A review by lakecake
Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right by Arlie Russell Hochschild

3.0

This was a tough read, mostly because I think the idea that there are folks out there willing to be so ignorant to the truth of matters in order to feel like they’ve “won.” Though I know they’re only people, and the human mind is wired to enjoy quick rewards and dopamine rushes, there is also a lot out there that describes that phenomena and to then change your habits once you recognize it. And I know the author’s plan was to make us empathize with people who are different from us by finding that common ground but…honestly, this further solidified for me the idea that the differences when writ large are honestly not surmountable. One on one I think it’s possible, but I also truly believe that folks who were willing to put aside common decency to vote for Donald Trump on the premise that he would help them “win” aren’t worth trying to find common ground with.