Working Class Elitists

In the initial stages of the primary, we heard a lot about blacks versus women. This simpleton's analysis withered away when the media realized that the Democratic Party contains other groups too, like Hispanics and young people and seniors. So, in the media's unceasing desire to live in black and white, to create Apollonian-Dionysian dichotomies, to cut America up like the baby before King Solomon, a new Manichean understanding has now arisen: the people that vote for Obama and something called "the working class."

The former, well, that's pretty straight-forward: these are the Democrats, Independents, and cross-over Republicans who choose Obama in the primaries.

It is the second group, "the working class," that is of interest to me. It seems that in the United States, being working class is code for being ignorant.

Anytime the media wants to cast aspersions upon Obama, to diminish his chances to be elected, to give voice to smears against him, to suggest that he is a Muslim, or a black-nationalist, or a socialist, or a Eunuch, or some Chameleonesque mixture of all of those things, suddenly these concerns are put in the mouth of "the working class."

Take only the most recent example of this at the New York Daily News. According to the paper, the "ugly truth" as to why Hillary won't quit is because she has the difficult job of giving voice to the racists and the ignorant that slither around among "the working class." This tripe is not just limited to newspapers, though. When ABC was lambasted for conducting one of the worst debates in the history of American politics, its simple response was that those vacuous questions were the questions the "average" (read: working class) Americans wanted to hear. Yes, average people are vacuous and stupid, so we, being populist, must pander to them, in essence.

This group, the working class, according to the media, is white, rural, crass, uncouth, impressed by theatrics such as downing whiskey, or preferring coffee to OJ, cares about flag-pins, and judges the merits of its presidential candidates by their bowling scores, their attire, and metaphysical things such as "elitism."

I find this entire narrative particularly insulting because I am a low income Muslim. I am not rich. My parents aren't rich. Hell, my grandparents are low income, not in the US, but in the third world. All of my life, I have grown up hearing that all the evil Muslims, the ones that commit acts of terrorism, are poor, have poor parents, and have even poorer grandparents. For a majority of my life, the media and the pundits have sold me the story that of all the Muslims that go fanatical, I am among the most likely to end up going in that direction because of my background. Yet I hardly became a loon; neither did my brother; nor do hundreds of millions of poor Muslim kids all across the world. The reason that this smear against the Muslim working class exists, though, is because it is easy, and because people have been conditioned to turn "the workers" into the worst representation of them-selves.

Same thing today, in the US. Having grown up and gone to school with good, working class Americans in the South and Northwest and Philly -- many of whom are not white -- its pretty easy to see that bullshit sits just as badly with working class people as it does with Ivy leaguers. Yet, the media doesn't see it that way. It only sees an Enlightened America (read: wealthy) that knows why they are voting and for whom, and it sees Working Class America (read: poor) who are duped and idiotic. For whatever reason, the Versailles version of America has been given to Obama and Crappy America to Hillary.

Of course, Hillary is part of the problem, because she embraces this dichotomy and tries to use it to her advantage (taking photo-ops of herself doing shots in a bar, dissing economists, and so forth all while she withholds disclosing her 100 million dollar piggy bank). In her increasing desperation to remain in a race that she lost when it became apparent she didn't have a strategy beyond Super Tuesday I, she has fed the media this narrative. It has gotten so bad that Bill had the audacity to make the following remarks in Indiana:

"The great divide in this country is not by race or even income, it's by those who think they are better than everyone else and think they should play by a different set of rules."

This is the typical stereotype that media and politicians peddle to the actual working class. Living in an Ivory Tower world, such people are somehow convinced that the average man is more affected by show-offs, than discrimination or lack of work. In fact, when one of the candidates stops and recognizes how dependent the current American system has made working class people on their jobs - to the extent that work is connected to dignity - he is the one that is smeared.

Ladies and gentlemen: welcome to an America where not only is being working class a code word for being the lowliest kind of human, but if you resist this smear, then you are an elitist.

www.alieteraz.com

Comments

[Sundialsvc4]

Ali, this very fine article is filled with prescient observations .. and by well-versed sentiments that I assure you are shared by members of =every= race, gender, and economic-class that lives here.

People are, indeed, presented with "representations of themselves." Versailles: "let them eat cake."

"We, the People," are not who, nor as, "they" say we are. And we know it.

This nation was built by "working-class people," and defended by millions of them over time. But in the last two-dozen years it has been dominated by masters of crowd psychology who have grown rich and fat suckling the teat of a trillion-dollar endless piggy-bank ... a bank filled with the black-gold that today must be bought and sold with the American Dollar. One of our greatest Generals, Dwight D. Eisenhower, saw it coming clearly.

Your voice is not alone; it is widely shared. The Beltway people with their Pied Piper voices may know how to steal from the public's pocketbook but they don't know what is best for this country and they are not the slightest bit aware, nor are they truly concerned, for what it needs. Genuine .. caring .. leadership is needed, not only in the White House but in the House and Senate. It is not to be found in either of these now-misbegotten Parties: in any of these clowns and their smooth, practiced, but laxative, sophistry.

[Mack20]

Good comments, but I'd like to make an addition if I may. The only chance we middle class Americans have to take back our country and our federal government is to DEMAND Congress institute term limits. These career politicians in Washington have managed to carve out a profitable, lucrative fiefdom for themselves. Serving your constituents in Washington should be a difficult and unenviable task, not the current ticket to riches and power. I think (and hope) most freshman members of Congress initally have nobel goals and ideals when first elected. But after 10-15 years in office, the lure of power and corruption transforms some into self-serving, political maniacs that will say and do anything to be reelected. And notice how they quietly protect each other? If someone knows the average tenure of a Representative and Senator in DC, please tell me. I'll bet 20 years and 25 years respectively. It’s probably more.

[GoCards1978]

Thank you for your cogent statement -- pure brilliance! Poor or struggling has never been an indication of a lack of intelligence (i.e. Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, etc.). What it does indicate is a lack of good luck for most folks who fit that description. The "elites" hate to attribute their status to something so fickle and undeserving.

[rgersmrk]

Great article. I look forward to hearing more from you Mr. Eteraz.

[mamacat]

Thank you for the well reasoned article.
I hope and pray that America is ready to shed the politics of hate and fear of the last 7 years and move back to the days when it embraced democratic liberalism. The elections of the last 1 1/2 years give me hope that at least we are ready to reject the worst of the new Republicans.

[Mack20]

Ericjack posted this interesting statement on 5/2 in response to my opinion about Obama’s bitter/clinger comment:

“My issue with the bitter & cling comments..... the phrasing was wrong but the sentiment is the essence of the point. Rural and Urban voters do tend to vote against there best interests and then vote on issues that aren't relevant to what will truly help them. And yes you must be living in a bubble if you don't think people are bitter with the policies of BUSH and the GOP.”

And my response: “Spoken like a true liberal elitist. Are you so wise and educated that you know more about the needs of the hayseeds from the country? How in the hell do you know what people from other states or even rural areas best interests are and what can truly help them? I don't know about urban voters so I won't pretend I do. And please tell us what other kind of voters there are beside urban and rural? Answer: know-it-all elitist liberal democrats.”

I struck a nerve as the elitists lined up to support both Eric, defend Obama and trash me. Take a look if you want to hear from some typical HuffPost elitists at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jason-linkins/tim-russert-doesnt-want-y_b_99693.html

[Camel54]

So you're saying it's not possible for a person to know the needs of people other than themselves? I imagine that makes it tough for any representative of any community all the way up to the president to do the job they've been voted in by those people to do then doesn't it. Just because you're not capable of empathy or of understanding someone else's problems, don't assume the rest of us are as well. In fact, I think I have a pretty good idea of what would be good for you right about now.

[definitelyNOTmisterRIGHT]

oh stop fussin'!

[mlaiuppa]

Hey! *I'm* working class. AND I'm an elitist.

[Mack20]

An interesting post. You circled the truth but hesitated to pounce when the opportunity was there. The glaring reality is democratic politicians, along with the liberal MSM, make a living drawing divisions between Americans. The most recent and unique is the "Red State vs. Blue State" division.

I think a vital point concerning the popular catch-phrase “elitism” or labeling someone an “elitist” is based much more on attitude than income. We read their comments every day here at the HuffPost. Most here are highly (maybe even over) educated and make a living in the safe, comfy confines of academia. They are very easy to spot with the superior attitude and an “I know what’s best for you, you clueless, classless ignoramus”. As you pointed out, Bill and Hillary have been surpassed in the elite meter by Barack and his America loathing spouse. In the nineties, the Clintons tried desperately to move up the liberal scale by rubbing shoulders with the Hollywood elites. Since liberal elites hate republicans, this was an easy sale. So was the always assumed democratic support by black voters. This time around, Clinton, Inc has lost both types of supporters. And the dirty little secret is Obama can’t win in November solely on those two groups. He is trying hard to appeal to Joe six-pack. Last week he ordered a Bud in a neighborhood bar. Personally, I’m waiting to see if he can flip flap jacks.

[nsiah7]

You did not give a single why you think Obama cannot win in November. What is it that you having in your min? Race? Shame on you

[Mack20]

As usual the liberal racist thinks everyone else believes as it does. And if you will pay attention, you will learn that the ONLY reason Obama will lose in November is he won't have enough votes to win. Got it?

[NotThisTime2008]

Please provide a link to Michelle Obama saying or even implying that she "loathes" America.

Hmmmm
That's what I thought

Flag pins, pastors, and bald-faced lies - if that's the strategy against this man, BRING IT ON

[fnygy]

I think it's our desire to pretend we're a classless and egalitarian society that leads to these silly labels and code words. Also, the almost complete segregation of the classes feeds the ignorance of the media elite. Most of the people we see on TV are NEVER around poor people - I mean NEVER. They go to benefits and such - they're not heartless - just ignorant. Really, we should stop focusing so much on race and start focusing more on class as a basis for targeting public help. Hopefully, we can make it chic, ala the civil rights movement of the 60's. Soon, the cocktail party set in Manhattan and LA's westside will be saying things like, "some of my best friends are poor people!'

[dadw5boys]

Dude if they are not paying your bills, feeding your family, providing housing SCREW'EM. 90 % of the wealthy are working class how do you think they get their money? WORKING!

They only work at a different level thats all and it pays more. Keep chuggun away and one day you or your kids will have the change to reach these lofty goals you seems to have set for yourself.

I work hard everyday in many ways protecting over 100 years of my family hard earned wealth. Each generation we try and add property but a few of the children and grandchildren seperate from the family when young but finally come home to work but also to enjoy the benifits that 7 generations have left from their effort. They know certain rules have to be followed concerning investments but pass that we all work and live.

Don't knock your self there are about 300 million just here in the USA who will do that for you.

And as far as the poor Musliums being paid to be terrorist and harm people just to improve the familys financials why, if they are religious, would they do that. Surley they must know if they go to meet their God under such cirrcumstances the terorist and anyone who benifited from the money would be cursed. So what are they thinking? How could a parent let a child do that and more over how could a pregante woamn do it?

[superlive]

Ahh... the appalling assumption of the MORAL elitist to think that all civilizations have the same interpretations of the purpose of human individuality.

The definition of the word ISLAM is "submission" (to the will of Allah). To not submit oneself to God is to be cursed -- meaning one will never achieve Paradise. However, only the spiritually and morally pure may enter Paradise but human propensity for sin (defying Divine Will) is such that it is difficult for men and especially poor men to pay for the costly rituals of purification which will expunge the sins. Luckily, Allah left the poor Muslim a gift -- SHAHEED (martyrdom) which absolves all sins, debts, and impurities. In the course of Jihad a Muslim might be fortunate to be presented with an opportunity to die for Islam, should he take it, the reward will be not just Paradise but INTERCESSION (meaning the Shaheed has a 70-name SRO list for Paradise which Allah honors on the Day of Atonement; Al Qaeda men leave open slots for "innocent" Muslims who may get smoked in the course of a martyrdom op).

Jihadists believe that the TRUE HOME of the Shaheed is Paradise and everything that ever happened in the history of the universe was Divinely arranged just to make sure he doesn't miss his moment of martyrdom. Al-Qaeda requires volunteers to undergo ritualized screening to determine if a prospective Shaheed has certain character traits associated with historical Shaheed prior to sending him/her on the mission.

[j.gold]

Don't like the labels? then don't label yourself. Don't tell them how much money you make, your race, education and so forth if they poll you. Or have fun and tell them made up stuff.
I never put my race, gender or if I'm married, single or divorced on any forms. It is none of their business unless they are my doctor. I am amazed at how many times you get asked this "for statistical reasons" Well those statistic are so they can lump you in, label and stereotype you. I just draw a line through it so they won't fill it in when I leave. And by the way it is illegal to force you to put your race on any form.

[fnygy]

j.gold - you've hit the nail right on the head. The label are a tool to 'lump you in... stereotype you" as you say above. They do that for one reason only - MARKETING. As is true of most things in the U.S., one need only follow the money to figure out true agendas.

[vernonbc]

You're lucky you're obviously a white person. Blacks and browns and many other ethnic groups don't have a choice about revealing their race - they wear it every day. And yes, many of them are lumped, labeled and stereotyped. So please don't be so hypocritical by saying if you don't like labels, don't label yourself.

[goodnrg]

Good post. Good points. Thanks!

[abigail1]

great post. thanks.

[lisakaz2]

Reading some of the comments, I'm guessing that by "working class" the MSM really means Archie Bunker democrats, which is weird because he loved Nixon.

[Mack20]

HuffPost's Pick

Archie Bunker was a fictional character created by liberal democrat Norman Lear. Good old Norm created an oxymoron: a blue-coller, working class, union guy who was a staunch republican. He also purposly created a false premise that exists today: republicans are racists and sexists. Americans are so gullable.

Here is an interesting thought you elitists should chew on. The real conservative republican portrayed on the show should have been George Jefferson. The Lear character, as well as the real-life actor, Sherman Helmsley, became a success through hard work, self determination and the freedom our capitalistic society provides. George didn't rely on government hand outs, welfare programs or affermative action. If he had he would never have "moved up" and out of Archie's neighborhood. Now should Mr. Jefferson feel guilty about his new Manhatten diggs and a six or seven figure income? Not a chance. He worked hard for everything he earned and there is no way he would vote for politicians eager to take his money and penalize his success. The typical liberal elitist is guilt ridden for earning far more than he or she deserves and is more than eager to pay higher taxes. The trouble is they believe everyone should feel the same guilt.

[vernonbc]

"republicans are racists and sexists. Americans are so gullable."

How many Republicans in congress and the senate, or even in the governor's houses, are black or brown or anything but white male? Yeah, those republicans are so inclusive and welcoming.

[MrsGreebers]

Tiny correction: Helmsley played George Jefferson when he got his own spinoff. The original actor to play those great scenes with Archie was Mel Stewart, also seen as spy supervisor Billy Melrose on "Scarecrow & Mrs. King."

[lisakaz2]

The funniest part is that those touting the issue of the "working class" were those who claimed such a thing doesn't exist -- and now that it is this universal category. And yet they mean white working class, as if there is only one kind.

Sign me, Working Class PhD

[mspiglet]

I am one of the most economically challenged 'eliteists' extant... if you gauge by the resistance I get on message boards and blogs.
I can't spell worth a shit... but have read more than most people in my income level.... and read very diversely.
I get the "eliteist" label in these anonymous settings (internet) and never in person. I believe it has to do with a very primitive "hunter/gatherer" protective response... when things happen unfamiliar... then the sharp knives come out.
I grew-up rural... and observed chickens. When a member of the flock begins to act strangely, the flock will gank-up and peck it to death.... a genetic imperative that protects the flock.
If you hold yourself honest... brutally honest... humanity is very little more evolved than the birds of the earth.
Just because the large brain allows us to fasten things together and create new things (technology) doesn't divide us neaningfully from the animal kingdom.
600,000-plus dead Iraqi civilians would likely agree.

[ChristianEcon.com]

Very well said. You represent hope for humanity after all. :)

[SharonWantsToTalk]

I can't spell either but always remind folks that "President Kennedy was a bad speller too" That aside, I encounter the exact same reactions you do in the bolgisphere only mine are in real life. I have been looked down upon sometimes by co-workers because I use "big words" and know a lot about the world. They don't trust me. I'm almost always courteous when I defend myself by reminding them I never take swipes at their views. I accept them for what they are. And also that my interests in the well being of our work place and community are the same as theirs. What ever words are used to get us to the same place are irrelevant. That is the one thing that the Right has been able to play on. If someone sounds smarter than you or your neighbors, they must not have YOUR interests in mind.
And boy have I seen your flock at work this month. I have been wearing an Obama for President button most days. I have heard every single Right talking point and then some. Most people I encounter that call him an elitist, don't really grasp what an elitist is. Not because they aren't smart, they just aren't informed. So its difficult to explain to them Hilliary is much closer to that definition that Barack.

[mspiglet]

I am old now... in age and grey.
After reflecting on your post, I do remember that when I was young, I received alot of opposition (in person) when I would wax philosophical and intellectual.
People got ANGRY... but there is a way around that........ through Hannibal, Missouri.

Digest and become a Mark Twain apprentice. Read everything you can find.
Like him, never use the word "you"... only reference "we" when making observations...
and the humor is essential.
People will let you criticize them all day long if you make them laugh at themselves.... and at you.