>I thought it derived from a core idea in some interpretations of
>Marx's work: when workers have nothing but their chains to lose,
>they'll finally throw off the chains and finish digging capital's
>grave. Unlike us they can't see the light without living through the
>worst times possible. We, of course, are magically special and
>figured it all out without having to live under conditions in which
>we had nothing to lose but our chains.
By definition, if you are secure, you do have nothing to lose. So long as you stay within the limits society imposes on you in exchange for that security.
By and large the radicalism of the "middle class" does indeed stay within those limits, so they have nothing to lose from their radicalism. They can be radical within those limits because they are comfortable and secure.
Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas