06-29-2016, 09:38 AM
(06-28-2016, 03:11 PM)Dan Wrote: Michael Albert calls corporate and government bureaucrats the coordinator class. In practice Marxism and many other left wing movements end up empowering the coordinator/bureaucratic class as much if not more than the working class. The modern left seems to be dominated by the bureaucratic, intellectual and creative classes and not the working class.
I think the petite bourgeoisie, particularly single person firms is still an important element in part because it is what the working class aspires to be and it is a strong influence on the working class due to mutual affinity, the petite bourgeoisie or less likely to look down on the working class than other upper classes.
Here's an essay on the petite bourgeoisie
I was thinking solely in the context of the United States. Rag pickers or scrappers as they are called locally do not correspond to the classical concept petit bourgeoisie as "small capitalists" as they derive most of their livelihood from government welfare programs.* Also "small independent professionals" largely do not exist in the US anymore because it is more financially rewarding to be part of as partnership. They more closely resemble junior corporate executives in terms of their income and lifestyle. My old college roommate is an MD in such a partnership, earns 300-400K and he lives in a palatial home. I think the modern term "small business" connotes the relevant social class better.
My favorite term for petit bourgeoisie is also an old one: "middle classes" (note the plural). It, of course, has been appropriated by the completely meaningless (deliberately so) concept of the "Middle Class".
*I also do not ascribe to the idea that small mom and pop businesses are capitalist, or that what they do is capitalism.