Materially, it makes little sense for blue-collar workers to vote for Modi, Orban, or Trump, a billionaire whose platform is to cut taxes for the rich. Hitler and Mussolini had their share of support from the poor too.
What are some of the theories of why this happens?
I know scapegoating foreigners for poverty is part of it. Wilhelm Reich wrote The Mass Psychology of Fascism but I haven't read it.
have you heard Matt talk about how the only thing politics has left to offer is hurting people you don't like
few believe that a system fully captured by markets can have a positive impact on their lives but you can punish your enemies
that being said I think the vast majority of poor people disengage from politics instead of becoming right wing
I think it's also easy to dislike someone who can be perceived as 1) self-important and 2) not doing useful work. For example, if you see someone who works in marketing who complains about a lack of vegetarian options, you can arouse the ire of an ill-tempered person who works with their hands for absurd hours (is being exploited)*. Couple that with the ease with which you can hate libs and you get someone galvanized towards the right wing and susceptible to calling the COVID vaccine a clot shot.
*whose reverence of a honest and hard day's work is admirable and whose work is important to a functioning, civil society
I'd also add that there's a contingent of people who don't necessarily do it to hurt people they don't like, but things have always been shit and the political parties they have to choose between have never made it better, so they'd rather feeling like they're part of a winning team.
When life kicks the shit out of you either way, why spend your time being invested in the often losing side instead of the getting to celebrate with the winning ones?
Obviously I think that's bullshit reasoning even if I do understand some aspect of the sentiment, but it's one I come across a fair bit.