[lbo-talk] Main street populism

brad bauerly bbauerly at gmail.com
Thu Feb 11 05:03:38 PST 2010


The idea of 'Main street V. Wall street' is getting a lot of attention and seems to have captured public anger at the state of the economy. I am hearing it even in pretty sophisticated leftist circles. The obvious problem is that what is meant by 'main street' is not labour or working people but really small business or just the little guy. So, there are parallels with the basic conservative mantra that Big is squashing Little and we need to make it stop. Still others appear to be trying to use this as an entry to critique capitalism and the Democrats role in it. Like in this Hudson piece. http://www.michael-hudson.com/articles/usa/100201ObamasJunkEconomics.html

I am wondering what critiques people have of this rhetoric. Basically I am asking what people here think is wrong with anti-banking populism or why can't we use it? (Just to be overly clear, I am not taking a position)

Brad



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