They are half right. Neither Harris nor Donald Trump is seeking to restore the traditional values and ideals of freedom and opportunity that have made our country exceptional. Both candidates reject our foundational ideal of a self-reliant people in favor of a politics of entitlement and grievance.

Just as hypocrisy is the compliment vice pays to virtue, the candidates pay lip service to our traditional value of opportunity – the freedom to see how far your talents might take you. That rhetoric still resonates in the American psyche. Harris speaks of an opportunity economy; Trump vows to bring more jobs back to our shores. But those words are window-dressing in their larger message that assumes success hinges less on talent and ambition than the corrupt ability to game a rigged system. Transforming conspiracy theory into conventional wisdom, both argue that if things aren't working out, the fault is in malign dark forces, not ourselves.

Neither candidate seeks to unleash the animal spirits that made America the richest and freest country in the history of the world. Instead of inspiring us to fight for ourselves, they promise to be our champions, using tariffs, tax credits, and other powers of the state to solve our problems for us. In their view, America has become a nation of creditors owed vast debts by the government. Everyone, except maybe Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, are due reparations.

They are telling us this because it is what we want to hear. Growing numbers of Americans don't want to take responsibility for their circumstances. They seek to blame someone else and demand that others improve their lot.

This mindset has not sprung from the ether; politicians have long promised voters a free lunch. It is not unmoored from reality; there are powerful forces that can limit individual effort. But in recent years, these elements have risen to the forefront of American politics – especially after the Great Recession of 2007-09 delivered a crippling blow to our historic belief in a brighter future.

Since then, Democrats have spoken to these fears through an identity politics that casts large swaths of the population – especially minorities and women who together constitute the vast majority of people – as victims.