The alarm is ringing and ringing, will it wake the sleeping giant? It's true that we in the bubble of america have been living in a dream, the american dream. And like most dreams, it quickly becomes a nightmare when we refuse to wake up. Our american dream has always been the nightmare of the rest of the planet, including most of the united states. But the sleeping giant that is now awakening is not the american middle class, or even the american worker, it's the workers of the world. If we keep isolating humans with the false walls of nationalism we will fail to realize the true potential for this moment in time. What is happening in Wisconsin has spilled over into almost every neighboring state and no person can deny the spirit that binds our mid west uprisings with the north african uprisings.
Some are saying the sleeping giant of the american middle class is awakening. It's absolutely crucial at this time that we drop this reference to the american middle class, this is not about any middle class. This is about the workers of the world rising up to throw off their corporate masters, to flush out the parasites of capitalism across the planet. I know that the phrase "middle class" has a powerful effect in our political rhetoric, but it's used as a distraction from a far more realistic model. We hear the phrase "middle class" so much, especially during election seasons, but when do we hear the phrase "lower class" or "upper class"? These phrases have a powerful effect in our rhetoric also, a very different kind of effect. If you just dropped down to earth in the middle of the last election season you might think there were no upper or lower classes, just one big middle class. And it sounds like a world without much conflict doesn't it? We're all just one big happy class.
Do I want to create division where none exists? No. Do I want to create unity where none exists?Hell Yes! Many people who lived their whole lives thinking they were a part of this big middle class have found that in fact, they are poor and they can no longer deny it. Usually when you hear the phrase "middle class" it is a call for them to be treated fairly in our state and local budgets, and not get stuck with the bill when the super rich cause a deficit. You might think it's a given that the poor are a part of this calculation, that of course they too should be treated fairly, but they are not. In fact, politicians aren't really that concerned about the poor, it's the middle class that they're sometimes looking out for. And if you want to be specific, and/or partisan, it's the Democrats who try to look out for the middle class and sometimes the poor and the republicans who look out for the super rich. But democrats are afraid to mention poverty because the republicans (on behalf of the rich and mostly via fox news) start screaming "Socialism!", "Entitlement!", "Distribution of wealth!!!"
But where is it written that a class system has three tiers? You could just as easily cut it in half and call it upper and lower, but it would be far better if we made a less arbitrary line. There are only two classes in reality: Workers and Owners. Unlike the caste system one can change classes but this is the exception, called "new money" among the upper class. Most workers admit that if they suddenly struck it filthy rich they would never work another day in their life, would you? I love my work, but... I might focus on my labors of love, like writing and playing music, but I wouldn't be as motivated to do what I now do to pay the bills. On the flip side, if I grew up in the top 10%, the creme of the american crop, I might take some symbolic positions to look like a functional part of society, but executive jobs are not "work" the way the average american defines it. You won't find an executive office in a corporate headquarters anywhere in the country without office chairs that cost over $1000, have you ever sat in a $1000 office chair? It's tough work, if you can get it.
I dream of a future where former corporate executives and board members have to lie and say they worked in the mail room at Goldman Sachs just to get a little respect. And another future is possible if the workers of the world unite, we can throw off those who drain us and keep us weak and divided. We must unite across all borders and not fall into the trap of nationalism. We must form universal bonds of solidarity and be prepared to stand with workers everywhere against the unjust men and laws that bind them. If we are to wake up to anything, it should be a world united as one, with equal rights and equal democracy for all people. Americans are not better, or special, in fact america is the dream, and it's over. There never was a thing called america, it was all just maps and banners, paper and ink. Nobody ever dug out the earth with a giant american shaped cookie cutter and said, "here's america." It's all in our minds, there are no lines on the planet, just rivers and mountains and oceans and deserts, and people, plants, animals, etc...
Think about it, the upper class has horded so much wealth, that a true redistribution of wealth could potentially wipe out poverty all over the planet.
No comments:
Post a Comment