The United States of America

Much of Smith's collection of essays dwells on the subject of American society as compared to other societies in the world. Smith returns time and again to the idea that the United States of America suffers from a whole host of inequalities which stratify society and prevent cohesive nationhood. For Smith, some of the worst inequalities are rooted in racism and, in particular classism. Thus, she frequently mentions American history pertaining to slavery, the privatization of healthcare, and more.

The United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is mentioned a few times in Smith's collection, both because she uses it to compare and contrast American society to British society, and also because she herself was born in the United Kingdom and thus has at least two identifiable perspectives in her writing, that of the American and that of the Brit. For Smith, the United Kingdom...