Scott Alexander suggests Republicans should focus on fighting cultural classism to broaden their appeal and unite their base. Longer summary

Scott Alexander proposes a strategy for the Republican Party to pivot towards fighting classism as a way to maintain relevance and appeal to a broader base. He suggests that the party should focus on the cultural aspects of class rather than economic ones, positioning themselves as champions of the working class against the upper class. The post outlines several potential policy areas, including reforming higher education, challenging the concept of expertise, critiquing upper-class media, and reframing the debate on 'wokeness' as a class issue. Alexander argues that this approach could unite various Republican constituencies and potentially attract new voters, including minorities. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reviews Paul Fussell's 1983 book 'Class', which analyzes America's informal class structure and its impact on behavior and preferences. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews Paul Fussell's 1983 book 'Class', which examines the American class system. The book argues that America has a complex, informal class structure, dividing society into upper, middle, and working classes with various subclasses. Fussell describes the characteristics, preferences, and behaviors of each class in detail, often with a mix of seriousness and humor. The review highlights how some of Fussell's observations may still be relevant today, while others have aged poorly due to societal changes since the 1980s. Scott also discusses the book's unusual final chapter, which introduces a 'Class X' of people who supposedly transcend class distinctions. Shorter summary