"In this wonderfully insightful book, Joan Walsh shows how America built a large and vibrant (although mostly white) middle class that fueled the greatest economic boom in history and made a reality of the American dream. Hers is the story of postwar America told through a working class New York Irish Catholic family whose political divisions mirrored the nation's. Moving and powerful, her account will help people of all races think through how we can build a just and prosperous multiracial America." —Robert B. Reich
"A brilliant and illuminating book about America since the upheavals of the '60s and '70s. What's the Matter with White People? is about the heart and soul of America, from our Founding Fathers to Hillary and Barack.It's about our middle class, which so recently flourished, and how it has been injured and diminished almost beyond repair by greed and racist fear-mongering. It's about America's greatness and delusion, the betrayal of the working class, and the fragmentation of the Democratic party. It's about how Walsh's own Irish Catholic family from New York was treated, responded and fared in the years between Richard Nixon and Barack Obama Walsh writes with passion, precision, and insight into how racism has made such a bold public comeback. Her book was heaven for a political junkie like me, somehow managing to be painful and exhilarating at the same time." —Anne Lamott
"Joan Walsh's reflections and observations from her personal journey as an Irish Catholic daughter of a Northeastern blue collar family provide a unique window into the hearts, aspirations, anguish, anger, fears, and pride of white working class voters during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. No one can properly understand current class politics and race relations in America unless they've read this book." —Dr. Clarence B. Jones
The size and stability of the American middle class were once the envy of the world. But changes unleashed in the 1960s pitted Americans against one another politically in new and destructive ways. These battles continued to rage from that day to now, while everyone has fallen behind economically except the wealthy. Right-wing culture warriors blamed the decline on the moral shortcomings of "other" Americans—black people, feminists, gays, immigrants, union members—to court a fearful white working- and middle-class base with ever more bitter "us vs. them" politics. Liberals tried, but mostly failed, to make the case that we're all in this together.
In What's the Matter with White People?, popular Salon columnist Joan Walsh argues that the biggest divide in America today is not about party or ideology, but about two competing narratives for why everything has fallen apart since the 1970s. One side sees an America that has spent the last forty years bankrupting the country providing benefits and advantages to the underachieving, the immoral, and the undeserving, no matter the cost to Middle America. The other sees an America that has spent the last forty years bankrupting the country providing benefits and advantages to the very rich, while allowing a measure of cultural progress for the different and the downtrodden. It matters which side is right, and how the other side got things so wrong.
Walsh connects the dots of American decline through trends that began in the 1970s and continue today—including the demise of unions, the stagnation of middle-class wages, the extension of the right's "Southern Strategy" throughout the country, the victory of Reagan Republicanism, the increase in income inequality, and the drop in economic mobility.
Citing her extended family as a case in point, Walsh shows how liberals unwittingly collaborated in the "us vs. them" narrative, rather than developing an inspiring, persuasive vision of a more fair, united America. She also explores how the GOP's renewed culture war
Preface vii
Introduction 1
Part I Fact-Checking a Fractured Irish Fairy Tale 15
Part II Growing Up in Nixonland 61
Part III The Loneliness of the Reagan-Era Do-Gooder 117
Part IV Some of My Best Presidents Are Black 177
Part V What’s the Matter with White People? 235
Acknowledgments 255
Index 261
RWRyley
Posted August 24, 2012
After decades of government bashing by the right, white people have lost
touch with some important 20th century history. Joan points out that it
was government, after all, that enabled a generation of whites to climb
the economic ladder with the New Deal, GI-Bill, and other post
depression and post WW-II programs. Helping generations of whites with
jobs to get through the depression with a variety of New Deal programs.
The GI-Bill created tens of thousands of new college graduates. With
government funding we built roads, hospitals, established Social
Security to provide a level of retirement support. The middle working
class was created and they largely identified with the Democratic Party
as their standard of living improved. Walsh tells the story from the
perspective of her Irish Catholic family. She shares all the fears and
tribulations that arose out of the cultural changes 60s and 70s. We
learn how Nixon's Republicans used the campus revolts to exploit middle
class whites. They used fear of the civil rights movement to fool
whites that equality for blacks meant less economic opportunity for
whites. Joan walks us through to current times and the "majority
vs minority" politics of division that threaten our future. The
Republicans talk about "job creating" and "economic
opportunity." In reality they spread images of a zero-sum game and
then convince whites they're losing because others are taking what's
theirs. Walsh shows us how it all happened. While Joan Wash makes no
bones about being a progressive Democrat, she does not spare the
Democratic Party. She points out crucial mistakes and how they have
often played into the GOP's games of fear and division. If you want to
know how it all happened and what we can do to fix it, this is the book.
I consider it a must read in this political year of 2012.
26 out of 30 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.winterbanyan
Posted September 14, 2012
I didn't expect where this book was going, and I suspect the author didn't either. I came from a big Irish family, and this answered a lot of questions for me about the political changes I saw back in the 70s.
But more than that, it's a loving story of a big family and its myths. I shed a few tears, too.
Thanks, Ms. Walsh, for your searing honesty, your love and your understanding.
12 out of 14 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 29, 2012
poorly written with multiple spelling errors and grammatical mistakes
Besies,,Joan Walsh is a racist for not calling out White Liberal racism against one of her minions. I don't know when calling a Black man an Uncle Tom is not racist, but appearently Joan Walsh has no issues with it
This is trash and its a shame trees died for this junk
6 out of 37 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 27, 2012
What a waste of time and money
6 out of 43 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 2, 2012
Liberal garbage dont bothet
4 out of 31 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted November 12, 2012
Ms. Walsh have read my mind! Great insight!
2 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 23, 2013
Go cash the welfare check and get some crack then have another dozen kids so we can pay for them too.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 20, 2013
Excellent well written book. Ms. Walsh explains her premise in an interesting and entertaining manner. She is empathic and understanding of the subjects of her book. Recommend highly.
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Posted September 29, 2012
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Posted December 14, 2012
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Posted November 26, 2012
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Posted March 22, 2013
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Overview
"In this wonderfully insightful book, Joan Walsh shows how America built a large and vibrant (although mostly white) middle class that fueled the greatest economic boom in history and made a reality of the American dream. Hers is the story of postwar America told through a working class New York Irish Catholic family whose political divisions mirrored the nation's. Moving and powerful, her account will help people of all races think through how we can build a just and prosperous multiracial America." —Robert B. ...