Remember when?

It was a progressive era in the US with a thriving middle class.* But when the middle class thrives they have some free time to get socially and politically involved. Corporations and the power-hungry had to thwart us because we kept them in check. Hence they succeeded in returning us into slave laborers struggling to make ends meet with no time for politics. 

If you want to return to those days then blame the real source of your problems as noted above. Get politically involved to support those progressives who want the entire society to thrive. We've done it before and we can do it again. We just have to vote out the fascists and the greedy. Make your vote count, especially since the latter don't want to count it.

* PS: I realize we still had poor people in great need during this time. But the humane policies then were designed to offer help and a hand up.