Wednesday, August 31, 2011

What is Meant By 'We'

In reading various critiques, articles and posts, even by those of the Left - there is a tendency to use the word 'we' without fully defining what it means. Yes, when bourgeoisie mouthpieces use the word they are meaning 'we' as in Country, perhaps the U.S., while actually addressing a more select group of the wealthy. But even among trenchant critics of U.S. policy there is a tendency to devolve into the use of 'we' as a representation of Country or some select team based upon national borders. For myself, I resist using the word 'we' when talking about the United States. I live here but it is not my country or my flag. For me, 'we' is the working class , 'we' is the masses of humanity in a global context. For the 'we' I think of myself as part of is international.

The division of the world into nation-state bulwarks is as historically backward as the tribe was five hundred years ago. It serves no progressive function and is a relic in the development of capitalism, for the growth of both are intertwined in history.

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