From: glevy@PRATT.EDU
Date: Fri Dec 01 2006 - 21:47:26 EST
Jurriaan: When I received the following today I was reminded of your comments on themes in contemporary conservative ideology [in your post on "The killer instinct - human or animal?"]. In solidarity, Jerry ------------------------------------------------------------------- **PROL POSITION NUMBER 7 NOW OUT** You can download the newsletter as a printable pdf-file from <http://www.prol-position.net> (about 275 kB) or look at each article separately. Subscribe to our mailing-list by sending an empty email to: prol-position-subscribe at list.free.de <snip> Introduction to debate on the new 'under-classes' An article published in the German magazine Wildcat in summer 2006. Having a historical look at labour migration and welfare policies in Germany the article criticises the current attempt of those in power to create the picture of the dangerous under-classes opposed to the good class of working people. "The income disparity in Germany aggravates, the rate of long-term and youth unemployment consolidates, the majority of workers have to face real income losses, particularly in the low wage sector: the number of working poor increases, people who work but cannot make ends meet. "Of course there are under-classes in Germany", says the conservative historician Paul Nolte and he refers to people who are "unwilling to work and integrate.." People who eat too much fast-food, they watch telly all day (and the wrong programms!), make too many children to whom they cannot serve as role-models. These 'underclasses' themselves are responsible for their situation, therefore it is wrong for the welfare state to grant them a livelyhood. This is the ideological background music for the enforcement of the Hartz IV welfare reform which first of all aims at extending the low wage sector. In order to do that the 'superfluous' and 'delinquent' parts of the working class are captured as caricatures and put on stage for public bashing. This picture of the 'underclass' is an offer to other parts of the working class to draw a clear line between them and those 'on the bottom' by showing self-initiative and proper behaviour. In times of social upheavels similar pictures served for the legitimation of 'security' measures and repression'.
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