From: leata-AT-ix.netcom.com
Date: Sat, 04 Jan 1997 19:09:01 -0600
Subject: Re: M-G: The Problem of Limited Solidarity 


From: Furuhashi.1-AT-osu.edu (Yoshie Furuhashi)
Date: Fri, 3 Jan 1997 22:32:15 -0500
Subject: M-G: The Problem of Limited Solidarity

Yoshie writes:
>The study you cite is interesting, but it only points to another problem.
>If the study is right about the US manual workers' attitudes--I am not sure
>that it is,  because a sociologist can usually find the attitudes he is
>looking for in his subjects--the question to be asked is: why are so many
>workers' concepts of solidarity limited by the boundaries of gender, race,
>sexual orientation, and nationality? Why haven't marxists been able to make
>a more expansive concept of solidarity hegemonic? Why can't straight
>workers include GLB workers in the circle of solidarity? Why can't more
>white workers see workers of color as simply "fellow workers"? What should
>we be doing to change the current sorry state of affairs?

The data for the study was taken from the World Values Survey and not
collected by this researcher, but it is prudent to be cautious about social
science research. I think even a good study explains only a small fraction
of any social phenomenon. 

Was it Orwell that noted, any society can come up with pundits to convince
us that slavery is freedom? Marx, anyhow, explained how the ruling class
owns the means of production, material and mental, and thus owns the
production of ideas. So far they have been able to convince us that we live
in the best of possible worlds and that no alternative is currently viable.

What can we do? I wish I knew. I would say, for now, continue to fight for
reforms under capitalism. Support for Affirmative Action comes to mind
right away. Get involved in strike support and solidarity work for
struggles of oppressed people in other parts of the world, regardless of
their consciousness at the present time and without condescension. We can't
ask people to take a test to see if they are bigotry-free enough to be
worthy of our support. It's part of our job to try and explain how bigotry
serves the ruling class as we work with them in class struggle.

Sally



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