Straight White American Jesus It's in the Code ep 185: “Who Are the Elites?”
Mar 25, 2026
A critique of claims linking a masculinity crisis to men refusing to work. Exploration of elite hypocrisy and how political policies have hollowed out blue-collar livelihoods. Analysis of rhetorical strategies that valorize manual labor while defending economic arrangements that harm workers. A look at cultural‑war distractions that obscure material causes.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Hawley Blurs Building Into General Work
- Josh Hawley frames the chapter as about builders but keeps broadening it from building to manual labor to work in general.
- Dan Miller points out Hawley never specifies the kind of work and mixes blue-collar, retail, and ambiguous examples, undermining his argument.
Academics Complained While Landscapers Worked
- Dan Miller recounts a symposium morning where prominent academics complained about landscapers mowing the hotel lawn.
- He uses the moment to illustrate the real disdain some well-educated elites show for people who do manual labor.
Hawley Praises Workers While Backing Policies That Hurt Them
- Miller argues Hawley champions blue-collar virtue while belonging to a party that enacted policies which gutted blue-collar America.
- He lists free trade, tax policy favoring capital, attacks on unions, and lack of retraining as causes of job loss and wage stagnation.
