According to Kotkin, American society sees itself dividing into four neofeudal classes: the Oligarchs (the super-wealthy, especially in technical fields), the Clerisy (the opinion-makers and enforcers of consensus in the media, academy, and government regulatory bodies), the Yeomanry (the middle class), and a serf class with minimal economic assets and perhaps even less economic hope. Kotkin argues that, over the past few decades, power has increasingly shifted to the Oligarchs and their allies in the Clerisy, thereby weakening the middle class and swelling the masses of the poor...Republican and the Democratic coalitions have contributed to these neofeudal tendencies... ~ Fred Bauer Joel Kotkins book, The New Class Conflict, is fascinating and sobering in its premise, and the reviewer who wrote this article does a good job of capturing the essence of the books content - the fracturing of America, the shrinking of the middle class, the diminution of mediating non-governmental institutions, and the risks of these trends to the survival of the American republic. The question hovering over this analysis is, Can it be fixed? The Greek philosopher Aristotle made the case thousands of years ago that a well-ordered family and a healthy middle class create a lasting polity...capable of existing. A thriving middle class, what he called the middling citizens, eases the tension between the rich and the poor. Professor Benjamin Wiker says Aristotles thoughts on class and society have carried over into our American two-party system: The American republic, obviously, has followed Aristotles advice - and even today our two major political parties reflect aspects of his argument, especially in how they characterize each other. Democrats cast the Republicans as the oligarchs, the party of the rich who rule only for the benefit of the rich. Republicans cast Democrats as the party of the grasping poor whose policies entail high taxes and socialism (i.e., enforced equality in all respects). And interestingly enough, both parties profess themselves to be the party of the middle class. Please dont presume that a discussion on class inexorably leads to the predictable solutions of enforced equality. Please read the article in its entirely first, and then offer your thoughts!
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 17:22:44 +0000
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