Very well said. “people have their daily worries about what it will take to get them through the day, the week, the year, the whatever.” This reminds me of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. People are focused on feeding their children, keeping a roof over their heads etc. If they do find some time to think critically there’s a bevy of groups/corporations just waiting to pump them full of toxic misinformation. This is not to mention the fact that many under-class people are disenfranchised or simply don’t vote, though I have heard that is slowly changing. (Anecdotally, growing up in government housing I can recall the popular consensus being that it’s pointless to vote because “they’re all crooks anyway.”)
It's easy to see how this happens, too. It's a negative reinforcement loop; vote, nothing happens except for money being spent and the voters see none of it. Why then vote? But, that's part of how people gain confidence in marginalizing others. If people don't express opinions and do so in ways that get attention, then they are ignored or seen as accepting of whatever behaviors.This is not to mention the fact that many under-class people are disenfranchised or simply don’t vote, though I have heard that is slowly changing.