For the record -- and this is my last post for awhile tonight -- I do not consider them "losers." These are people caught in large, complicated economic systems. They grew up being told and believing that not much would ever change and then...everything changed. Now, some of them are waiting for it to "change back," but it never will.
Also for the record, I suspect that you live in a small town. If so, trust me on this -- nothing is as bad or as ugly as the arrogance of the "small town upper crust." I've seen the arrogance of Park Avenue and Fifth Avenue types and it doesn't compare. Not even close.
I do know a tad bit about small town arrogance and the gossip that accompanies it which is one of the disadvantages of living in one unless you find a nice one, if one exists.
One advantage to a larger area is that you blend in with the crowd and have a little more anonymity; i.e., people don't know you or your business as much. And some of those people are nice in their own way. I don't like to paint all people at all times with such a broad brush. I stay out of politics in my area because things are really ugly where I live at the moment.
Yes, sadly, for some people waiting for things to change back, it never will. We can agree on that. It isn't necessarily their own fault or stupidity that got them there. Sometimes it is. Sometimes it isn't.
You are so right on the money!!!!! I've worked on Park Avenue and on Wall Street, but have now spent the majority of my adult life in what a native New Yorker (such as myself) considers small town America, even though until 2 years ago I was in a state Capitol.
One advantage, though, of the small town living is that the politicians can't really hide. They are your neighbors, the local shop owners, the parents of your kids' firends.......you run into them in the supermarket, the dry cleaner, the hardware store, and in Walmart.