Part 5/10:
America’s prevailing economic paradigm pits its citizens against a relentless cycle of debt as they struggle just to cover the cost of living—a reality starkly illustrated in regions like Kentucky, where average household incomes fall short. For many, the advice to relocate to rural areas for affordable housing loses its luster when there are scant job opportunities to support mortgage payments.
The idea that one must take on undesirable or low-paying jobs to make ends meet harkens back to long-gone eras of labor. A society that relies on the labor force of coal miners, for example, reveals a regress in societal advancement, contradicting technological progress that was supposed to alleviate labor burdens.