further faith in the Federal Government was damaged and future Trump voters were being groomed.
However, this essay is more than a list of grievances suffered by white-male rust belt workers it is also a plea for understanding that they were are the canary in the coal mine:
..mothers found themselves forced to stop caring for their children at home and go to work, with no extra allowances for day-care, transportation, or baby-sitting. “The dignity of labor” meant losing their fingernails plucking chickens at a Tyson processing plant for minimum wage while stressing relatives and friends to care for their children. Millions, who were unemployed through no fault of their own, were summarily dropped off the ‘welfare roles’ and funnelled into substandard, low-paying jobs (which incidentally weakened union bargaining positions for those who remained employed.)Coded, dog-whistle language suggested that food-stamps and welfare “entitlements” were giveaways to African Americans, when in reality it was white women who were the major beneficiaries. These were not minor stressors to millions of people. They were and remain festering wounds on millions of people, weakening their political faith and confidence in government and nourishing deep seeds of resentment towards Washington that sprouted this November 8th.
Coyote is a strong liberal and pro-government but he presents the case that government is, increasingly, not responsive to us and that has been the instigator of the Trump phenomenon. Looking at government as a problem rather than see Trump supporters as stupid or delusional:
When I assume that I am the repository of goodness and wisdom and attack those I consider “evil” or “ignorant” they never listen. They armor up with platitudes and falsehoods and defend themselves just as I do when they attack me. Our political system has degenerated into a blame game of “gotcha” with each side insisting that only they hold the high ground. (One of the things many people do not appreciate about Hilary, I believe.) Only the deep understanding that we are all human and all vulnerable to the birthright of humans—anger, greed, and delusion, can save us from extremism, prejudice, and hasty judgments. The best thing that we can contribute to public life is first of all kindness, then empathy, and compassion, while we struggle to put our own houses in order.
If like me, you want to just go outside and scream at Trump, I heartily recommend this Peter Coyote reading.