[lbo-talk] Another poll registering US working class discontent and confusion

[Marv Gandall]

> On Dec 12, 2013, at 11:50 AM, Wojtek S <wsoko52 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Re: "Still, respondents are almost evenly split on the need for government
> action to narrow the income gap: 45 percent say new policies are needed,
> while 46 percent say it would be better to allow the market to operate
> freely even if the gap gets wider."
> 
> [WS:] Playing a devil's advocate, it could be argued that it is government
> policies that are largely responsible for growing income inequalities
> through privatization, quasi monopolies, subcontracting etc.  This is known
> as crony capitalism - its the best connected mediocrities rather than most
> efficient producers who get most rewarded in this crony capitalist system.
> 
> So it is possible that "government action" can have very different meanings
> to different people.  To social democrats (such as myself) it means "social
> welfare and fiscal policies that benefit the middle and working class".  To
> others it can mean "policies that benefit the politically connected" aka
> "crony capitalism."

It's pretty widely accepted, though, particularly on the left, that the capitalist state energetically intervenes to support the corporate sector and the wealthy. You've argued otherwise, but this is also true of Europe, where the Blair and Schroeder governments in the UK and Germany as well as various social democratic regimes in France, Italy, Spain, Greece, and elsewhere began implementing policies modelled after those in the US concerning welfare benefits, privatization, deregulation, and industrial relations. The eurozone crisis has provided an opportunity for the accelerated rollback of social reforms and worker protections. See for example:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/04/business/economy/the-americanization-of-european-labor-policy.html?partner=rss&emc=rss