http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/05/latin-america-the-middle-class-social-movements-and-the-left/ a radical newsletter in the struggle for peace and social justice Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:42:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/05/latin-america-the-middle-class-social-movements-and-the-left/#comment-545 Doug D. Thu, 24 May 2007 02:09:11 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/05/latin-america-the-middle-class-social-movements-and-the-left/#comment-545 Let me clarify that statement I had made about class being the motivating factor: the middle- and upper-classes' fear of the urban and rural poor drove the election. Lula successfully convinced them that he was threatening enough to their interests to be opposed and convinced the poor that a vote for him would result in substantive benefit--which it hasn't, and won't. Let me clarify that statement I had made about class being the motivating factor: the middle- and upper-classes’ fear of the urban and rural poor drove the election. Lula successfully convinced them that he was threatening enough to their interests to be opposed and convinced the poor that a vote for him would result in substantive benefit–which it hasn’t, and won’t.

]]> http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/05/latin-america-the-middle-class-social-movements-and-the-left/#comment-542 Sunil Sharma Wed, 23 May 2007 22:39:49 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/05/latin-america-the-middle-class-social-movements-and-the-left/#comment-542 Class would probably be the only motivating factor behind my vote for a candidate in the US if we actually had the choice of voting for some politico that didn't already hail from the rich and privileged sectors of society. As it is, most of our candidates simply have no class. Class would probably be the only motivating factor behind my vote for a candidate in the US if we actually had the choice of voting for some politico that didn’t already hail from the rich and privileged sectors of society. As it is, most of our candidates simply have no class.

]]> http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/05/latin-america-the-middle-class-social-movements-and-the-left/#comment-533 Doug D. Wed, 23 May 2007 20:01:50 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/05/latin-america-the-middle-class-social-movements-and-the-left/#comment-533 I was in Brazil during the last presidential election a few months ago. Petras' article makes plenty of valid points that, while not wholly analagous to U.S. politics, is at least comparable. It seems the only difference between the Brazilian election and those of the United States is that U.S. public discourse does not even attempt to give left or populist ideas any voice at all, whereas in Brazil, the PT was able to co-opt support from those who had a gut dislike of Alckmin. What I really found striking post-election time was the effectiveness of the PT in convincing the poor side of the city I was staying in (Bauru) that its policies were going to benefit them. The wealthier sections of town, predictably, went overwhelmingly for Alckmin. The class component of the election (class identity being acutely more pronounced in Brazil than the U.S.) seemed to be the only motivating factor for peoples' votes. I was in Brazil during the last presidential election a few months ago. Petras’ article makes plenty of valid points that, while not wholly analagous to U.S. politics, is at least comparable. It seems the only difference between the Brazilian election and those of the United States is that U.S. public discourse does not even attempt to give left or populist ideas any voice at all, whereas in Brazil, the PT was able to co-opt support from those who had a gut dislike of Alckmin.
What I really found striking post-election time was the effectiveness of the PT in convincing the poor side of the city I was staying in (Bauru) that its policies were going to benefit them. The wealthier sections of town, predictably, went overwhelmingly for Alckmin. The class component of the election (class identity being acutely more pronounced in Brazil than the U.S.) seemed to be the only motivating factor for peoples’ votes.

]]>