Who, What, is “Working Class?”

I wouldn’t have thought there was any confusion about the working class had it not been for a headline I saw today from the VOX news service, “Who Counts as Working Class?” You have to subscribe to read it, but just knowing that a news service has to ask tips us off about the confusion.

I also recently attended a class on “Marxism” by one of the leaders of the Democratic Socialists of America. He said “working class” is “anybody who works.” I suppose his definition was okay for his presentation, but it could lead to a lot of trouble.

For example, Donald Trump works. He has to get up in the morning, go to meetings, talk to people, practice speeches, sign stuff and all manner of “work.” But could you by any stretch of the imagination call him “working class?”

Farmers are famous for working harder than anybody. Sun to sun, they are plowing, seeding, harvesting, repairing and everything else. Under “everything else” they also administrate their farms, do accounting, banking, and supervise whatever “hired hands” or farm workers they may have at any given time of the year. Are they in the “working class?”

What about Jalen Brunson, the star basketballer of the Champion New York Knicks? I understand that he makes $37 million/year. Is he working class?

It Was a Trick Question

Brunson fits the definition of “working class” because he makes his living primarily from selling his labor power. Trump doesn’t because he piles up the money from sources other than his daily labors. (Probably not best to go into where he actually does get his money). Farmers own their farms, and that’s the main way they make their living. Some farmers and ranchers don’t work at all, they just hire a foreman or a bunch of forepersons and go live in cities.

The working class is defined by their primary source of existence — selling their labor power. The bosses get their living by owning stuff. That’s all the definitions you need, but you could split hairs all day arguing over whether lawyers, professors, small businesspersons, police, union officers, union staffers, and many others are “working class,” “capitalist class,” or just in the uncertain area of “middle class.”

I put a pretty good treatment of the theoretical side of this “class” business on line, if you really want to get into it.

Why Does It Matter?

The reason it matters is that being determines consciousness. We like to think that we’re independent examiners of everything in life and that we decide what’s “right” or “wrong” based on evidence. But it isn’t so. Our attitudes about this or that come mostly from our material situation.

For example, almost all workers are for increasing the minimum wage. Almost all bosses are against it. Almost all workers are for health care. Almost all bosses are against it. Etc.

Another good way to understand it is to look at promotions in your shop. Your good buddy who agreed with you about everything has a real change when he makes foreman. He puts on that necktie and suddenly realizes that his old friends are a bunch of lazy bums that have to be forced to do the “right thing” and work harder for the company.

Cops are another great example. Before joining the force, they related closely to their families and communities. Afterward, they have few reservations about clubbing or even shooting them.

What About the Middle Class?

In politics, the middle class barely matters. It’s just a place for leftovers who don’t fit into “bosses” or “workers.” As a group, they can’t make up their minds about anything and are liable to jump either way on any given question. Usually, they “decide” to ally with whatever class is in power.

I don’t mean to denigrate them as individuals. Some of our greatest thinkers and leaders came from the middle class. Fidel was a lawyer, so was Lincoln, and so was Lenin. W.E.B. DuBois was a professor. Trotsky came from prosperous farmers. MLK was a preacher. But it wasn’t coming from the middle class that made them great. It was their commitment, later on, to the working class.

Which Side Are You On?

The words of the great labor song explain everything and why it all matters. There are only two sides in the modern world: workers and bosses. Pick one.

–Gene Lantz

I’m on KNON.org and 89.3 FM every Saturday at noon in Dallas. I reach out everywhere possible on the internet. My background and most personal opinions are on https://lilleskole.us