Americans have the disadvantage of their culturally ingrained puppydog optimism, which worked great in the mid-20th century but is a poor fit for the age of climate apocalypse, oligarchy and fascist recrudescence.

Eventually, the survivors will have an almost-Russian cynical nihilism, and things will get back to some degree of normal. Though historical fiction set in the 20th century will be weirdly off, either assuming that everybody was always a jaded nihilist like now or that the past is a foreign country, in this case populated by cheerful simpletons.