[Peace-discuss] [Discuss] Fw: What hath got rot?

[C. G. ESTABROOK]

You're right - the precarity article is interesting, with some good links.

It's generally observed that "all anarchists are socialists, but not all
socialists are anarchists." (That probably needs to be stressed today, with the 
appearance of self-proclaimed anarcho-capitalists, who are at best confused and 
confusing, otherwise guides into a dangerous blind alley.)

And the situation you describe is the great unmentionable in US politics: real 
wages haven't risen in 30 years. That simply becomes more apparent as inequality 
grows and accelerates, and the unemployment rate tops 20%, as it now does if 
it's measured as it was in the Reagan administration.

Of course we've got the good Democrats to keep the lid on, as Obama advertised 
he would do in The Mendacity of Hope.  What's maddening is to see self-styled 
progressives/socialists defend him frantically against quite appropriate if 
unfocused criticism - especially since our ideological institutions strain to 
unfocus the protest.

"The 20th century has been characterized by three developments of great 
political importance: the growth of democracy, the growth of corporate power, 
and the growth of corporate propaganda as a means of protecting corporate power 
against democracy."

And it's certainly up to us who are privileged to call things by their right 
names and not defend Obama's wretched corporate-friendly policies, at home or 
abroad.  --CGE


pengdust at aol.com wrote:
> As an anarchist and a "precarious-shit-worker" who does do the 'grub-work,' I
> take offense to this "individualistic libertarian anarchists" claim. We,
> anarcho-PSWs, do not have cushy university jobs with health-care, sick days,
> vacations, living wages... or the time, privelege, and luxury for academic
> debates. It is true, those of us who make around $1000/month will NEVER, EVER
> be able to afford the $200-300/month minimum premiums to fucking corporations
> after paying some $400 in rent alone! [Add $200-300/loans in student loans, 
> $150 in other bills, etc... and there's nothing left for food. Keeps me in my
> boyish figure I guess /;-)/ ] Simply, everyday life is always a losing
> battle... we're working-poor and we're FUCKED, this is real. And, the $700
> penalty on top of taxes will only make things worse! Now, for those who make
> some $40,000/yr this all may be doable, and an improvement, but for many of
> us who don't it's completely impossible unless the feds pay %100 of our
> premiums.... i.e., SINGLE-PAYER. So, single-payer is the ONLY improvement for
> us, and the ONLY solution that was never on the table! [thanks to Both Dems
> and Reps]
> 
> So, please don't throw around sectarian epithets by calling "self-proclaimed
> socialists" anarchists in a squabble over who's a socialist and who isn't...
> I know many anarchists and almost every one of them are working-poor or
> working class whose fate is intricately tied to the fate of others.
> 
> I suggest 'bourgeois' not 'anarchist,' and you can bicker about the rest 
> amongst yourselves... here's an over simplified refresher for those who are a
> little rusty,  or a primer for the uninitiated:
> 
> [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourgeois ] [ 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petite_bourgeoisie ] [ 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_class ] [ 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_poor ] [ 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undeserving_poor ] [ 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precarious_work ] [ 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precarity_(Social_Christianity) cge may like
> this one]


-- 
This message has been scanned for viruses and
dangerous content by MailScanner, and is
believed to be clean.