new-underclass

The chapter examines the socio-economic decline in America marked by the emergence of a new underclass of displaced workers and farmers, highlighting the erosion of union power and a shift in societal attitudes from sympathy to contempt toward poverty. It also explores the fragmentation within American society, focusing on grassroots movements that challenge corporate and political power, and the deep religious divides that shape public discourse, suggesting a potential for new forms of solidarity and justice-oriented activism despite pervasive fear and division.