That ^

and

Sunk cost: They've invested 40-60 years of their life programming their worldview with the propaganda.

Scapegoating: It's not them and their bad choices, it's the immigrants/democrats/poor siphoning off their resources

The state runs the media. The media informs the masses which people are the enemy/stupid, the masses join together to feel good that they're not stupid. They put more money into campaign funds to buy signs from the government that's holding them down, all while feeling self-righteous.