There are a few things that I'd like to talk about.
First, most of my senior friends come from my college years. They all could read and write English very well back then. One of them told me, it's quite a challenge reading your daily post.
I don't think it's because I use too many fancy words, but rather because they stopped using the language after retirement and their skills have simply become rusty. Another asked me, why I write in English? So that my children can read them.
I hope my senior friends could keep using English. It's supposed to be good for their memory and cognitive health, helping to keep their minds sharp and engaged. Regularly using and practicing a second language can also delay the onset of dementia, improve multitasking skills, and enhance problem-solving abilities. Moreover, maintaining their language proficiency allows them to stay connected with a broader community, access diverse information, and enjoy a wider range of media.
Second, there's another book recording the heart-breaking impacts of deindustrialization 产业空心化 (chǎn yè kōng xīn huà). Exit Zero: Family and Class in Postindustrial Chicago by Christine J. Walley. The steel mill in Southeast Chicago where her father worked abruptly closed and then more of the same happened, followed by the decline of steel industry, which prompted her to research on this from an anthropological approach. The book delves deep into themes of class, labor, economic decline, and the transformation of American society.
Both Packer’s The Unwinding and Walley's Exit Zero use personal stories to demonstrate broader societal and historical changes. Both explore the dire consequences of deindustrialization. Packer portrays a much broader and more panoramic view of the economic and social changes in America from the late 1970s to the early 2010s. If you want to get some idea of how America has come to this point, read Packer's and Walley's nonfictions, not the personal memoir of JD Vance.
Third, yesterday a friend of mine mentioned one New Deal program, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) projects in Washington State. This makes me reflect on the legacy of FDR's New Deal, especially how it impacts the nature of American society that once boasted of having a capitalist system.
Before the New Deal, it was accepted without question the belief in a laissez-faire capitalist system with minimal government intervention. The New Deal forever changed it all. It established the precedent for significant government intervention in the economy.
Before the New Deal, it was considered socialist to provide welfare and social safety nets to the vulnerable. The poor and unemployed were individual responsibilities, not systemic issues. The New Deal introduced social safety net programs like Social Security. These programs have become core elements of the American welfare state.
Before the New Deal, the stock market and financial institutions were under minimal government supervision, leading to financial disaster. The 1933 Securities Act and 1934 SEA imposed regulations on them to reduce fraud.
In conclusion, the country has witnessed the dynamic adaptation and transformation of its social system since FDR's New Deal. The question remains: how will the system evolve to deal with the impacts of deindustrialization and the collapse of the vast middle class and the elegy of the white working class, the most pessimistic group of all? Do we have the same wisdom as FDR to deal with today's challenges? Time will reveal the answers.