My feelings exactly! I see why you liked my stories on the Nordic countries André. I write a lot of those with the intention of providing a counterpoint to the toxic attitudes you describe in this article against the poor or low wage earners.
It is a phenomena I have come to notice in the Anglo sphere. I see it in the UK as well. People say just shocking stuff about the poor. There is this near disgusting hate. I find it hard to get out of my mind.
British people are generally the most polite and endearing people just like Americans are very hospitable and friendly. Yet these kinds of attitudes are shocking common.
I knew we were different here ever since I was a child because my dad and aunt who had both studied and worked in Britain in the 1970s remarked on all the drama of the working class struggle, Thatcherism etc. They came from a proud working class background, and while we all admire Britain a lot we were quite put off by the British class society.
It is ironic how Americans like to pretend there is no class society in the US. It credibly doesn’t work like in Britain. Old money is not important. But there is a lot of the same derision against the working poor.
My parents and there parents were staunch social democrats. My grand father used to quote Norways longest serving prime minister Einar Gethardsen: “The Labour Party has achieved that the working man does not have to hold out his hat in shame for crumbs”
Dignity and respect for the working class was important to him. He was a simple road worker himself but became one of the most icon post war leaders in Norway serving longer than Angela Merkel in Germany.
I hope in my writing to inspire and inform Americans who may wonder how we got to that point in the Nordics. And perhaps also make it clear that it is possible. A society can work even if your burger flippers make $23 as they do in Norway. Get 5 weeks vacation, 1 year parental leave, sick days etc from day one.
Sure I pay more for my burger but I think it is worth it. There are benefits to living in a society of more equality.
It does something to you mentally seeing a lot of people struggle every day. It is part of the imagery I remember from my time in the US. The over worked and worn out people who don’t look like they have a great day or life for that matter.
It is har to mentally deal with that repeatedly without hardening your soul to cope. But humans should not have to harden their soul to live among other fellow human beings.
