Episode 169: How the Right Ventriloquizes "The Working Man" to Push Pro-Corporate Policy and Gut Welfare
Added 2022-11-02 14:53:38 +0000 UTC"Yes, undocumented immigrants take jobs from Americans. Here’s the proof," an opinion piece in The Washington Post tells us. "Save our truckers, not affluent students seeking a free ride," pleads longtime Republican consultant Douglas MacKinnon in The Hill. "Biden's Student Debt Cancellation Robs Hard-Working Americans, Will Make Inflation Even Worse," proclaims a so-called Expert Statement from the Heritage Foundation.
There’s a warning we hear again and again, particularly from the Right: A policy that would actually help people must be stopped, because it’ll harm the Working Man. According to demagogues like Tucker Carlson and JD Vance – as well as many of their more liberal counterparts – immigration, labor organizing, protest rights, and student debt cancellation simply can’t be allowed, lest they harm hardworking, meat-and-potatoes plumbers and truckers.
But these cynical admonitions disguise some very important truths. Progressive policies serve the interests of many of these plumbers and truckers, many of whom might want to organize their workplaces or have their debt relieved. And the supposed menaces of job-stealing immigrants or entitled lawyers who want others to pay off their loans aren't actually responsible for depressed wages or plummeting standards of living–corporations bolstered by U.S. policymaking are.
On this episode, we examine the right-wing trope of ventriloquizing an imaginary “Working Man” in order to divert attention from policies that serve the corporate bottom line, We’ll detail how this tactic obscures class dynamics between labor and capital, reinforces racist conceptions that harm workers of color, and ultimately suppresses the rights of all workers while absolving their employers of wrongdoing.
Our guest is filmmaker, author and Debt Collective co-founder Astra Taylor
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Guest
Astra Taylor (@astradisastra) is a writer, organizer, and documentarian. She is co-founder of the Debt Collective. Her books include the American Book Award winner The People's Platform: Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age and Democracy May Not Exist, but We’ll Miss It When It’s Gone. Her most recent film is What Is Democracy?
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Show Notes
Debtors, Unite! You Have Nothing to Lose but Your Shame.
Astra Taylor | September 6, 2022 | The New York Times
Adam Johnson and Sarah Lazare | August 26, 2022 | The Column
The Real Heroes Behind Biden’s Student Debt Announcement
Astra Taylor | August 26, 2022 | The New Republic
Your Debt Is Someone Else’s Asset
Astra Taylor, Molly Crabapple, Kim Boekbinder, Jim Batt | December 9 2021 | The Intercept
Student debt trap snags unwary truck driver trainees
August 14, 2017 | The Oregonian/Bloomberg News
The Racist Origins of Right to Work
Michael Pierce | August 3, 2017 | Labor Notes
Shannon Duffy | July 10, 2017 | Labor Tribune
Why Scott Walker's right-to-work law won't deliver 'good-paying, family-supporting' jobs
Jeff Spross | March 11, 2015 | The Week
“Right-to-Work” States Still Have Lower Wages
Elise Gould and Will Kimball | April 22, 2015 | Economic Policy Institute
The Ugly Racial History of “Right to Work”
Richard D. Kahlenberg and Moshe Z. Marvit | December 20, 2012 | Dissent
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Transcript
For a full transcript of this episode, go here.
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Credits
Senior Producer: Florence Barrau-Adams
Producer: Julianne Tveten
Production Assistant: Trendel Lightburn
Newsletter: Marco Cartolano
Transcription: Morgan McAslan
Music: Grandaddy
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Comments
So I mainly know about this situation because I'm becoming a teacher myself and come into contact with a lot of other teachers. How about the fact that getting a master's in teaching cost at least $50,000 and that most teachers aren't able to get a job their first year out of college because there isn't a streamlined system to match new teachers into schools that need them + experienced teachers get more coveted openings. This means we are asking teachers to lose at least 200k (50k in loans + the 2 years of unpaid school so at least 100k they would've made + another year they don't get matched up with a job because they have a degree but no experience). This is all in a field that most of us would agree is essential to the functioning of a society
Kyle Petty
2022-12-21 03:06:37 +0000 UTCI realized that later after I posted the comment. Thanks for the clarification anyway. Keep up the good work!
V K
2022-11-08 17:10:37 +0000 UTCThanks! All of our full-length episodes (like this one) are available to everyone, everywhere. This is only "locked" on Patreon, because this is where supporters can access episodes and extras like the Show Notes. This ep is available to all across all pod platforms.
Citations Needed
2022-11-08 17:07:37 +0000 UTCManly debt
Major Major
2022-11-04 12:04:04 +0000 UTCAmazing. Astra is an incredible advocate: clear, concise and authentic. I almost wish this was two separate episodes, one on the fake "worker" talking points and another on debt, because there's so much to be said on both. Great episode, however. This one should be unlocked so it could be shared widely.
V K
2022-11-04 10:03:37 +0000 UTCGreat episode. Think I heard Astra previously on the MMT Podcast - I heard there about some of the great work the Debt Collective do.
Ciaran Colley
2022-11-03 12:18:13 +0000 UTCBarista with an MA here! 👋🏻
Andrew Howie
2022-11-03 02:07:43 +0000 UTC"She's also married to Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel," said the basic indie white guy.
murt pie
2022-11-02 17:54:28 +0000 UTCi would've loved for bill maher to ask the audience how many of them have outstanding student debt......probably the majority lol
natfos 💌
2022-11-02 16:44:47 +0000 UTCSup. First
David
2022-11-02 14:56:53 +0000 UTC
