[lbo-talk] Contradictions of contemporary working class consciousness

[michael yates]

Chuck points out the power of the dominant ideology in erasing from the collective memory any notions that anyone should get anything for free, as a matter of right. Charles Blow had a good column in the NYT recently about US attitudes toward the poor (A Town without Pity, 8/9/13). He says, "In this America, people blame welfare for creating poverty rather than for mitigating the impact of it. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll in June found that the No. 1 reason people gave for our continuing poverty crisis was: “Too much welfare that prevents initiative.” What is interesting is that so many people must know friends and relatives who are poor because of circumstances and who have plenty of initiative.