Bourgeoisie: The social class between the lower and upper classes.
Wisconsin State Journal columnist Chris Rickert, along with his fellow conservative class warriors, have decided to update and exclude from the classic definition of bourgeoisie the most often picked on and misunderstood group of all, the “upper class.” “Upper” now refers to those in the corporate profit draining “middle class.”
In Rickert’s world, anyone who is not part of the laid off, under and unemployed private sector workforce, is a middle class elitist. If you have anything more than the “less-fortunate Madisonians with the most to lose under Gov. Scott Walker's budget,” than you are a middle class bourgeoisie fat cat.
Rickert is blissfully unaware of “disaster capitalism.” That’s where the war on the middle and lower class is waged from multiple fronts when they are the weakest, like during and just after the Great Recession. While a desperate public tries to save their homes and provide food for their families, the monied elite swoop in and take everything else away.
Even Rickert alludes to this tactic in his myopic commentary without even knowing it. While the protesters are fighting for employees everywhere who’ve benefited directly or indirectly from union wages and benefits, and to save collective, Gov. Walker deployed another assault in his biennial budget that slashes Badgercare and state support of social services for the poor.
Rickert ghoulishly salivates over the clash between the middle class and poor, ginned up by the real bourgeoisie, who will be plundering the state coffers for more tax breaks and corporate welfare. All hail the job providers.
Despite the responses like “If he (Walker) does this, what does he do next,” from individuals in our poverty stricken neighborhoods Rickert identified in his article, Rickert would love to see these two groups battling it out. Forget Corinne Simonson comment to Rickert when she said; “I really think it unites everyone.”
And while the state is inundated with corporate and Koch Industry supported outside think tanks, tea party protesters like Joe the Plumber, and lobbyist ad campaigns seeking support for Walker’s assault on labor, Rickert genuinely believes it would be wrong to push back with equal or greater force.
“I hope the bourgeoisie protesters at the Capitol and their well-heeled unions will pull out just as many stops in defense of the poor … You know, by paying for more television ads and push-polling efforts, and bringing in union members from around the country to protest. That's what I would call solidarity.”
Sorry Chris, they’re already doing that in the current media campaign that “unites everyone.” It’s apparent by the back handed comment about “push-polling and paying for ads, that Rickert believes we shouldn't waste our time making our case.
Even though Rickert has clearly identified the devastating impact of Walker’s actions, he has chosen to sit in the coliseum with the Republican elite bourgeoisie, watching the rabble fight to the death for its shear entertainment value.
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