Second Class, Batya Ungar-Sargon, author and narrator
Batya Ungar-Sargon describes herself as a Trump supporting Democrat. In this book, she explains why she has soured on the policies of the left, in some instances, but remained with them in others. She explores life through the experiences of several working-class families and has discovered that the causes they support also make them support Trump, though they may be Democrats. They would not have an abortion but believe in abortion rights. They would not close the border to legal immigration but are against illegal immigration. They believe in doing a job well but cannot get a job because of artificial requirements set up by certain politicians. They believe in social programs, but would rather not be the recipients, though they have often been forced to take part in them because of unexpected disasters.
The author has appeared on many television shows to express her views, and she does it fairly, in a way everyone can understand her point of view. It is hard to object to her ideas, even when you don’t agree completely, because she is so level-headed. Her book is a deeper dive into her personal philosophy as it examines the lives of real people and their suffering. She explores the idea of the American dream and what it means to those searching for it.
The first part of her book emphasizes the plight of several individuals and families. Most are into their middle age; they are both male and female; they are from all different backgrounds. Many had troubled backgrounds that may have perpetuated their situation unintentionally. Many made choices that were definitely going to set them on a path to failure, rather than success, but I didn’t get the feeling that many understood that their own choices were part of the problems in their lives. Some excuses seemed frivolous to me, because I had to make similar choices, but did not run from the job as they did. If the commute was too long, I did not quit, if the boss insulted me, I turned the other cheek in order to stay solvent. Deciding to become a parent, with or without a partner, definitely had negative effects on some of the people that had trouble managing. Single parents struggle more, regardless of whether or not they were alone because they had a child out of wedlock or were divorced or widowed. I think we have all been in situations that require hard choices, how we handle them often decides our fate. Still, many of the reasons that people left their jobs were honorable, like wanting to devote more time to their kids, or being forced to care for a sick relative, etc. Some simply did not have any better choices than the ones they made.
Most of the people interviewed made choices that were not the recipes needed for success, but often they were their only options. Others simply blamed their circumstances on others, or on outside circumstances, and did not assess the wiseness of their own actions. Most insisted that they did not want handouts; most believed they deserved them when they accepted them, however, and believed they should have been greater, offering a real chance to return to society as a productive participant.
The second part of the book was about the ways poverty and second-class citizenhood have been promoted by society with its rules and regulations, and standards and requirements for ultimate success. The author particularly pointed to Obama’s demands that everyone worth his salt had to have a college education, whether or not the job being sought warranted it. She also pointed to Hoover’s zoning laws which purposefully isolated communities, so they became homogeneous created communities of those who lived in particular bubbles. The elite isolated themselves. Red-lining and the requirement to build only single-family, unattached homes on certain parcels, in certain neighborhoods, effectively eliminated the possibility of home ownership for many in the working class. It also limited the number of housing units, ultimately leading to today’s high prices and shortage of housing options. I, myself, grew up in a multifamily, attached house, and it helped my parents survive and provided me with a happy and safe space in which to live.
The author has done a great deal of research into the lives of real people and has followed them to see if their lives have improved or declined. She found examples of both. Some were living better, but many were not. She made positive suggestions to improve the situation for the working class, so often overlooked and looked down upon. She addressed the idea of coupling salaries to the standards of living in the places of employment, instead of a mandated minimum wage. It seemed the most sensible to me. For instance, in NYC, the salary needed to live is simply much higher than it would be in a small town, outside of a major city or state. It would require far different salaries for a family to not only survive, but to succeed in different places.
In the end, I did not feel that the American dream had turned into a nightmare or had disappeared. I believe that those who still dream of it have to make choices that do not preclude it. If you are unwilling to put in the time or effort to succeed, you simply will fail. Those who work hard and fail, sometimes put their efforts in places that do not reward them fairly. Others are defeated by the system and the draconian rules and regulations that the lawmakers should definitely change. The author points out that in Las Vegas, workers are thriving.
Las Vegas is a place where workers are needed and courted by both agencies, schools and businesses. The workers are guaranteed good salaries and benefits. They do have a union, but it does not defeat its own purpose. They do negotiate. The casinos need employees, the restaurants need employees, the hotels need employees, so they work with culinary schools and high schools that have students who wish to enter their workforce. They pay for their further studies and provide training. However, if a person looking for employment chooses to reside in a city with vast numbers of illegal immigrants, they will likely fail to find a good position. The illegal immigrant gets benefits that American citizens do not, and the immigrant works for far less money than an American needs to survive.
Programs need to be mandated that even out the playing field for Americans vs Illegals, singles vs marrieds, with or without children. There is also a need for programs that deal with the unexpected disaster, so that those suffering can return to their former place in society without losing everything. There is a need to reward the two-parent family to encourage more people to marry. Married couples seem to enjoy more successful, happy lives. Two men seem to earn more than two women in a family, however. Social change is necessary, but social change is hard to come by. Having children out of wedlock makes it harder to succeed. Single parents have a harder time when it comes to deal with any crisis because there is no one else to lean on for aid. Zoning laws have to be changed so that more multifamily dwellings are built to house the homeless. Not all homeless people are homeless because of crime or drug addiction. Some fall on hard times too. Trade schools have to be built, and attendance has to be encouraged. We need to bring employment back to America for Americans.
Not every job requires a college education so it should not be forced upon the job seekers because it excludes those without one. Obama’s idea to make everyone work in a knowledge industry, and his need for globalization, forced out all the trade industries and has negatively affected the workplace and the middle and lower classes. It has made it impossible for the middle class and lower class to improve their lot in life. Mass immigration has made the supply too great and has driven down wages. He opened the borders too wide and dramatically changed the playing field. Biden followed his negative example. The Democrats have not only caused identity politics to harm society, but they have also increased the class divide with their elitism, although they pretend that they are not the elite. Americans who work in a trade are not the ignorant. The Americans who go to restaurants like the Olive Garden, should not be ashamed of being able to take their family there, instead of a fancier establishment. They should be proud of what they have accomplished and encourage others to follow their example. They have succeeded and are working toward their American dream.
The author refers to the diploma divide and blames the disappearance of jobs that we used to encourage on that principle. It has caused an increase in anxiety in the working class and an increase in the number of suicides that are tied to the loss of self-worth, the loss that Obama encouraged when he made it dependent on your education choices and subsequent employment. His new standards not only destroyed the working-classes, it made them ashamed to be part of it.
For these reasons and others, the author is a Trump-supporting Democrat. The book is enlightening, informative, compassionate and balanced.