US working class consciousness?
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Will the working class of America tolerate all of the cuts to welfare, medical and almost all infrastructure brought in by Trump and his hatchet man Musk? When I hear the endless fascistic rants of Trump about how everything is new and wonderful in the US it sounds more like the desperate last gasps of a dying society to me. Can and will the working class rise up? Or is this all just wishful thinking on my part? One thing’s for sure if this keeps up the country’s structure must crumble.
After four years the vote will be Democrat again. Does that answer it? It might be harder by then for the Democrat president to justify restoring the stand-off with Russia though.
TM – So you don’t think that the same old Republican/Democrat cycle has run its course? I have an American friend who is in despair about what’s happening over there. Rather naively he pins his hopes on the supreme court judges stopping Trump with reference to the constitution. He also believes that the same loyalty to the ‘constitution’ is stronger than mere nationalism in the armed forces. I will have to examine this ‘constitution’ more closely and find out how it came to be deified by the ‘liberals’ over there.
I think most in the armed forces are there because they see no other option for themselves, certainly those in combatant roles. In civilian life they’d be on the streets doing drugs and struggling for every cent. The army gives the poor and ill-educated a lifeline, regular meals, shelter, and a false sense of community, if brutal and rigid.
I don’t think they dwell on the constitution. “Their” ideas are the slogans given them by commanders. They are taught to obey, no matter what.In four years most workers will be sick of Trump and the Democrats will be back.
I think short memory is the same in the US as here. Not just that though. Like over here, people see no alternative to the electoral Judy succeeds Punch and then Punch succeeds Judy, ad infinitum. Only the big capitalist parties have the funds to monopolise electioneering.TM – ‘I think most in the armed forces are there because they see no other option for themselves, certainly those in combatant roles’
My friend was referring to those in control of the armed forces – the ‘generals’ if you like. He seemed to think that their oath to the constitution protects America from a military coup. I must admit I wasn’t aware of such an ideological commitment in their armed forces – it could again be merely wishful thinking on his part.
TM – “Their” ideas are the slogans given them by commanders. They are taught to obey, no matter what.’
I think that your elitism is showing again. Soldiers are ordinary members of the working class with minds of their own if they choose to use them.
TM- ”Only the big capitalist parties have the funds to monopolise electioneering.’
Same everywhere – if you’re that cynical then why bother to be a socialist – we might as well all give up.
I suspect that the US is going through a significant change because as my friend stated ‘MAGA’ is a religious cult that is sweeping the country like no other in recent memory.There has been a large blowback against this in republican controlled areas. Have you not seen what has been happening in the town hall meetings?
But the anti-Trump blowback is just that. It isn’t anti-capitalism, just anti-Trump. The Left are wrapping themselves in the flag and supporting NATO.
My elitist attitude.
As a socialist, are you telling me, that as you’ve gone through life surrounded by patriotic ignoramuses mocking your socialism, poo-pooing it, proud of their ignorance, ridiculing your knowledge, your experiences, etc., that you don’t feel any superiority to them? I can’t believe that.
TM – ‘As a socialist, are you telling me, that as you’ve gone through life surrounded by patriotic ignoramuses mocking your socialism, poo-pooing it, proud of their ignorance, ridiculing your knowledge, your experiences, etc., that you don’t feel any superiority to them? I can’t believe that.’
Of course I’ve been frustrated and angry at such people but my experience has been that once you get to speak with them one to one then most seem to show a , perhaps grudging, respect for my knowledge. Also I’m aware of the circumstances which brought about my own consciousness (my brother-in-law was a professor of Russian history and explained to me that the bolshevik revolution was not socialist and certainly not ‘Marxist’) were down to luck and my own dislike of being told what to do without explanation etc.
DJP – ‘Have you not seen what has been happening in the town hall meetings?’
Well no – I’m glad you have such access. So you don’t think there is any important political significance in the MAGA movement? Accidentally I heard a Trump speech on the radio the other evening at some major political venue full of suited normal looking politicians who cheered wildly after his every sentence – reminded me of a Hitlerian speech and the hysterical response it received.My experience is that the ignorant ridicule knowledge. They proudly shout NEVER ‘ERD OF IT, and mock. They certainly have no interest in learning and associate intellect and love of books with effeminacy and weakness.
Men in the workplace have grabbed books from me and made me play “piggy in the middle”, throwing my book round the room until it’s destroyed. One of my socialist pamphlets (Questions of the Day) was used to mop the floor, and presented to me thus, gloatingly.
When asked what I do, and being told that I teach French, I was smirked at and told “You don’t look like you can do anything.”
But maybe I just don’t have the social skills others have.
Wez wrote:
‘I will have to examine this ‘constitution’ more closely and find out how it came to be deified by the ‘liberals’ over there.’
The US Constitution was the counterrevolutionary overthrow of the Articles of Confederation, according to certain Americans of the (market-)libertarian confession:
https://mises.org/mises-wire/1787-constitution-was-radical-assault-spirit-revolution
Can and will the working class rise up? Or is this all just wishful thinking on my part? One thing’s for sure if this keeps up the country’s structure must crumble.
Yeah, there are protests all over the place, including against Musk and his businesses, which have been severely affected. It probably won’t instill much class consciousness among people, but I’m still sticking with my original bet of Trump (and possibly Musk) not lasting the first year in office. My general impression is that people are fed up, especially government workers who are currently facing a wave of firings. The entire nonprofit sector is also being affected because of these buffoons’ withholding of grants and their reassessment of grant eligibility (e.g. they don’t want to award grants to nonprofits with DEI language). Countless other industries/sectors are also being negatively impacted, including consumers themselves, due to the utterly moronic tariffs.
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