Who Benefits from Class Warfare?

There’s something I don’t understand about the rhetoric of the Republican party in the U.S.  (There’s a lot I don’t like about the rhetoric, but I understand most of it).  The confusing part is why Republicans will say “but that’s class warfare” when someone proposes taxing the rich.  Of course it’s class warfare, but why would the Republican (who is siding with the rich) throw this out as an objection to the tax?  What do they hope to gain from saying that?  Is that supposed to make the Democrat/Populist who is proposing the tax feel guilty and back off?  Do they think the middle- and lower-class public will turn against the tax because they call it “warfare”?  The upper class people affected by the tax probably already oppose it without any such rhetoric being required.

First, to be clear, the U.S., like almost all modern societies, is in a constant state of class warfare.  The rich attack the poor through low wages, job off-shoring, union busting, tax havens and loopholes, the war on drugs, the Fed, unfair barriers to entry in business, collusion, and gated communities, among other things.  The poor attack the rich through unionization, progressive politics, property crimes, and, well, the poor don’t have too many weapons in the war.  These aspects of our culture are well know to everyone, even if we don’t commonly think of them as “war”.

So how does our perception of these aspects of our society change when we apply a warfare metaphor to them?  War is the ultimate, most intense, and most overt form of human conflict.  It makes people feel afraid and sad, but also energized, unrestrained, and righteous.  In contrast, chronic, low-level conflict makes people feel anxious, sad, helpless, and encourages escapism through drugs and entertainment.

The usual state of class conflict in the U.S. is the subtle, unconscious form which anesthetizes and disempowers the lower classes.  This is the state of conflict which most favors the rich, since it keeps the poor down, struggling to survive within the system, without them ever considering that the system could be changed.  Keeping the existence of class conflict hidden from the minds of the uninformed ensures that they will not fight.  Raising the conflict into awareness can only help the poor, by pointing out to them that they are in conflict already, and that fighting to improve their situation is an option.  This is why I think it’s nonsensical and counterproductive to the agenda of a rich-loving Republican to cry “class warfare”.

Progressives, advocates for the poor and for labor, and the poor and dispossessed themselves could only better their situation by promoting the warfare metaphor.  “Eat the Rich!” should be the rallying cry and starting point for all negotiations from the progressive side.  If the unemployed middle-American laborers, hopeless urban black youths, and pissed-on immigrants of this country got energized and righteous, they could easily be lead into riots of looting, robbery, and burning down those gated communities.  The rich have the police and military on their side, but the poor have guns too, and they have the numbers.  And they have new technologies for organizing.  And they have new forms of guerrilla warfare being developed every day.  If they weren’t constantly anesthetized by TV into thinking that they can’t improve their plight, that they deserve to get nothing because the American dream favors others who are somehow better than themselves, the resulting boiling over of the ongoing conflict would surely turn the tide in favor of the poor.  The rich would have to disguise themselves in order to walk the city streets without being attacked.  Rich moms would need armed guards to protect their children at home and when they drive their Cadillac Escaldes out of the gated communities.  Corporate productivity and profits would plummet.  Taxation would seem pretty good in comparison.

This particular post is not advocating for either side in the class conflict that exists (and will continue to exist as long as inequality exists).  I am merely discussing rhetoric, and both sides can benefit from this, if they choose to.  If the rich want to take rhetorical advice from this post, it would be “stop talking about class warfare”.  Go back to confusing economic theories, earnest-looking politicians wanting to “do the right thing for Americans”, and TV shows that allow the masses to glimpse the lifestyles of the rich and famous, and fantasize that one day they could join the rich.  If the poor want to change anything, if they want to really have a chance of becoming comfortable (rich is out of the question for 99.99% of you), then they should turn “Class Warfare!” into their rallying cry.  Warfare is going on anyway, in secret and subtle ways.  You’re losing the war, white American worker.  You’re useful only as long as you keep your mouths shut, immigrants.  You’re only good for feeding our prison industry, you black city dwellers.  Don’t like that?  Bring the conflict out in the open.  Rights and privileges are never given, only taken.