question?

[u/ccasesvilla87]

I'm need assistance with a situation I've been running into idk if this is the right place to ask but, I am a delivery driver, a member of the working class, how do I explain and or brooch the subject with other leftists about doing outreach to people with seemingly regressive ideas like people who are not politically educated at all but use like ableist slurs because, I believe they are not like hyper online, and are not informed and are repulsed by the lecturing from what I perceive to be condescending dbags which pushesthem right or leaves them open to radicalization from the right. but people who I think are sympathetic to us. They aren't racist or malicious, they are seemingly anti authoritarian seemingly anti corporate n banker n anti elite. I'm told to forget them if aren't where we are they are intentionally malicious and not just uninformed but i disagree that is the case inherently. I feel like they're idealistic n actually counter productive.

Idk n idk enough about how to approach this correctly or if i'm maybe thinking about this incorrectly

I'm not asking how to talk to people about their language I feel like I'm being lectured by the same people who look down their nose at my when I'm working n of I should just disregard them idk I feel like materialist analysis should lead people to not conclude people are beyond help or being taught

Any advice would be great n greatly appreciated

[u/OkBet2532]

Share common cause. When speaking with people be aspirational. "Wouldn't it be great if we could set our hours" or "the fact we can't set our rates is going to drive us all out of business". Bigotry can be cut when it comes up "hey man, that guy is just trying to do his job like us". It won't be perfect, it will take time.

[u/C_Plot]

I wouldn’t write them off completely, but a great many of those today, who claim to be anti-authoritarian and anti-establishment are among the most authoritarian and pro-establishment around. Their complaint is not the establishment or the authoritarian cult leaders, but rather that the establishment they have cleaved to in their youth is potentially fading away and the despots who control that establishment are not authoritarian enough in conserving the old establishment. Few of those will be moved by revolutionary categories and movements.

So you must separate the wheat from the chaff. Some around you can be moved to revolutionary movements. Many others are so steeped in authoritarianism that they will only come along when a new socialist establishment has taken hold. Authoritarianism is strictly conditioned in youth. For those hopelessly authoritarian, they will adhere as blindly to that socialist authority as they adhered to capitalist authority and all of its ugliness. The feeling of belonging the authoritarian personality craves can be satisfied by any authority: A) a malicious and vicious capitalist authority OR B) a beneficent and faithful socialist authority—of, by, and for the people. It is the apparent weakness of socialism, for as of now losing to the apparent strength of capitalism that breeds contempt for socialism in the authoritarian personality. When the board game is flipped over, and the socialism becomes strong, and capitalism weak, those with severe authoritarian personalities will be the most loyal socialists.

There’s a movie starring John Candy and Tom Hanks, called Volunteers, where John Candy’s character goes from being a rabid anti-communist to a rabid communist virtually overnight. This is a portrayal of what I describe here.

In any event, approach all with the same compassionate eagerness to edify. Those hopelessly trapped in authoritarianism (though they cosplay as anti-authoritarian because that is what the despotic authoritarians have commanded them to do) will quickly reveal themselves to you. You can then turn your focus toward those more eager to learn.

[u/Tight_Lime6479]

White working-class people you are encountering are MAGA or right-wing populists or sympathizers. The rebelliousness is white populism, critical of the corruption of capitalism but not anticapitalistic. Racism, nationalism, militarism, nativism, anti-intellectualism, anti-feminism, traditionalism makes up their mindset and this belief system mirrors fascism in today's America, they support authoritarians like Trump and Musk.

American liberals, Progressives, the Anti-capitalist Left of all varieties are usually from the Middle Class, are in moral revulsion of racism, sexism, homophobia and xenophobia affecting the white working class today. The gulf in values, education and politics can mean alienation or estrangement between working class people and middle class people. Resentment and anger on the part of the working class versus disdain and patronization on the part of the middle class. In the 1960's it was the Hard Hats, white working class guys who were rightwing against the antiwar middle class New Left young people. The gulf is growing because inequality in America is growing and there is more polarization.

As you point out the gap must be bridged and more people brought over to a radical critique and transformation of society! How do we do that is a big question that has dogged American activism for 75 years. lol Your thinking and instincts are on the right track. Fascism, the rise of the radical right, the resort to direct monopoly capitalist dictatorship today. The way in which people you meet are retreating into fundamentalism of Christianity, gender, race or nationalism don't represent the STRENGTH of capitalism or America but its CRISIS. Change will come and you are right to try to include everyone in change for the better .

[u/niddemer]

This complaint seems divorced from the reality of organizing on the ground. We do work with regular folks who have reactionary views. That's an unavoidable part of the work. I specifically organized tent cities full of unhoused folks and they had plenty of reactionary ideas. But when you get people organized toward a common cause, especially if they see results, they often start falling in line of their own accord, as far as polite behaviour goes. Most people do want to be cooperative and courteous if they think it's helping everyone out.