Broke and Patriotic in America

Why are poor Americans so patriotic? They have significantly worse social benefits compared to other Western nations, and studies show that the American Dream of upward mobility is, for them, largely a myth. So why do these people love their country? Why have they not risen up to demand more from a system that is failing them? In search of an answer, Francesco Duina spent time in 2015 and 2016 in bus stations, laundromats, senior citizen centers, homeless shelters, public libraries, and fast food restaurants in Alabama and Montana. He conducted over 60 in-depth interviews in which the people he met explain how they view themselves and their country. This lecture is about the answers that Duina heard, and what they teach us about America, its spirit, and its people.