Re: [Marxism] Why the 'Militant' now says 'middle class radicals', not "middle class left"

["Jack F. Vogel" <jfv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, Jun 28, 2004 at 01:20:16AM -0400, Fred Feldman wrote:
>
> I am about to engage in what some regard, for reasons I completely
> understand, as worthless deconstruction of  SWP history and positions.
> People who don't like that should move on to other posts that have
> information they have a use for.  No hurt feelings on my part, I
> absolutely guarantee you. As for the "waste" of bandwidth -- all I can
> say is, if I really thought it was a waste, I wouldn't do it.
> Personally, I am absolutely convinced that the history and evolution of
> the SWP is an IMPORTANT  part of the history of revolutionary politics
> in the United States.  I understand why people think otherwise, but I
> also am not convinced that they completely understand the historical
> situation.

I dont mind your deconstructions Fred, just more data to think about.

It leads me to a question for you though, how does the SWP, or you
for that matter define the classes, specifically 'working class'
and 'petty bourgeois'? I ask because the latter in particular always
seems more an epithet than any really closely applied category.

IMHO, working class is too narrowly defined in this country, of
course it works in well to the overall ideological machine.

The 'middle class' is this aspired-to pseudo-nirvana :), that as
far as I can tell is mostly really working class. Made up of those
workers that still have a high salary and can actually still buy
some dwelling, and so forth.

All the media images make this segment of the working class feel
superior... after all, they arent 'archie bunker' :), they have
"risen above"... And of course, often these workers dream of
that small business, which would technically make them petty
bourgeois THEN, but in fact most arent, they are still wage
slaves, in spite of their flag waving SUVs or whatever other
symbols of social success they might flaunt :)

Is this fairly uncontroversial? If so, is this 'enemy' of the
SWP as you put it, the small businessmen strata, which is what
I think technically is what fits the term??

Interested in your thoughts :)

Solidarity,

Jack



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