Would Marx have imagined this?
Faced with the prospect of revolt from the proletariat, the liberal state created a new class: the permanent underclass.
Whereas proletarian man was connected to society only as a factor of production, underclass man is not even a factor of production. If proletarian man is like an ox, underclass man is like a rat or pigeon: living a separate existence on the fringes of human society, collecting whatever scraps and refuse come his way.
But he serves a purpose: he is the canary in the coal mine for the worker. “Not happy working 40 hours a week in a repetitive, stressful factory job for a barely adequate wage? You better keep showing up for work, or you could wind up in that housing project you drive past in the morning, with your kids getting beat up on the way to school every week.”
UPDATE: And of course, Marx saw that liberal reforms would serve to prop-up liberal society, not to genuinely reform it.
Everyone wants to punch down. Have you checked out "Dignity: Seeking Respect in Back Row America" by Arnade?
ReplyDeleteI don't know it. Thanks for the suggestion.
DeleteJust ordered it!
DeleteWhy is this piece titled Would Marx have imagined this? He seems to have imagined what you are describing in your article.
ReplyDeleteWell, he certainly thought that liberal reforms would just serve to prop up the liberal state. But I don't know if he saw this specific outcome... that's why it is a question!
DeleteDo you have a reference as to where he did foresee this?
Oops. It appears I conflated Marx with later marxist writers. You are right that Marx himself never explicitly stated what you've said in this post.
ReplyDelete