> now these smart-enough and educated people bitterly hate what they call the "trash" (which I guess are the middle class, "general contractors", etc)
This isn't resonating with me. Generally I see those "baristas with masters degrees" (which I viewed here as an alias for the 60-70% of all degreed people who lean somewhat left) are typically advocating for policies to help the working class. It doesn't seem fueled by hatred for the working class.
I grew up with these people. They hate the working class. The “policies to help the working class” is legacy Democratic politics. Today, that’s rapidly changing, and they only care about the working class people if those people aren’t white. (See the reaction to JD Vance’s book.)
So did I. I grew up in the “most educated” city in America. I’ve really not seen this. Those I grew up with have strong opinions about my choice to work on oil rigs in Saudi Arabia but have been quite consistent in wanting job-, employment-, training- and relocation assistance for West Virginia coal workers. Who are quite white, statistically.
I have no idea who JD Vance is and I asked two-handfuls of my degrees friends, they haven’t heard either. Your impression of the situation doesn’t seem to resonate with my reality at all.
Hmm, are you sure "baristas with masters degrees" isn't meant literally?? I'm sure many lean left but only because university education seems to cause people to lean left in the absence of other factors like growing older, starting a family etc. When I see this phrase, at least to me it's not an alias for anything. It is meant quasi-literally, as "people with advanced training in a subject they cannot use".
I can think of many people I've known who ended up in this bucket over time. Most of them don't seem to be simmering with rage over it, but other than one, I wouldn't know them well enough to be sure. Of the people I know, barista is not the most common working class job they end up in. Many of them ended up as IT recruiters, for example.
This isn't resonating with me. Generally I see those "baristas with masters degrees" (which I viewed here as an alias for the 60-70% of all degreed people who lean somewhat left) are typically advocating for policies to help the working class. It doesn't seem fueled by hatred for the working class.
Sincerely, a middle-class oilfield worker.