hello!

[ElfinatheRevolutionaryElf]

Hi I'm new here so bare with me.

I'm a working class person (who doesn't have a degree) but can see how capitalism is really holding back progress today.

The problem is a lot of other working class people I talk to about this seem to just feel totally defeated and give up on any idea of a better future, and say 'thats the way it is' or 'that's human nature' accepting their 'place' in life.

The people I meet who come from a more middle class, university educated background seem to recognise the problem more and some may debate the issue at length but will not usually be prepared to go on any demonstrations or take any action when something is wrong. It's as if they're just glad they're not at the very bottom of the heap and don't want to lose their 'place' when it comes down to it.

What I'd like to know is if anyone here has had any success in inspiring working people to choose to fight for their rights and stand up to injustice when they were ready to accept defeat in some kind of work struggle and if so how that was achieved.

The strikes I read about seem to only have come about after the workers have been pushed to their limit. When you're having to face the possibility of losing your job because of the mistakes of greedy capitalists surely that is getting very close to the limit of what workers will put up with. So why so much apathy? Why no revolution? In a world full of pessimistic workers is a revolution even possible anymore?

[ArrowLance]

I'm starting to think that my approach is too 'rational.' The people around me have been walled up with so much nonsense, like what is 'human nature.' I'm starting to think a more 'irrational' emotional approach would be more successful in affecting people.

[Invincible Summer]

This thread is interesting, because I recently read a book (Ain't No Makin' It by Jay McLeod) about low-income youth and their social aspirations. Although most of the working-class youth that were interviewed saw that they were getting the short end of the stick in society, the general trend was to blame themselves as individuals (as per dominant N. American meritocrital discourse), rather than see the system for what it is.

I find it interesting that the social group(s) that are the most disadvantaged would still blame their lack of work/well-paying work, on themselves for being "lazy" or "not working hard enough," when it's clear that capitalist society cannot have everyone working. If capitalism did provide everyone with jobs, no capitalist would be making a profit. In the book I read, the youth aspired to be businessmen and bosses, just because these are the people that exploited them - the exploited want to be the exploiters, as it looks like it's the better life.

I think a lot of the pessimism comes from the fact that the social situation you're born into is the one you'll most likely stay in. People who come from generations of working-class background will most probably not think that they can change anything, as they've been exploited for generations. They vote for party X or party Y, but nothing is coming back to them.
From my study in sociology, I've read various papers and such that have led me to believe there is a great deal of cynicism amongst the working class towards the political system. However, the McCarthyist red-baiting and constant capitalist bullshit against the "evil" of Communism and Socialism also makes them skeptical about anything revolutionary.

I believe a revolution is possible, albeit not in the short-term. The left has to organize better and find a more suitable discourse to bring to the working classes of the world. Perhaps going out and out about revolution off the bat is too much? I know we're all anxious for it to happen, but I don't think most people would be gung-ho about overthrowing the social/political/economic systems we have in place at the beginning. We, as Communists, need to prepare specific talking points to combat anti-Communism in the media, and therefore develop a more grassroots sympathy to our cause (as obviously we don't have the economic power to combat the corporate media itself). After all, that's what it's all about, yes?