美国级各个方面介绍foster aspects of class the united states-an introduction寄养.pdf

AspectsofClassintheUnitedStates

AnIntroduction

JOHNBELLAMYFOSTER

Ifclasswariscontinualincapitalistsociety,thereisnodoubtthatin

recentdecadesintheUnitedStatesithastakenamuchmorevirulent

form.InaspeechdeliveredatNewYorkUniversityin2004BillMoyers

pointedoutthat,

Classwarwasdeclaredagenerationagoinapowerfulpaperback

polemicbyWilliamSimon,whowassoontobeSecretaryoftheTreasury.

Hecalledonthefinancialandbusinessclass,ineffect,totakebackthe

powerandprivilegestheyhadlostinthedepressionandthenewdeal.

Theygotthemessage,andsoontheybeganastealthyclasswaragainst

therestofthesocietyandtheprinciplesofourdemocracy.Theysetout

totrashthesocialcontract,tocuttheirworkforcesandwages,toscour

theglobeinsearchofcheaplabor,andtoshredthesocialsafetynetthat

wassupposedtoprotectpeoplefromhardshipsbeyondtheircontrol.

BusinessWeekputitbluntlyatthetime[initsOctober12,1974issue]:

“Somepeoplewillobviouslyhavetodowithlessitwillbeabitterpill

formanyAmericanstoswallowtheideaofdoingwithlesssothatbig

businesscanhavemore.”1

Theeffectsofthisrelentlessoffensivebythevestedinterestsagainst

therestofthesocietyareincreasinglyevident.In2005theNewYork

TimesandtheWallStreetJournaleachpublishedaseriesofarticlesfo-

cusingonclassintheUnitedStates.Thisrareopenacknowledgement

oftheimportanceofclassbytheelitemediacanbeattributedinpartto

rapidincreasesinincomeandwealthinequalityinU.S.societyoverthe

lastcoupleofdecades—coupledwiththedramaticeffectsoftheBush

taxcutsthathaveprimarilybenefitedthewealthy.Butitalsogrewout

ofahostofnewstatisticalstudiesthathavedemonstratedt