Cognitive fracture: How disposable bodies and toxic status quo led to the rise of trump in Appalachia
Nicole Fabricant, Mike Fabricant · Journal of Labor and Society · 2018
This article looks at the rise of Trump in South West Virginia through the lens of coal mining and coal miners. We argue that economic disposability and environmental degradation form part of the backdrop for the reactionary politics in the region. People's relationship to land, space, place, and decent jobs increasingly inform their politics. In the conclusion, we look at the kinds of organizing and education needed to revitalize what is left of the militancy of the labor movement in places like West Virginia. The greatest challenge will be to unite labor and labor activists in finding a way forward to recreate a sense of community, worth, and dignity through renewable and sustainable industries.