What viewers in the rest of the world don't understand is the bottom 99% in Calif* is the top 1% in the midwest. US is really 2 different countries. 1 country is the wealthy coastlines. The other country is the agrarian middle.

Democrats are manely on the coastlines, worth over $1 million, what the midwest would consider the top 1%. Most of the laws imposed on the midwest tend to be based on a world where people don't have to worry about money. They can afford to worry about this, that, & the other thing instead of whether their car starts. If Calif* doesn't have to worry about money, the midwest has an obligation to not worry about money.

There's a kind of myth that in the 1980's, the Soviet Union & US were equally wealthy.  The soviet military has always been portrayed as equal to US in the 80's.  Their submarines were always shown to be as pristine as US's.  This has led to the popular view that everyone was wealthy.  In reality, their troops were making only a few bucks per day.  The real Marko Ramius might have made 2 bucks per day.  The media tends to cover none of the reality, but focus on their achievements in universal healthcare & equality.  All their pristine boats of the 80's are now rusted hulks.