Horatio Alger was an author in the mid 1800's whose books, such as "Ragged Dick", promoted somewhat of a "rags to riches" theme. In a very formulaic fashion, his working-class protagonists would always come out on top by working hard, abstaining from pleasures and often times having a lucky break.
I like to characterize the American psyche's understanding of the Horatio Alger myth to the American (christian/capitalist) child's understanding of Santa. It is something that we are taught to believe in at an early age. It is something that we will likely realize is not true at some point, but if we have made out okay we will continue to pass on the belief. So, just as kids who have always received presents from Santa continue to want to believe in him after they know he isn't real, adults who have ended up with decent jobs want to believe that it is exclusively due to their own merit.
The flip side is that the children whose parents couldn't afford gifts from Santa tend to blame themselves, just as workers who wind up unemployed blame themselves. And just as charity organizations collect toys to give to poor children, the government collects taxes to give assistance to those in poverty. The only difference is that the children think the gifts are from Santa and no longer feel bad about themselves, but the workers are forced to feel even more inadequate and down on themselves. While it might be nice to believe in Santa, it would certainly be more desirable to believe in oneself, and that is what makes the Horatio Alger myth so dangerous.
Average people don't realize that capitalism requires an unemployed reserve army of workers in order to: 1. be on standby for periods of expansion, and 2. keep down the wages of those who do have jobs. Think about that. There must always be a certain percentage of the workforce unemployed. Furthermore, there are those who have "low level jobs" that also feel bad about themselves, but never stop to consider that there must always be a certain percentage of the population who occupies those socially necessary positions. So, no matter how hard you try; I mean even if every single working age person gave 100% all the time, there would still be those who are unemployed and those working mundane jobs. So, without even considering any details about personal or socio-economic circumstances, there is an inherent flaw in the Horatio Alger logic as applied within a capitalist economy.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Escalate Employment
From Luxemburgnet
JOBS FOR ALL!
Ten months after the stimulus law passed, one in six Americans is unemployed or underemployed. Despite trillions of dollars in subsidies, the private sector is destroying jobs, not making them. Yet everywhere there is work that needs to be done—schools and hospitals are overcrowded and understaffed, housing and infrastructure is crumbling. Enough of this insanity! Today, there is only one way to create jobs—the government must hire workers directly at good pay to do the work that needs to be done, the way the CWA and WPA programs hired millions in the last Great Depression.
We Demand:
A Massive Public Works Program,
with direct government employment at prevailing wages to:--Cut class size in half in our schools--Provide low cost housing for all--Provide mass transit for all--Research, develop and build cheap, clean safe energy--and to do all the other work in our hospitals, on our roads and bridges, in our social services, in our factories and universities, that needs to be done. This program is to be paid for by ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and by taxing the rich and the corporations who created the crisis.
We will not be divided!
We will not fight against ourselves for the available jobs but will unite in one movement to win JOBS FOR ALL WHO LIVE HERE, immigrant and native-born. So to get Jobs For All,
We Demand:
Legalization for ALL
UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL,
REBUILD AMERICA, JOBS FOR ALL!
Rally Saturday, Dec. 19 12:00 Noon
Market and Broad Sts. Newark NJ
JOBS FOR ALL!
Ten months after the stimulus law passed, one in six Americans is unemployed or underemployed. Despite trillions of dollars in subsidies, the private sector is destroying jobs, not making them. Yet everywhere there is work that needs to be done—schools and hospitals are overcrowded and understaffed, housing and infrastructure is crumbling. Enough of this insanity! Today, there is only one way to create jobs—the government must hire workers directly at good pay to do the work that needs to be done, the way the CWA and WPA programs hired millions in the last Great Depression.
We Demand:
A Massive Public Works Program,
with direct government employment at prevailing wages to:--Cut class size in half in our schools--Provide low cost housing for all--Provide mass transit for all--Research, develop and build cheap, clean safe energy--and to do all the other work in our hospitals, on our roads and bridges, in our social services, in our factories and universities, that needs to be done. This program is to be paid for by ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and by taxing the rich and the corporations who created the crisis.
We will not be divided!
We will not fight against ourselves for the available jobs but will unite in one movement to win JOBS FOR ALL WHO LIVE HERE, immigrant and native-born. So to get Jobs For All,
We Demand:
Legalization for ALL
UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL,
REBUILD AMERICA, JOBS FOR ALL!
Rally Saturday, Dec. 19 12:00 Noon
Market and Broad Sts. Newark NJ
Saturday, October 31, 2009
The SPCT Calendar Listing: November, 2009
1. Peace/Economic Conversion Symposium: Nov. 14
“Symposium on Conversion to a Peace Economy in Connecticut”
Sat., November 14, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Konover Auditorium, Dodd Research Center, UConn/Storrs
Continental Breakfast as of 8:15
Public invited free of charge.
Parking available in the South Garage at $1/hour within a short walk
to the Dodd Center. For handicapped access, use contacts below.
INFORMATION: mimbck@yahoo.com or 860-429-3107
2. Voices of A People’s History-By Howard Zinn: Nov. 14-15
Theatrical performance of great dissident voices from throughout American history. 8pm Nov 14th and 2pm Nov 15th at The Old Town Hall, 221 East St. Stafford Springs, CT. Tix available at: 860-684-9500
3. Two Presentations on two growing movements in Latin America,
followed by a meeting of Connecticut United for Peace: Nov. 15
-“Class Struggle and Colonialism” in Puerto Rico
-"Nobody Here Surrenders!" The Struggle in Honduras Continues
Sunday, November 15, 2:00pm at The Church of the Holy Trinity
381 Main Street, Middletown, CT
4. Cindy Sheehan speaks at CCSU: Nov. 16
2pm: Torp Theatre, Davidson Hall at CCSU in New Britain, CT
“Where Has The Antiwar Movement Gone?”
Panel discussion with Cindy Sheehan
7pm: Torp Theatre, Davidson Hall at CCSU in New Britain, CT
“What One Woman Can Do”
Lecture and discussion by Cindy Sheehan
Open and free to the public
5. Protest the Escalation of The War in Afghanistan: TBA
4:30 p.m. the day after any official announcement of troop escalations by the president. Rally at the federal buildings in Hartford or New Haven
6. Socialist Party of CT, December Meeting: TBA
Join the lively and growing movement here in CT!
contact: spcentralct@gmail.com www.socialistpartyct.org
Now on facebook, search: Ct Socialists
7. Call-In For The Kucinich State Single-Payer Amendment: TBA
When the house and senate go into committee to jive up their two bills we have to raise holy heck to have the Kucinich Amendment inserted into the final legislation; this would allow individual states to create their own single-payer systems if they so choose.
“Symposium on Conversion to a Peace Economy in Connecticut”
Sat., November 14, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Konover Auditorium, Dodd Research Center, UConn/Storrs
Continental Breakfast as of 8:15
Public invited free of charge.
Parking available in the South Garage at $1/hour within a short walk
to the Dodd Center. For handicapped access, use contacts below.
INFORMATION: mimbck@yahoo.com or 860-429-3107
2. Voices of A People’s History-By Howard Zinn: Nov. 14-15
Theatrical performance of great dissident voices from throughout American history. 8pm Nov 14th and 2pm Nov 15th at The Old Town Hall, 221 East St. Stafford Springs, CT. Tix available at: 860-684-9500
3. Two Presentations on two growing movements in Latin America,
followed by a meeting of Connecticut United for Peace: Nov. 15
-“Class Struggle and Colonialism” in Puerto Rico
-"Nobody Here Surrenders!" The Struggle in Honduras Continues
Sunday, November 15, 2:00pm at The Church of the Holy Trinity
381 Main Street, Middletown, CT
4. Cindy Sheehan speaks at CCSU: Nov. 16
2pm: Torp Theatre, Davidson Hall at CCSU in New Britain, CT
“Where Has The Antiwar Movement Gone?”
Panel discussion with Cindy Sheehan
7pm: Torp Theatre, Davidson Hall at CCSU in New Britain, CT
“What One Woman Can Do”
Lecture and discussion by Cindy Sheehan
Open and free to the public
5. Protest the Escalation of The War in Afghanistan: TBA
4:30 p.m. the day after any official announcement of troop escalations by the president. Rally at the federal buildings in Hartford or New Haven
6. Socialist Party of CT, December Meeting: TBA
Join the lively and growing movement here in CT!
contact: spcentralct@gmail.com www.socialistpartyct.org
Now on facebook, search: Ct Socialists
7. Call-In For The Kucinich State Single-Payer Amendment: TBA
When the house and senate go into committee to jive up their two bills we have to raise holy heck to have the Kucinich Amendment inserted into the final legislation; this would allow individual states to create their own single-payer systems if they so choose.
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