What is the "under class"

[EvilRedGuy]

My early liberal teacher used to tell me that the "uner class" were the disabled and poor class while the working class were the ones working, unrelated to how the economy was for them. I just want to know, is there any such thing as under class and how do you identify it. Thanks :)

[ContrarianLemming]

Yes, they are the Lumpen Proletariat, they are protitutes, robbers, small time criminals, the homeless, the poorest, they take what they can get and have no relation to the means of production outside of abandonment.

[NecroCommie]

What is the "under class"
A lie.

[Queercommie Girl]

My early liberal teacher used to tell me that the "uner class" were the disabled and poor class while the working class were the ones working, unrelated to how the economy was for them. I just want to know, is there any such thing as under class and how do you identify it. Thanks :)

In Marxist terminology they are usually called the "lumpen-proletariat".

One needs to be careful though to not let this become a moralistic rather than an economic definition. In Mao's China, there was no explicit law against homosexuality but homosexuality was usually punished under the category of "lumpenised sexual behaviour" - i.e. something the "underclass/lumpenproletariat" would sexually indulge in.

[Queercommie Girl]

Yes, they are the Lumpen Proletariat, they are protitutes, robbers, small time criminals, the homeless, the poorest, they take what they can get and have no relation to the means of production outside of abandonment.

It is certainly debatable from an economic perspective whether or not prostitutes (of any kind) should be classified as "lumpen-proletariat". Traditionally many people just dismiss prostitution as "lumpen" out of a moral or religious sense rather than through concrete economic analysis. Technically prostitution should actually be considered a part of the service industry economically speaking.

[EvilRedGuy]

Wait, shouldn't all the Proletariat, whether Lumpen or not be liberated? Silly question i know but i seems to have misunderstod what you were saying.

[DaComm]

Wait, shouldn't all the Proletariat, whether Lumpen or not be liberated? Silly question i know but i seems to have misunderstod what you were saying.

Well just keep in mind that the lumpen are simply victimized proletarian who are froced to (because of the Capitalists) undertake drastic measures to survive. If there existed no one dictator who made unemployment necessary to benefit himself, then these poor fellows would not have to live miserably, hence I would say they could most certainly have a revolutionary consensus to raise their standard of living, not suffer from social stigma, etc. If you get laid of by the Fat Cat owner, then guess what, your a class enemy. For some reason this notion does not appeal to me; for the sole reason that the very poor do not seek to have their position in Capitalist society perpetuated throughout their life, that is, they could benefit from and would want a social revolution just as it would appeal to the modern proletariat.

[Queercommie Girl]

Wait, shouldn't all the Proletariat, whether Lumpen or not be liberated? Silly question i know but i seems to have misunderstod what you were saying.

No-one is saying they shouldn't be liberated. However, "lumpen-proletariat" is an useful objective definition in Marxist economics and social science.