Arthur, I understand the sentiment, but their are historical precedent's for a poor people's movement for change. There is nothing inherently flawed in the human agency of the poor. Nor do I think we can just see political agency as part of the cultural capital of the middle classes, although they are currently the most organized in terms of exercising their own (currently conservative) will [ie. lower taxes]. But social movements change. Given the realities of our society, people move in and out of the category of being classified as poor. It's not a permanent state. Downward mobility is increasingly a reality for some formerly constructed as middle class, now poor, and they are coming from a background of higher education levels, and strength through collective involvement, with the skills to make their presence known. Once people get beyond the embarrassment and self-blame [learned cultural responses] who knows how they will respond politically. As I write, there are organized groups, funded by churches and unions, who do political outreach in poor neighborhoods. It does often have the outcome of people finding their efficacy as human beings. I am thinking, for example, of the work of Jim Wallis. I think the question for the future is quite open-ended. Who knows, the threat of political instability, within this group, may well encourage the State to respond with a basic income scheme to reduce the level of social tension.
Good to talk to you. Bob ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2004 11:23 AM Subject: RE: [Futurework] Killing its own > To go against the leadership would imply the need for a political agenda. A > context for action. Usually lacking in this group. > > The powerless tend to end up "going postal." > > arthur > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2004 11:04 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [Futurework] Killing its own > > > Robert E. Bowd wrote: > > It creates a complex matrix of self-blame among people who convinced of > >their > own powerlessness. [Poppycock, really.] > > Victimologically, it is interesting to observe that the disenfranchised > individuals turn against the lower (or middle) strata instead of the > "responsibles". E.g. the sniper Lee Malvo, or just the usual muggers. > > If people have nothing left to lose anyway (and know that the death > penalty is in force too), wouldn't logic suggest different targets? > > Chris > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > SpamWall: Mail to this addy is deleted unread unless it contains the keyword > "igve". > > > _______________________________________________ > Futurework mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://fes.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework > _______________________________________________ > Futurework mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://fes.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://fes.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
