as always, heartwarming to see that the republican party recognizes that much of their platforms are tremendously unpopular (at least with “moderates”): covid denial, cutting social security, opposing student loan forgiveness, opposing abortion, ties with alex jones / etc all specifically called out as problems with Vance
they’re awfully worried about JD’s tucker carlson-like Strasserism. He says he supports unions, especially US domestic manufacturing, because they will make the nuclear family stronger or whatever, and opposes globalization. I think this might be compatible with like, Teamsters type right-unionism of the type we’ve seen recently, and certainly JD thinks a realignment will happen and is pushing to get it. But I’m not really sure why Trump’s team in particular would be worried about this - I thought his whole thing was representing domestic and industrial capital, in opposition to international/finance/tech capital from the Dems and traditional Republicans. Maybe the Trump business base is content with its current path
I find his right-wing class struggle language very scary
It rings true since it’s based on a smidge of material analysis, and the superficial similarity with leftists steals our momentum (dragging us back at the moment, but attempting to hitch a ride when there’s another Bernie type wave). Protofascist IMO. Vance correctly identifies that there is a bourgeoisie that controls the USA, and that ordinary people should instinctually oppose this, but he draws the lines of the classes such that the “elite” contains people like journalists and nurses, and the “real Americans” includes himself and ski-doo dealership owners and such. This is not new rhetoric, but Vance is actually doing a little analysis so it works well.
For instance, he says that the reason illegal immigration exists is because all the business owners - many of them Democrats - profit from illegal immigration. The low wages paid for under-the-table work push down the wages paid to citizens. That’s true! It’s convincing, it’s material. But Vance goes on to say that the way to stop this phenomenon is not for workers to band together to force business owners to pay them high wages no matter the supply of labor, or even just to make immigration (functionally) legal again so immigrant labor isn’t so cheap, but to keep immigration (functionally) illegal but just make the border even more deadly.
make immigration (functionally) legal again so immigrant labor isn’t so cheap, but to keep immigration (functionally) illegal but just make the border even more deadly
A high stakes bloodsport where the “winner” gets to be an outlaw serf and the real winner gets to have a quiet serf to serve them.
interesting read. my takes
The right-unionism is incompatible with the big-business base.
It’s the same reason Republicans will never do anything to completely stop visa-less immigration: they want downward pressure on wages.
Could you elaborate on that? I think I get it but I wanted to know your take.
It rings true since it’s based on a smidge of material analysis, and the superficial similarity with leftists steals our momentum (dragging us back at the moment, but attempting to hitch a ride when there’s another Bernie type wave). Protofascist IMO. Vance correctly identifies that there is a bourgeoisie that controls the USA, and that ordinary people should instinctually oppose this, but he draws the lines of the classes such that the “elite” contains people like journalists and nurses, and the “real Americans” includes himself and ski-doo dealership owners and such. This is not new rhetoric, but Vance is actually doing a little analysis so it works well.
For instance, he says that the reason illegal immigration exists is because all the business owners - many of them Democrats - profit from illegal immigration. The low wages paid for under-the-table work push down the wages paid to citizens. That’s true! It’s convincing, it’s material. But Vance goes on to say that the way to stop this phenomenon is not for workers to band together to force business owners to pay them high wages no matter the supply of labor, or even just to make immigration (functionally) legal again so immigrant labor isn’t so cheap, but to keep immigration (functionally) illegal but just make the border even more deadly.
A high stakes bloodsport where the “winner” gets to be an outlaw serf and the real winner gets to have a quiet serf to serve them.
