I can see why this is happening. America used to have quite a bit of manufacturing, shops that employed people on living wages etc. Technical workers that worked in country, and spent their money locally. That money flowed round and encouraged other shops and enterprise. Shops that sold stuff made in the US. It also did fair trade in export and import.
That's all gone now. All the US has is "IP" and "Media" aka ideas, films and music, nothing you can touch. There is now really no manufacturing to employee people - Gone abroad. IT Jobs = Cheaper in India. Local workers? almost slave wages in Wallyworld or Starbucks. Exports of any physical goods is nowhere near what it used to be. Just about everything manufactured comes from China.
Now all shops sell crap mostly made abroad, competing in a race to the bottom to try and squeeze the ever reducing money in pocket from shoppers. Those same shoppers that used to have a job, and pay taxes, but since their job was shipped abroad as it was $8,000 a year cheaper.
If they loose this revenue stream, its over. They have to protect this last thing they have that other people and countries will buy. There is nothing left to make in the US. It still makes it good taxable income for the government. All the "dirty" stuff that makes things got shipped abroad by short sighted fat cats. There is also have defense spending, but same thing applies.
It is in effect the last roll of the dice for the US economy and they are hoping to god these "untouchables" will save them. This should explain why the media fat cats are so terrified of losing the "rights" war. The subscription model is only the beginning.....
In another 20 years I suspect the US (and UK, and Europe) will be entering into what we now class as third world levels of poverty and suchlike. Asia and what we now class as the emerging market will have swapped places with us.