> On Nov 18, 2011, at 12:25 PM, Carrol Cox wrote:
>
>> For example, there are few better
>> slogans with which to reach those of the 75% (who can be reached) than
>> Abolish the Prison System.
> That's an extremely curious point of view. Do you have some evidence for this, or does it just sound good?
Here's some evidence to put Carrol's claim in context.
> it is crucial to see that that 'middle 75%' will rally to the
> cause of the oppressed or to the outrage of social corruption (and prisons
> are part of that social corruption) far more vigorously than they will rally
> to their own directly stated "interests."
In 1947, 1.6 million Americans -- about 3.4 million relative to today's population -- took part in major strikes. Of course, at the time, most of them probably saw their own cause as being in some way "the cause of the oppressed" and a fight against "social corruption," but they were in the first instance "rallying vigorously" to "their own directly stated interests."
Today, there will not be 3.4 million Americans rallying to the cause of Abolish the Prisons. Under the best circumstances, the number of people struggling to end the outrage of convicted murderers going to prison will never reach even 1% of that number.
SA