Dunk
6th March 2011, 01:15
Who else does it bother immensely when workers refer to working people as MIDDLE CLASS?
I'm sure bickering or analysis of this has been done and redone on this site before.
When I was at a town hall meeting last night, organized by the Kent State College Democrats, and featuring reps from AFSCME locals, SEIU regional rep, and some totally incoherent DNC quack - I managed to get ahold of the microphone for a minute for a comment and question. Up until that point of the meeting, no one - not a single instance in the hour it had been going on - mentioned lost tax revenue due to tax cuts on the richest Ohioans and corporations. The AFSCME rep seemed terrified of lambasting Republicans - as if he was afraid he would harm support for the fight against SB5. When it was my turn, I said I was dissappointed and wondered why labor isn't talking more about lost tax revenue to the richest Americans and corporations - that especially in Ohio's case we should be ruthless with exposing the truth that politicians are dismantling bargaining rights with one hand and offering tax cuts to businesses and the rich with the other - I cited the 2005 tax cuts resulting in a $2+ billion annual shortfall in Ohio's tax revenue, which is the same year Ohio locals made concessions to increase the percentage they pay into their pensions. I briefly pointed out that Texas was running a huge deficit when Texas lacks collective bargaining rights - so it can't possibly be greedy workers punching huge holes in the deficit - that it had to be in large measure the lack of revenue. I ended my turn on the mic by posing a question to the labor reps "You've been talking about solidarity - well, many states aren't as fortunate as Ohio is to be able to force a referendum with a petition - and when these bills pass around the country, and many workers have nothing left to do but to strike - will Ohio workers stand with them?"
My comments and question released a floodgate of emotional responses and vehement agreement in the room, and I think the reason is because workers have largely refrained from talking about class war. Without using the buzzphrase and poisoning the well of discussion for many in the room, I cited a crystal clear example of class war, and it ignited the entire room. One of Kent State's student journalists briefly questioned me afterward, and one of the SEIU reps confronted me after and asked me about helping them to connect with Akron U's students and student groups.
I refrained from using that demonized loaded buzzphrase, but offered a clear example of it because I think our less class conscious working brothers and sisters have been propagandized to the point where they're repelled by leftist buzzphrases or buzzwords - but the phrases and words aren't what is really important. It's the concepts these phrases and words represent. Of course, after the people you've been speaking with become accustom to these concepts and clear examples of them, then it may be a better time to call these things what they are.
AGITATE, EDUCATE!
Anyway, I think many of us, especially those of us surrounded by center-left to conservative workers need to attack these right wing phrases and topics - they bind us up in corner, their corner. When they say MIDDLE CLASS, we have to talk about the working class. When our fellow workers talk about "saving/defending the American Dream/Middle Class", which has been so popularly repeated by DNC types, we should talk about "saving the American Worker."
I think we need to refocus and redouble our efforts to smash bullshit right wing narratives and dismantle right wing propaganda. Right wing narratives are very vulnerable right now - although it may sometimes not seem like it, and we absolutely must do whatever we can, whenever we can to dismantle them.
I'm sure this has been said over and over, but I was so energized by the response in the room from the things I said - in the middle of conservative working class Ohio!
I'm sure bickering or analysis of this has been done and redone on this site before.
When I was at a town hall meeting last night, organized by the Kent State College Democrats, and featuring reps from AFSCME locals, SEIU regional rep, and some totally incoherent DNC quack - I managed to get ahold of the microphone for a minute for a comment and question. Up until that point of the meeting, no one - not a single instance in the hour it had been going on - mentioned lost tax revenue due to tax cuts on the richest Ohioans and corporations. The AFSCME rep seemed terrified of lambasting Republicans - as if he was afraid he would harm support for the fight against SB5. When it was my turn, I said I was dissappointed and wondered why labor isn't talking more about lost tax revenue to the richest Americans and corporations - that especially in Ohio's case we should be ruthless with exposing the truth that politicians are dismantling bargaining rights with one hand and offering tax cuts to businesses and the rich with the other - I cited the 2005 tax cuts resulting in a $2+ billion annual shortfall in Ohio's tax revenue, which is the same year Ohio locals made concessions to increase the percentage they pay into their pensions. I briefly pointed out that Texas was running a huge deficit when Texas lacks collective bargaining rights - so it can't possibly be greedy workers punching huge holes in the deficit - that it had to be in large measure the lack of revenue. I ended my turn on the mic by posing a question to the labor reps "You've been talking about solidarity - well, many states aren't as fortunate as Ohio is to be able to force a referendum with a petition - and when these bills pass around the country, and many workers have nothing left to do but to strike - will Ohio workers stand with them?"
My comments and question released a floodgate of emotional responses and vehement agreement in the room, and I think the reason is because workers have largely refrained from talking about class war. Without using the buzzphrase and poisoning the well of discussion for many in the room, I cited a crystal clear example of class war, and it ignited the entire room. One of Kent State's student journalists briefly questioned me afterward, and one of the SEIU reps confronted me after and asked me about helping them to connect with Akron U's students and student groups.
I refrained from using that demonized loaded buzzphrase, but offered a clear example of it because I think our less class conscious working brothers and sisters have been propagandized to the point where they're repelled by leftist buzzphrases or buzzwords - but the phrases and words aren't what is really important. It's the concepts these phrases and words represent. Of course, after the people you've been speaking with become accustom to these concepts and clear examples of them, then it may be a better time to call these things what they are.
AGITATE, EDUCATE!
Anyway, I think many of us, especially those of us surrounded by center-left to conservative workers need to attack these right wing phrases and topics - they bind us up in corner, their corner. When they say MIDDLE CLASS, we have to talk about the working class. When our fellow workers talk about "saving/defending the American Dream/Middle Class", which has been so popularly repeated by DNC types, we should talk about "saving the American Worker."
I think we need to refocus and redouble our efforts to smash bullshit right wing narratives and dismantle right wing propaganda. Right wing narratives are very vulnerable right now - although it may sometimes not seem like it, and we absolutely must do whatever we can, whenever we can to dismantle them.
I'm sure this has been said over and over, but I was so energized by the response in the room from the things I said - in the middle of conservative working class Ohio!