High Stakes

[joanna bujes]

At 11:05 PM 07/05/2002 -0400, Carrol wrote:
>I never said that, nor do I believe it. The illusion of a middle class
>is held not only by professional sociologist like you but also by the
>people so classified. "Professionals" (downsized or otherwise) are
>unconscious enough to really believe (a) that a middle class exists and
>(b) that they belong to it.

This was perfectly captured when Sun bought Forte (the company I worked 
for) a few years ago. Great fanfare, champagne brunches, and all the mucky 
mucks from Sun drove over to Oakland to address their new hires.  In 
response to the question as to whether the Forte people were going to be 
laid off, Ed Zander (then CEO of SUN) beamed back at us and exclaimed: "Of 
course not! We bought YOU!!! We bought the intellectual capital." A 
somewhat awkward silence followed during which all the "middle class" 
people inwardly asked themselves whether they were relieved or concerned 
that they had just been "sold" and "bought."  Classic epiphany time, what 
can I say?

Cheers,

Joanna