I have always been one to respect the power of words, not just ideas. And I have always felt a sense of accountability for my speaking/languaging.
I am of the opinion that Progressives have been given a chance, possibly our last/best chance for a generation, by the events unfolding in Wisconsin.
I have concluded that the frame "Class Warfare" is the frame we must use to win this fight (uh I mean war).
I would like to acknowledge George Lakoff for helping bring this 1983 graduate up to date in the current research into concept formation and language. As someone that majored in Psychology with a minor in Communication Science I am familiar with the background of the field. But it was not until I read Lakoff's Don't Think of an Elephant did I become acquainted with recent work in the field.
Subsequently, I read George's ground breaking thesis Moral Politics - How Liberals and Conservatives Think. I was blown away by the predictive nature of Moral Politics - in 1996 George predicted the outcome of the 2000 election, namely the return to power of the conservative movement. I recommend these books, as well as Who's Freedom and will presume the reader is familiar with Lakoff's metaphorical model of politics (e.g. Strict Father vs Nurturing Parent)
I would like to propose that the frame "Class Warfare" is a vital frame which Progressives can control and use to our benefit. Since Class Warfare is a compound frame we must look at the frames for the root concepts first.
War frame
Necessity vs choice
war heroes
Choosing Sides (no one can be neutral)
Good vs Evil
Nationalism, pride of being on the right side
Battles vs disagreements
Friendly fire losses vs winning
Sacrifice and suffering versus winning
Bravery vs cowardice
Martyrism vs wasted lives
To the victor go the spoils vs punishing the losers
"Cold war" vs "Hot war"
"Troups" "honor" "discipline" support for, respect for etc
Against all odds.
Underdog vs the chosen
Prisoners
Combatents vs Civilians
In recent times at least, staying at home vs serving in the military
Class Frame
From Moral Politics second edition, Copyright 1996, 2002 George Lackoff, University of Chicago Press :
Concepts of "class"... fit naturally into the liberal worldview. For liberals the essence of America is nurturance, part of which is helping those who need help. People who are "trapped" by social and economic forces need help to "escape". The metaphorical Nurturant Parent - the government - has a duty to help changes the social and economic system that traps people. By this logic the problem is in society, not in the people innocently "trapped" .
...
This whole picture is simply inconsistent with Strict Father morality and the conservative worldview it imposes. In that worldview, the class hierarchy is simply a ladder, there to be climbed by anyone with talent and self discipline to climb it. Whether or not you climb the ladder of wealth and privilege is only a matter of whether you have the moral strength, character, and inherent talent to do so.
Thus the class frame involves..
Fairness
rights vs rewards
trap vs climbing
deserved vs earned
work vs pleasure
earned vs inherited
Money vs wealth
"hard work" vs easy street
aristocracy vs "working class"
"Class Warfare" and Winning
I think this frame is just what we need to be using. Here is how I see it coming together and working for us. By working for us, I mean swaying "bi-conceptuals" over to the Nurturant camp in terms of their voting patterns.
Working class =
-honor from working hard and a job well done
-honor in terms of paying ones dues (union dues as well a taxes)
-the Underdog
-Oppressed (and need help)
-Resourceful
-Right
-True "grit"
-Serve in the military
"The rich" =Republicans
-Inherited wealth.
-Pampered.
-Lazy - get paid record amounts when the country is suffering
-Greedy and Entitled- want more no matter what they have already.
-Wrong
-Liars
-On the side of Evil (not good)
-Cheaters (e.g. Wall street and mortgage banks robo-signers)
-Arrogant - think they are too important [big] to fail
-"King Georges" of our era
-Patronizing (the tea party in particular)
-Out of touch
-Sloppy - can't even foreclose on someone fairly
-Avoid military service
The Wisconsin protestors =
-Brave (facing potential danger)
-Honorable (standing up for those who need it)
-The underdog (little chance they will win)
-White knight -Standing up for others
-Patriots fighting an aristocracy
-Self-respecting
The Wisconsin 14 =
-Heroes
-Patriots
-Selfless - risking capture against the odds
-Standing up for the little guy
-Willing to stand to their "principles"
-Fighting for those who need their help
-On the side of Good (not evil)
-"in touch" with the man on the street.
-Underdogs
-Serving the public
Governor of WI and Republicans in its legislature =
-Sneak attach against unarmed citizens (teachers, etc)
-Dishonest (not about the budget)
-Arrogant (any look at any sentence in the "Koch Conversation") - thinks he's Reagan!
-Out of touch with the real people
-Opportunistic
-Willing to slaughter civilians
-Stubborn - unwilling to compromise
-Not serving the public (but serving the Ultra-rich e.g. Koch brothers)
The Unions =
-Looking out for the little guy (both union rank and file member, and the public)
-Reasonable - willing to compromise
-Rag-tag army fighting against the odds
OK, I am a newby and I know this blog won't have any staying power.
However, I do think I have stumbled onto an important piece of framing. So please, take this and run with it. Steal it if you wish, I don't care about credit (it may not even be a unique idea).
Please - Just take a moment and frame our movement as I suggest. Does that change the way you think about us? About them? Does it remind you of how important it is that we continue? Never give up.
Peace
Updated by newbyblogger at Fri Feb 25, 2011, 04:46:04 PM
PS - we are all in the army now!