> We left a lot of people behind, then we blamed them for not keeping up.

Haven't they been demanding to be left behind every step of the way? For decades they've opposed minimum wage, socialized healthcare, welfare, unions and just about anything "socialist" that would have helped them. Couple that with ever increasing urbanization that is not going to be reversed anytime soon, what could you possibly do to help them not be left behind?

"minimum wage, socialized healthcare, welfare, unions"

We have those things in Europe and yet our economic periphery (Italy, Spain, Greece, to a degree France and former East Germany) is very similar to American rust belt. High unemployment, numerous industries collapsed, bitter voters casting their lot with populists and extremists.

The Yellow Vests in France were much more violent than anything that happened in USA recently, and they were driven by the same combination of economic uncertainty and alienation from the political elite.

Well, at least there's one sensible person here, but don't look at yourself as an Atlas. Like it or not, it's one of these dirty collective behavior issues we haven't all come to terms with yet.

I think it goes back to how the culture war split the working class from the left and led the left to become associated with rich coastal mega-cities. The working class is predominately socially conservative.

Is there data to support the claim that working class people are more (or less) socially conservative than others?