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One difference between then and now is that more people then thought of themselves as workers, which gave a sense of connection and common struggle to build sol
by EarthIsHome 5y ago
One difference between then and now is that more people then thought of themselves as workers, which gave a sense of connection and common struggle to build solidarity. They also worked closer together, lived closer together, etc. We're more atomized now.
Maybe a similar sense of connection will happen with the housing crisis, but I don't think labor is the same as it was. People don't think of themselves as workers in a class; we have been divided more and think of ourselves as subgroups like entrepreneurs, doctors, engineers, scientists, etc., which I think changes how you feel about solidarity.
To build solid and sustained mass movements, you have to struggle together. [0]
[0]: Theory of class struggle
- macintux 5y agoNews is more atomized as well. YouTube, Twitter, FB, dozens of cable channels… hard to unite when we can’t find common ground on what’s actually true.
- neartheplain 5y agoYouTube, FB, TikTok, Twitter etc. do make it easier to share and unite around feelings or emotional reactions. However, these platforms don't facilitate the sort of careful, thought-out organization and planning that historically has been necessary to make lasting social change. It's the difference between liking a tweet and maybe going to a protest vs. showing up to weekly meetings, having a long-term legal or political strategy, and executing on that strategy step-by-step.
- majormajor 5y agoThe push for less ownership of one's primary residence, and less rent control (rent control is a policy that is much less popular now than it less was) also serves to heighten this separation. If one's residence is determined by market rents it's going to be very segregated by income level. Less stable neighborhoods and buildings where your neighbor who was there for two decades might be much lower income but "grandfathered" in by a lower sales price or lower rent back then. Being reminded that people in "lower class" jobs used to be able to afford what takes a high professional salary now would be a good reminder of the fragility of ANY labor, regardless of today's salary and comfort.