Readers React: Hypocrisy in Washington fuels Trump’s popularity among blue-collar workers

To the editor: Garret Keizer speculates that blue-collar workers support billionaire Donald Trump because they see him as a winner in the battle against their common enemy, the government. (“What are we to make of Trump’s blue-collar support?,” Opinion, Jan. 31)

Keizer is blinded by his own politics. Blue-collar workers favor Trump because they distrust the hypocrisy of career politicians in both parties.

But Keizer says blue-collar workers are making a mistake based on their flawed distrust of government and dismisses criticism of government as having “to do more with soul than logic.” Yet, government is the largest monopoly of all, just as prone to corrosive effects of concentrated power as corporations.

Keizer will support Bernie Sanders because he prefers the monopoly of government to that of corporations. The world of the 20th century showed us how well that can work out. Today, countries such as China and Cuba are opening their economies to private property and freer markets to reduce poverty, while countries such as Venezuela are suffering the shortages, high inflation and turmoil of their government-run monopolies.

Joe Blackman, Sierra Madre

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To the editor: Presidential preferences aren’t based solely on voters’ economic situation. They follow from their answer to this: “Who stands strongest for America, as I understand it?”

With our vote, we define our country. If we define America as an individualistic, xenophobic plutocracy, we are for Trump. We don’t like government rules (only government benefits), we don’t like immigrants (except white ones), and we don’t care if billionaires are taking over.

Keizer’s explication of Trumpism actually turns out to be an attack on liberal centrism and Hillary Clinton’s program of enactable progressive incrementalism. Keizer’s hope that Trumpists, despite having been persuaded that his country is their country, would wake up and vote for Sanders is fantasy.

Bart Mills, Manhattan Beach

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To the editor: American workers have enjoyed a high standard of living for many decades compared with the rest of the world. A factory worker here used to be able to look forward to a decent life, even though factory workers elsewhere faced harsher conditions.

As corporations continue to disperse American jobs to countries with cheaper labor, American working-class incomes are slowly equalizing to the rest of the world.

Demagogues such as Trump appeal to those who feel that the government is not protecting the American standard of living. The expectation is that strong borders and a reinvigorated economy will restore the working class, but this is an illusion. There is nothing special about an American worker in a world of 7 billion other workers.

Ed Salisbury, Ontario

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To the editor: Blue-collar workers are supporting Trump not because they have repressed their envy. They have been convinced by the right that, in this system supposedly full of opportunities, if they are poorly paid and employed, it’s their own fault.

This lie has been repeated so often it has become part of our collective psyche. Remember Mitt Romney’s 47%?

When people feel incompetent, they yearn for a savior. Among those deemed to be losers, ego equates strength. This is the basis for fascism, and history does repeat itself.

Marie Matthews, San Pedro

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