Gas Power

The American working class traded political power for gas power. Unable to control any of the big things that determine their existence, they have been given gas pedals, a viceral, immediate sense of power as they push down and feel that giant truck accelerate. Yes, it takes money to feel that surge but hey, that's what credit is for. Yes, you will be making someone else rich while you slave for wages but you have a giant truck that goes really fast when you stomp on that pedal. It's enough. Much has been said about the "crisis of masculinity" and there is no doubt big trucks help guys feel less impotent. I wouldn't be too surprised to learn there are females who are attracted to big trucks and their drivers, the same gals who are aroused by Trump. In place of actual politics you get to feel like you can make a difference by voting. You get to spend hours reading about campaigns and politicians and elections, an entire entertainment spectacle you can turn on or off at will. You can post on the internet. Or you can ignore the whole thing and drive around. Same difference. Political theorists tell us governments fear a "crisis of legitimacy", something usually equated to cost of living. When you can no longer afford to live, you question governance. But governance has been de-coupled from economics, so that people clamor for a new leader under the same regime of Capital.