by proldic » Sun Sep 04, 2005 2:09 pm
Good one, Prac. <br><br>What are your feelings on my observations on the breakdown of how people are processing this -- that it seems as if most leftists are actually more resistant to the idea that PO is a scam, whereas the "average joe's" cotton to that idea immediately? <br><br>If that is reflective of a large group of Americans, does that have any relevance to our current tactical situation? Specifically how we might alter our "messaging" to better reach the masses of working-class people here at home? Does it have any relation to the upswing in populist anti-war sentiment around Sheehan? <br><br>Rain, I disagree with your analysis, and think it represents a dangerous, and unfortunately popular, line of thinking. I sense you may have a distorted view of the US population.<br><br>Do you live in the US? Just to remind you, we have not had the benefits of social-democracy, as white folks in Europe and Australia have, like free higher education, strong public welfare, decent mass transit, etc. <br><br>This idea that the majority of Americans are successful, all of us are yuppies or rich christian ranchers, and the working poor are a minority -- the "millionaire next door" mythos -- is dead wrong. <br><br>The "business as usual" you refer to <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>is</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> the conspiracy, and the "average joe" intuitively understands this. They are <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>victims</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> of this conspiracy, and have been their whole lives. <br><br>The ideas you speak of might be found in the wealthier areas, maybe at a gas station in Westchester County or <br>Falls Church, Virginia. But they are the <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>vast</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> minority, believe me.<br><br>Just to clarify, most of the people I am hearing talking about oil conspiracy these days are lower-middle class folks -- convenience store clerks, waitresses, small farmers, semi-skilled factory workers, cab drivers, independent contractors, single mothers, truckers, etc. <br><br>It's on <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>us</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> to be able to get it together enough to illuminate a clear and compelling viable alternative, something that is as intuitive to them as the conspiracy is. Until then, it's always going to be "as bad as things are for me, the options I'm being presented for change are foolish pipe dreams, or worse". The grass isn't really greener on the other side. <br><br>And btw, the more we run down socialism, the more we end up alienating ourselves from the very solutions that are the most pragmatic solutions available to us, and the ones most believable by them. <br><br>I don't believe the LIE that the statistical majority of the US --who were the people <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>I</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> was refering to -- are "in the ranks" at all. <br><br>In fact, they are acutely aware of how they will <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>never</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> be able to "aspire" to be a businessperson. They know it "takes money to make money", and they'll never have it. They have resigned themselves to a lifetime of servitude, with the only hope being debt-based materialim to alleviate the drudgery of working all the time, or maybe someday to get their 6th day of work off, or retire before they die. <br><br>"...shrubby & co. aren't pirates, or gawd-awful murdering bastards."<br><br>But most working-class people in the US <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>do</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> believe that these days, at the very least the pirate part. <br><br>"...they feel it in their bones, without having to think about it, or feel anything else. and there's not a flicker of guilt or conscience about it. "it's you or me, buddy"..."<br><br>I don't see that at all. They <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>do</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> feel guilt deep down, and shouldn't all of us to a degree? But "what good is that they say", "I can't do anything about it". <br><br>And you know, the sad fact is, <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>without us behind them</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, they can't. <br><br>Sure, guilt can be one part of the motivation to move people to action, but anyone planning a campaign around that, directed at people who are not very priviledged or powerful to begin with, is bad bad news. <br><br>Personally, I don't see much tactical value in the "blame game" when it comes to working-class people. In fact, I don't think they <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>are</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> the real guilty party. Dupes, yes. But that's only going to get us so far. We have to come up with a way to "bridge the gap". <br><br>And I think that this issue is one of those moments. <br><br>Go look at my previous post a few weeks ago about the "strange alliances" that USA Today noticed were being formed around the eminent domain battle going on in New London. <br><br>Sure, many people feel powerless, and are cynical about their own ability to change things beyond a local level. <br><br>"it's you or me, buddy"<br><br>So I'm asking: what "memes" do you think will entrench them in that belief more? What "memes" will show them their commonality with others? <p></p><i></i>