I think what you’re trying to get at is false consciousness, the identification of people within one class with the interests of another. This explains both Democrat and Republican voting, as both are capitalist parties that do not represent the working classes. The crucial part I am getting at, however, is that propaganda works by appealing to felt interests, which are generally formed by people’s own class interests. We must do away with the idea that everything would be solved if education systems taught critical thinking, because this ignores the class components of society.
I do agree that education is necessary. The working class needs its own political party that can educate, agitate, and organize the rest of this class. However, the idea that the working classes are stupid is one that directly runs counter to the task of building a mass movement.
Opposition to immigrants is based on the requirements of the capitalist class to maintain both a source of intra-class conflict (to divide the working class) as well as to create a desparate sub-category of the working class that fears systemic violence and expulsion, and is thus more easily exploitable by capitalists. Critical thinking isn’t the barrier, republican voters buy into this as a party primarily backed by a combination of the petite bourgeoisie and the haut bourgeoisie.
You’re placing too much of an emphasis on the ideas of society without looking at where these ideas come from. It isn’t lead poisoning, it’s from the way we produce and distribute. That doesn’t mean ideas do not play a part, that would be reductive, but the primacy exists with the base of society, the economic foundation.
Even if the working class voted in their self-interest, they would not be able to establish socialism, which is necessary. It would lead to a third party victory, and a failure of the third party to change capitalism into socialism piece by piece.
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I think what you’re trying to get at is false consciousness, the identification of people within one class with the interests of another. This explains both Democrat and Republican voting, as both are capitalist parties that do not represent the working classes. The crucial part I am getting at, however, is that propaganda works by appealing to felt interests, which are generally formed by people’s own class interests. We must do away with the idea that everything would be solved if education systems taught critical thinking, because this ignores the class components of society.
I do agree that education is necessary. The working class needs its own political party that can educate, agitate, and organize the rest of this class. However, the idea that the working classes are stupid is one that directly runs counter to the task of building a mass movement.
Removed by mod
Opposition to immigrants is based on the requirements of the capitalist class to maintain both a source of intra-class conflict (to divide the working class) as well as to create a desparate sub-category of the working class that fears systemic violence and expulsion, and is thus more easily exploitable by capitalists. Critical thinking isn’t the barrier, republican voters buy into this as a party primarily backed by a combination of the petite bourgeoisie and the haut bourgeoisie.
You’re placing too much of an emphasis on the ideas of society without looking at where these ideas come from. It isn’t lead poisoning, it’s from the way we produce and distribute. That doesn’t mean ideas do not play a part, that would be reductive, but the primacy exists with the base of society, the economic foundation.
Even if the working class voted in their self-interest, they would not be able to establish socialism, which is necessary. It would lead to a third party victory, and a failure of the third party to change capitalism into socialism piece by piece.