How is it that working/middle class people consider themselves to be "makers"?

[Capt. Obvious]

My rightward leaning coworker (who is prone to conspiracy theories but that's not for this thread) asked me what I thought about Obama giving his speech and being apologetic. I told him I felt nothing.

He started shaking his head and saying, "This is exactly like a chapter in Atlas Shrugged. This is where this country's headed. It's going to be just like Atlas Shrugged"

I burst out laughing.

He got angry and asked me if I had read it. I just walked out on him.

He does like to bitch about the takers so now I know where it comes from. But I didn't know he considered himself a maker.

Where the fuck does this self image come from?

At least it's not as laughable as someone like Paul Ryan considering himself to be a maker despite being on the government dole since the age of 16.

[JustAnotherGen]

1. I would have

Burst out laughing too!

[Capt. Obvious]

2. But now it's going to go on and on

about how I haven't read the book.

I doubt he read the Communist Manifesto but I'm sure he disagrees with it.

[JustAnotherGen]

10. True

He probably will! :rotfl: But bring up the Communist Manifesto thing and that oughta shut him up!

[jeff47]

3. Delusions of grandure

Every single person who believes in Rand is absolutely sure that they are the makers, and how society only exists because of their efforts. Even when the only thing they do is staple the covers onto the TPS reports.

Ask him when he's going to go found his own gulch-town. The Randians never quite get around to actually proving their point by retreating from society. I think because they like the idea of Rand, but understand society will continue just fine without them - and that would destroy their "maker" worldview.

[Fumesucker]

4. If you really want his head to explode, show him this

[unblock]

5. was it steinbeck who said exploited americans see themselves instead as

temporarily embarrassed millionaires?


I once knew a machine worker in my father's university lab. he was right about to retire, never having earned more than maybe $30,000 a year tops. he was a staunch republican and was in favor of tax cuts for the rich.

when my father asked why, given that he was never rich and had virtually zero chance of ever being rich, the machinist replied, well, one day i *am* going to be rich and when i am, i want the government taking as little as possible!


it's astounding how effective appeals to greed can be. so effective they appeal even vicariously.

[gollygee]

6. There's a mindset behind it

It's the same mindset that people have when they've lived on help from the government and/or their families most of their adult lives but still call themselves "self-made."

[okaawhatever]

7. When people are fearful they need a few predictable things: 1. To know the cause 2. To feel like

they have some measure of control over the cause 3. Hopefully, a solution. People don't want to stay in fear, they want it to go away and want a course of action that will allow them to change the current circumstances.

What did the tea party and neo-con Republicans give those who were fearful over the economy/the wars/the debt/their declining income, etc? They told them that 1. the cause was the poor people who live off the government like Reagan's "welfare queen". (I guess they knew enough people wouldn't look up the numbers to see that those programs aren't the problem and are a small fraction of say defense spending or corporate tax loopholes) 2. They have control: work hard, save money, be responsible because after all, it's not wall street or laws protecting corporations that's keeping them from being in the 1%, it's the welfare queens aka the "takers". 3. The solution is to become a tea party activist. Get the "takers" off of welfare, get the democrats out of office. Get the "job killing" regulations repealed and so on and so on. They believe they have a course of action that will turn this country around and will stop the middle class from being fearful, except they don't.
The tea party corporate sponsors are doing nothing more than dividing up Americans into two groups to keep them fighting among themselves and distracted while they rob the wealth of the united states. (think of all the anti-abortion, anti-voting rights, anti-immigration bills being put forth. Do you think they introduced all this controversial legislation by accident? They want us all fighting and divided up so we won't realize that the real problem is corporate America, the main stream media, the scotus and citizens united and myriad other reasons.) Sorry, just my little rant.

[MisterP]

8. producerism--Marxist analysis with "prole" swapped out for "angry white male"

with no left-populism we have only right-populism left

[izzybeans]

9. The working class rightfully should see themselves as

a maker. Atlas Shrugged is the work of a demented soul that only makes sense in the inverse or as an apologia for upper class "takers" to excuse themselves of personal responsibility for anything. They continually blind themselves of the consequences of their power by reading it like a bible.

Who was John Galt? He was a taker. That book only makes sense when the logic of each screed is inverted from an "objective" pov.

It is truly a brilliant piece of propaganda. A bible full of sins and sinners, saints and heroes; especially for the highly gullible and intellectually lazy. The same argument applies to objectivism as an ideology. It's the purest form if subjectivism in pop culture.

Working class people should define themselves as makers for they are the builders of things, the creators of value, the core of wealth creation. When they shrug collectively they wield a power The john Galts of the world are to stupid to fathom.

Your working class friend is half right . He will get the other half correct when stops looking for answers in works of fiction. Just pay attention to what goes on at work and listen to the thought and dreams of his coworkers. That would be my ad vic.

[JustAnotherGen]

11. Post of the week

Seriously - every week I find one truly well thought out - and thought provoking post on DU. I thank you for making me think today.

[izzybeans]

15. Thanks

I still lurk here for that reason. Sometimes I even stumble upon something I can contribute.

[winter is coming]

16. +1000. n/t

[Capt. Obvious]

12. There's no reasoning with him

He has his views, and I have mine.

[jazzimov]

13. I found this quote here on DU

and I LOVE it!

“There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged . One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs.”
― John Rogers

[Capt. Obvious]

14. *snort*