Godine 2008, globalna finansijska kriza je desetkovala Letoniju. Dok je nezaposlenost naglo skakala, vlada je skresavala javna finansiranja i podizala poreze, istovremeno pružajući olakšice imućnima kao i velikim firmama - sve to bez reakcije ili protesta siromašnih građana. Sociološkinja Lijene Ozolina istražuje kako su letonski zvaničnici ubedili svoj narod da prihvati odgovornost za propalu ekonomiju države - i ističe uspon sličnih socijalnih politika koje podstiču nejednakost širom sveta.

Zašto krivimo pojedince za ekonomske krize?

After Latvia’s 2008 economic collapse, ordinary citizens faced wage cuts, shrinking social benefits, and a 25 percent drop in GDP, yet few protested. Instead, struggling people were urged to see unemployment and hardship as personal shortcomings to be fixed through self-help seminars and positive thinking. This shift from collective accountability to individual responsibility allowed policymakers to avoid scrutiny and deepened social divides. Societies that focus on moralizing the poor while protecting the wealthy suffer from low trust, high anxiety, and poor health outcomes for all.