Why Working People Are Angry And Why Politicians Should Listen

[Jefferson23]

We must fight the forces of hatred in the Tea Parties by organizing to elect public officials committed to addressing economic suffering.

April 12, 2010

Remarks by AFL-CIO President Richard L. Trumka at the Institute of Politics, Harvard Kennedy School.

Good evening. Thank you, John. I will never be able to express how much I owe you and how much the American labor movement owes you. The Institute of Politics is fortunate to have you as a fellow this semester. And let me add my thanks to the Institute of Politics and Bill Purcell for inviting me to be here with you tonight.

I am going to talk tonight about anger—and specifically the anger of working people. I want to explain why working people are right to be mad about what has happened to our economy and our country, and then I want to talk about why there is a difference between anger and hatred. There are forces in our country that are working hard to convert justifiable anger about an economy that only seems to work for a few of us into racist and homophobic hate and violence directed at our President and heroes like Congressman John Lewis. Most of all, those forces of hate seek to divide working people – to turn our anger against each other.

So I also want to talk to you tonight about what I believe is the only way to fight the forces of hatred—with a strong progressive tradition that includes working people in action, organizing unions and organizing to elect public officials committed to bold action to address economic suffering. That progressive tradition has drawn its strength from an alliance of the poor and the middle class—everyone who works for a living.
But the alliance between working people and public minded intellectuals is also crucial—it is all about standing up to entrenched economic power and the complacency of the affluent. It's an alliance that depends on intellectuals being critics, and not the servants, of economic privilege.

remainder here: http://www.alternet.org/story/146404/why_working_people_are_angry_and_why_politicians_should_listen

[JohnWxy]

1. Republican con-men are trying to co-opt real populism to pull in suckers. Populism is not idiocracy.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=517306

[Jefferson23]

2. "get them to vote for a party which will screw them six ways from Sunday"

That is true, an understatement actually.

[skepticscott]

3. So why is it assumed

that anyone who is not poor or middle class doesn't work for a living?

Once you take away "working people" from the population, what's left?

[Jefferson23]

4. I don't think he is assuming that at all. This group of Americans he is

speaking of, are not in a position of power to make the "deal"....unions have been busted etc.

[skepticscott]

6. Well, here's what he says

"That progressive tradition has drawn its strength from an alliance of the poor and the middle class—everyone who works for a living."

To me that says pretty clearly that the poor and middle class include everyone who works for a living.

[Jefferson23]

7. And again, he speaks about the population that has poor representation, I think.

[Doctor_J]

8. True. Many believe that the opposite of "working class" is "upper class"

It's not. The opposite of "working class" is "owning class", or those who DO make money without working (Bush family). This statement was poorly conceived.

[skepticscott]

9. well, it always gets my back up

when I hear politicians using the code phrases "working Americans", or (worse) "hard working Americans". As opposed to what? Lazy Americans? I resent the implication that if you make above a certain income or if your job doesn't involve physical labor that you don't really "work" for your salary.

[Patchuli]

5. Why separate "working people"

and "public minded intellectuals?" You can be both.