I think a lot of these "deaths of despair" are the result of America's racist mythology running up against the realities of wealth inequality in a Late Capitali

I think a lot of these "deaths of despair" are the result of America's racist mythology running up against the realities of wealth inequality in a Late Capitalist society. For a long time, the white working and middle classes have been duped into believing themselves in solidarity with the (predominantly white) wealthy elite, only a few steps way from achieving their rank and status. But as the vicissitudes of our economy make this delusion more and more untenable, instead of freeing themselves from the racist mythology, they internalize the circumstances of their economic position as a failure to achieve what is "expected of them." This of course leads to all of the despairing acts described in the article. The situation reminds me a lot of the arguments made by first wave male feminists, about how patriarchical structures are as oppressive to men as they are to women. Considering we haven't moved the needle very far in that domain, I'm not optimistic that we can shed the burden of our racist mythos any more easily.