‘The poor’ don’t see themselves as the poor. They see themselves as the equal of the rich, but unlucky and…

‘The poor’ don’t see themselves as the poor. They see themselves as the equal of the rich, but unlucky and obstructed. They don’t want pity or help, they want to not be thought of as low-status citizens. They learn that in high school, we all do. The failure of progressive…/1

…politics over the past 30 years has been to take a statistical socio-economic measure of wealth, and turn it into an identity. The poor don’t want to be defined by their lack of wealth, it rubs salt in their wounds. Every single election, here and in countries overseas,…/2

…in that past 30 years has seen progressives pitch to the poor in that ‘help’ way. Which to the poor sounds patronising, it fuels their anger at being seen as second-class. That’s how the conservatives won them over, by pitching ‘aspiration’ to them. /3

Which won’t help them. But it’s *much* smarter politics. Progressives need their own aspirational story, to respect the people they’re trying to help. The poor are less into bringing down the rich than they are into being LIKE them. They want status. High school! 4/4