All Hollowed Out: The lonely poverty of America’s white working class
Not just America, America is just leading the pack.  And from an English perspective I certainly wouldn&#x27;t eulogise the Unions in the way this article does either.  My father (now retired) was a member of the EETPU (Electrician&#x27;s Union).  It was seen as a &quot;right-wing&quot; Union because its constitution banned communists from holding any positions within the Union - but that was because communist activists and their aggressive confrontational policies had almost wrecked the Union.  The EETPU dealt with the problem, other Unions, the NUM (National Union of Mineworkers) did not.  It was their aggressive confrontational policies that wrecked worker solidarity in private industry.<p>The article touches on the breakdown of other social support as well.  Marriage for example.  And yet doesn&#x27;t touch on why this might be.  I have a son and two daughters.  I have told my daughters that they must get married, and my son that he should definitely not.  Why?  Because divorce laws are so anti-male that nowadays it makes no sense for a man to marry.  (And yes, I cynically want my daughters to gain this protection).<p>In the UK there used to be a massive culture of socialising in &quot;pubs&quot; (public houses, or &quot;bars&quot;).  Legislative changes ranging from allowing the 24 hour sale of cheap alcohol in supermarkets coupled with anti-smoking legislation that makes it illegal to smoke inside pubs have driven away a large chunk of that trade.  I am a non-smoker but would prefer an open pub that allows smoking than no pub at all.  This is important because pubs are also traditionally where different social classes meet and mingle as equals as well as where young people used to learn to drink responsibly under the watchful eye of the landlord and older drinkers - now they are likely to get totally smashed on alco-pops out of sight.<p>Then there&#x27;s the impact of mass immigration on social housing and the resultant disruption of traditional communities.<p>The traditional working classes (my background) are already under assault even before we add in the coming tide of job losses through automation.  These are all good reasons for supporting a move to a Basic Citizen&#x27;s Income as soon as possible.