Class Solidarity and Social Issues Go Hand in Hand
We can't effectively fight back if we're fighting amongst ourselves
If I said we’ve become too divided in this day and age, would you roll your eyes?
I know; it’s a tired and trite statement. We’ve heard it a hundred times. We’re all at each other’s throats, and there’s plenty of blame to throw around. There are very legitimate reasons for polarization and hate to be boiling over right now.
When the differences come down to ‘I want equal rights for all’ versus ‘I want a hierarchy where some people are just better than others’ you’re not going to get agreement.
There is no compromise possible between those two belief systems at this point.
So when I say we’re too divided, understand that I’m not talking about that. I’m not talking about the split between ‘right’ and ‘left.’ I’m not talking about learning to understand MAGA and finding common ground.
Fuck that. We can agree to disagree on lots of things without losing our shit—favourite foods, subjective appreciation or dislike of various art forms, clothing styles and whatever. We can even debate economic policies!
But there is no debate when it comes to human rights. We either agree that we all have them, or we’re on opposite sides. Don’t come at me with, ‘Well, I agree on all rights except this one specific thing’—did I stutter?
Either we agree that we all have them, or we’re on opposite sides of the issue. Full stop.
When I say we’re too divided, I’m talking specifically about folks on my side of the line. I’m talking to you, fellow Progressives and liberal-minded folks. And please don’t click away; I promise I’m not here to scold you.
I just want to point out a trap that we’re all guilty of falling for.
A while back, I posted a short essay about the concept of solidarity and how it’s our only salvation as a species. Cooperation and collective action is how we get shit done.
No matter the situation, be it a political firestorm or a literal natural disaster, progress is made when communities step up and unite. Mutual aid saves lives and makes change.
There are a lot of differences between us as individuals, but in times of crisis, we’re all human beings. We’re unstoppable when we link arms and stand firm.
At least, that’s the way we should look at it. Unfortunately, there’s a big ol’ wrench in the works these days. The people who don’t want progress to happen have fallen back on the old playground model and busted up our team.
Divide and conquer is still an effective method.
They do this by drumming up fear. It’s hard to find unity when you’re looking at your neighbour in suspicion. It’s a side effect—or the main target, depending on how you look at it— of manufacturing consent for atrocities.
You make people afraid and make them distrust the people around them.
“You can’t work with that immigrant; he’s dangerous! He’ll steal your job, and he’s probably trafficking drugs!”
“You can’t trust that transwoman, she’s a groomer! Keep an eye out for the enemy within!”
It is, quite simply, fear-mongering moral-panic bullshit. But it keeps us distracted.
It’s a trap because a lot of us know better, but we feel the need to immediately turn and try to debunk the claims. We throw out facts, and figures, and urgently try to convince each other how wrong the other side is.
Meanwhile, our attention has successfully been taken off the end goal.
We know it’s bullshit; they don’t think they can change our minds. They want us to get caught up in defence instead of playing offence.
It’s working.
And on top of that, some people are prone to taking their word for it and their fear is clawing up and taking hold of their hearts. They’ve been primed over years of propaganda to believe that marginalized people pose a threat.
It’s a successful tactic because it makes us argue amongst ourselves instead of fighting back against them.
Meanwhile, they’re plundering the United States government, ripping civil rights and protections away, and threatening the countries around them like conquering maniacs. My country included.
What’s frustrating is that this is the oldest tactic in the book. It’s the same damn thing the old robber barons used to do to break up union strikes.
They played on racism to foster division in the ranks, so that white union workers would turn on their Black allies. That’s how they stalled momentum. We’ve fallen for it before, with devastating consequences.
We’re in the same boat now.
The thing is, we’ve been trained to separate ourselves by our differences. We’ve been trained to be crippled by bigotry and prejudice; that’s how society has worked for a long time.
At the end of the day, though, those differences have nothing to do with the war we’re fighting.
The oligarchs currently running the show may hate certain minorities more, but make no mistake, none of us are going to get special treatment. If anyone does, it’s only because it serves to inflame tensions further.
The only thing they care about is that we are not in their class. We’re not wealthy, so we have no power, and we exist to be exploited. They want more for themselves and nothing for anybody else.
I’m not going to claim that race, gender, sexuality or ability doesn’t play a role in oppression; of fucking course it does! These things compound like interest on a loan. What I’m saying is that regardless of the specifics, we’re at the bottom of the pile.
I have white privilege, but I ain’t one of them. I can hide my disability and my sexuality, but that doesn’t make me special. Me being a white woman doesn’t mean shit to them.
Like Angela Davis said, “If they come for me in the morning, they’re coming for you at night.”
To the guys on top, we are all the enemy. And as long as we’re fighting over the scraps they throw us, we’re not tearing the foundations of their world out from under their feet.
It’s in their best interests that racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism and every other form of prejudice flourishes. It keeps us distracted, battling across multiple fronts with no clear end goal.
If those divisions fall away, all that’s left is one clear battlefield.
It’s the oligarchs versus the working class.
It’s the people in power versus the people they’re crushing under their heels.
We can’t let them decide who deserves what. Because they will never, ever give up even a portion of what they have to make our lives better.
Solidarity means solidarity. So don’t pay attention to the divisive bullshit they throw our way. Don’t bother debunking it. The only response we should ever give is, “Fuck you, we’re not listening, and we’re all united in wanting you gone!”
Trust me; they don’t know what to do with that.
This tactic only works if we fall for it, and we don’t have to. We are all human beings, we all deserve equal rights and justice, and we are going to fucking fight for it.
That’s the better world we’re trying to win. They’re the ones we have to defeat to do it.
We’re all in this together.
Solidarity wins.
My writing on World-Weary is free, including the entire backlog. Free subscribers have access to those written posts and the comment sections, too.
But if you can spare it, a paid subscription helps me keep working. It’s only $5 a month, and it goes a long way toward keeping World-Weary afloat! It gets you some extra goodies, too.
Totally agree. Our power is in our numbers but only if we unite.
Before 82 people were arrested at the Virginia Tech encampment for Palestinian solidarity and subsequently banned from campus, the encampment was the most diverse and welcoming place I had ever been. Black, brown, queer, disabled, Muslim, Jew, pagan, Indigenous--wearing hijabs, tattoos, combat fatigues or coats and ties, singing, praying, feeding each other--the war mongers broke us up, but we will not forget the solidarity.