The American dream, the idea that anyone can make it in America if they just work hard enough, may be behind this. As some have pointed out, the American dream

The American dream, the idea that anyone can make it in America if they just work hard enough, may be behind this. As some have pointed out, the American dream is a type of 'just world hypothesis': that people get what they deserve.[1] This belief sometimes cuts both ways. If people are poor, it's their fault, if people are sick, it's their fault. I think it is not despite being a remarkable country, but precisely because of America's exceptional growth and prosperity that this belief persists. Even though the nearly unlimited land, cheap (or even free) labour and geographical isolation that fueled this mythical prosperity are not the case today, I think many Americans still hold on to this belief, and that it colour's their attitudes to people who face structural disadvantages. [1] https://markmanson.net/american-dream https://markmanson.net/american-dream