That becomes a question of propaganda then, tbh. Media/culture convinces the middle class they're more like the upper than the working class. But the middle class is an illusion. If you need to work or you die, then you're a worker. So, the job becomes convincing the so-called middle class that their interests align with the rest of the workers, which is no different from convincing the rest of the working class that their interests align with other workers, that is, class consciousness.
Stock Market itself is a form of propaganda. The average techbro owns nowhere near enough to live off of it (i.e. like the bourgeois) but it serves as a permanent source of anxiety, keeping them chained to the forces of the market and the stability of the capitalist system. The only people who actually become rich off of it are those who own enough to influence it, i.e. the people who're already bourgeois. This is why crypto shit became so big - knowingly or not, people realized that kind of explosive, exponential return was the only way to actually become rich. And, of course, it is now used by the already rich to exploit everyone else.
Your reasoning also applies to the what you consider "real" workers in the West, who themselves benefit from the exploitation of the global south. I've heard it before, the argument is that somehow the latter will rise up against the capitalist-imperialist system and bring about socialism. So that is who we all should be focusing on and that workers in the West are just the "labor aristocracy" i.e. useless in the struggle and might even be opposed to it.
That way, I'm sorry to say, will never lead to socialism. We, who live in the heart of the empire, are equally needed to bring about socialism. We, the workers in the west, must oppose our capitalists who oppress both us and the people in the global south. It is only by this combined effort of all workers all over the world, the imperial core and the global south, that socialism will emerge.
I'll go a step further. I think this entire argument is just lazy, defeatist ideology meant to create an excuse by Westerners to not do shit to bring socialism, and sit on their ass and hope that brown and black folk do the job for them.
I've had this discussion here in the past. People here, when you press them, admit they don't even believe socialism is possible in Amerika or the west. It will just be fascism and the only thing they can do is support themselves and their loved ones. It's just so fucking lazy and defeatist.
i don't think anyone is supportive of defeatism here, it's more of a post hoc justification of the metropolitan proletariat's historical betrayals of their long term class interests in favor of their more immediate material interests
adding to this, aesthetics will only defeat material conditions if the contradictions of capital are sufficiently blunted
the entire point of imperialist, 'divide and conquer' constructs such as racism is to create an illusionary gradient of proximity to capital in order to funnel mainstream demographics towards its defense in the form of reaction
barring an utter breakdown of the capitalist state apparatus, only the most marginalized groups of the core will be able to develop class consciousness of their own accord
They are far closer to being homeless than they are to being a billionaire or even millionaire and this is more true in areas where CoL eats up the extra income. Some might realize this, some might not, but it definitely is in their interest to side with workers against the capitalist class.
As someone who knows a fair few people making 100k+, I guarantee you they are just as afraid of losing all their money and being fucked over and left in the gutter. The shared interests are a fairer way of living that makes better value judgements and doesn't threaten to throw you in the swamp the second you stop being useful to the bourgeoise.
There are some blurry lines when we get into more PMC jobs but ultimately yes. At the end of the day the well-paid engineer has the same class interest as the precarious service worker. PMC's are way closer to becoming destitute than to become billionaires. All it takes is an illness or "the economy" having a hiccup.
However, despite having a class interest in controlling their own labour, many PMC's are reactionary dipshits who sides with the oligarchs. This form of false consciousness is useful to the bourgeoisie as it makes workers in key positions of the economy loyal to them. However, what they feel like our what they vote for doesn't change their material relationship to the means of production.
wouldn't that apply to the industrial workers of the past who were able to buy houses and live middle classes lives and retire as well? Before 401ks pensions were a lot more prevalent
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The enemy makes billions, mate.
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That becomes a question of propaganda then, tbh. Media/culture convinces the middle class they're more like the upper than the working class. But the middle class is an illusion. If you need to work or you die, then you're a worker. So, the job becomes convincing the so-called middle class that their interests align with the rest of the workers, which is no different from convincing the rest of the working class that their interests align with other workers, that is, class consciousness.
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Stock Market itself is a form of propaganda. The average techbro owns nowhere near enough to live off of it (i.e. like the bourgeois) but it serves as a permanent source of anxiety, keeping them chained to the forces of the market and the stability of the capitalist system. The only people who actually become rich off of it are those who own enough to influence it, i.e. the people who're already bourgeois. This is why crypto shit became so big - knowingly or not, people realized that kind of explosive, exponential return was the only way to actually become rich. And, of course, it is now used by the already rich to exploit everyone else.
Your reasoning also applies to the what you consider "real" workers in the West, who themselves benefit from the exploitation of the global south. I've heard it before, the argument is that somehow the latter will rise up against the capitalist-imperialist system and bring about socialism. So that is who we all should be focusing on and that workers in the West are just the "labor aristocracy" i.e. useless in the struggle and might even be opposed to it.
That way, I'm sorry to say, will never lead to socialism. We, who live in the heart of the empire, are equally needed to bring about socialism. We, the workers in the west, must oppose our capitalists who oppress both us and the people in the global south. It is only by this combined effort of all workers all over the world, the imperial core and the global south, that socialism will emerge.
I'll go a step further. I think this entire argument is just lazy, defeatist ideology meant to create an excuse by Westerners to not do shit to bring socialism, and sit on their ass and hope that brown and black folk do the job for them.
I've had this discussion here in the past. People here, when you press them, admit they don't even believe socialism is possible in Amerika or the west. It will just be fascism and the only thing they can do is support themselves and their loved ones. It's just so fucking lazy and defeatist.
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i don't think anyone is supportive of defeatism here, it's more of a post hoc justification of the metropolitan proletariat's historical betrayals of their long term class interests in favor of their more immediate material interests
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adding to this, aesthetics will only defeat material conditions if the contradictions of capital are sufficiently blunted
the entire point of imperialist, 'divide and conquer' constructs such as racism is to create an illusionary gradient of proximity to capital in order to funnel mainstream demographics towards its defense in the form of reaction
barring an utter breakdown of the capitalist state apparatus, only the most marginalized groups of the core will be able to develop class consciousness of their own accord
the lifeboat is shrinking, and the middle class is simply at the middle of the lifeboat
it convinces itself that it is on the same yacht as that rich guy over there
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They are far closer to being homeless than they are to being a billionaire or even millionaire and this is more true in areas where CoL eats up the extra income. Some might realize this, some might not, but it definitely is in their interest to side with workers against the capitalist class.
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As someone who knows a fair few people making 100k+, I guarantee you they are just as afraid of losing all their money and being fucked over and left in the gutter. The shared interests are a fairer way of living that makes better value judgements and doesn't threaten to throw you in the swamp the second you stop being useful to the bourgeoise.
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I'm not saying the 15k person isn't closer to the gutter, just that the fear is still there.
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There are some blurry lines when we get into more PMC jobs but ultimately yes. At the end of the day the well-paid engineer has the same class interest as the precarious service worker. PMC's are way closer to becoming destitute than to become billionaires. All it takes is an illness or "the economy" having a hiccup.
However, despite having a class interest in controlling their own labour, many PMC's are reactionary dipshits who sides with the oligarchs. This form of false consciousness is useful to the bourgeoisie as it makes workers in key positions of the economy loyal to them. However, what they feel like our what they vote for doesn't change their material relationship to the means of production.
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wouldn't that apply to the industrial workers of the past who were able to buy houses and live middle classes lives and retire as well? Before 401ks pensions were a lot more prevalent