A few words from Joe Bageant on the middle class and the poor

[blindpig]

What is left of the diminishing American middle class is at a critical juncture in history. We have become a nation whose survival and comfort depends not only upon the clothing and electronic sweatshops in the smoking trash heaps of Latin America, Africa and Asia, but also upon domestic denial of the gaping and widening disparities among our very own people. We let millions of Americas hardest toiling folks suffer sickness and go uneducated because we are in the middle class -- the class that is paid to manage our little corner of the system, not to be our brother's keeper.

As members of the fifth or so of Americans among America's true middle class, we must decide whether to be selfish or to be unselfish. There is no middle ground. No acceptable level of misery for the elderly or poor, no acceptable level of ignorance for any American. It's an ethical and spiritual problem every American should face up to and personally solve for himself or herself. Because if we fail to solve it, then our life has been a spiritual failure.

snip

So you see how learned helplessness works. Helpless people are conditioned to spend money instead of deal honestly and face to face with people and their problems: as in 'I'll write a check to Catholic Relief, then jump in my car and go grab an organic salad at the café.' Helpless middle class Americans are helpless not because they are lazy, but because they are conditioned to believe they have no personal power to change the world, just the money to buy it. Or help sponsor the least offensive of the political candidates offered to us by the political machinery of the state. Anybody here really believe that Barack Obama or John McCain can overcome a bought and paid for Congress to give all Americans the same free health care and free higher education enjoyed by nearly every other developed nation on earth? -- assuming they even wanted to do so. Then again, them thar's mighty big problems -- too big for the average guy to tackle.

Presentation by Joe Bageant
St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas
Department of Ethics and Leadership
February 2008

http://www.joebageant.com/joe/2008/03/dismal-trajecto.html

[Hydra]

1. "And the cruelty that comes with the not only denial of a class system in America, but the failure

of the middle class to stand up and reject the televised spectacle and sham that has been substituted for politics in our nation because true politics is about class and always has been."


Well spoken by him.

I expect the middle class to choose selfishness, though. After all, all they've ever wanted was to be part of the 1% club.

The rest of us are considered to be worthless.

[jedr]

2. "Deer Hunting with Jesus" by Bageant......a must read

A little less than 3oo pages, you'll read a 100 at a time. Saw it here about two weeks ago and can be bought used or new from amazon. Set in Winchester Va.(His hometown) , it really tells you why the working poor vote against their own best interest. Also cuts we "liberals" no slack as being part of the problem.

[blindpig]

3. shameless kick n/t