In class on Wednesday, when we
talked about the election, one thing I found particularly interesting was the
question as to what the next big social issue would be. We all agreed that
things like gay marriage and other social issues like this are more accepted
than they were ten years ago and probably ten years from now, will be no big
deal. This then raises the question: what will be the next social issue? As we
discussed in class, there is a large possibility that it will be class.
With things
such as the Occupy Wall Street Movement, it is clear that class is becoming
more and more of an issue. The tax debate is an especially fierce one and
something that Congress and citizens can’t reach an agreement on. The gap
between the rich and poor is larger than it has been in many years, and is not
something that has gone unnoticed.
This then
raises the question: is class a social issue? I think that if class is in fact
the next social issue, that the debate will be more about creating equal opportunities
for people in lower classes. As we talked about in class the other day, the
wealthy have access to much better education and therefore better opportunities
in other aspects of life. I think that this will be the type of thing that is
debated about when it comes to class, the fact that economic status in many
ways can shape a persons life and what they do or have the ability to do.
What do you
think? Do you think class will be the next social issue? If not, what do you
think will be? If class is the next social issue, what type of arguments will
be made?
I completely agree that class could very likely be the next big social issue. Like you mentioned, the Occupy movement provides a platform for people to highlight the stark class divisions that are present in the United States.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that came to mind for me is Obamacare. It would be interesting to analyze the new health care program from Walzer's perspective. It seems to me like an attempt to separate the economic sphere from healthcare. We have debates about individual freedom, but much of the debate also centers around whether or not people have the right to buy better healthcare. This seems to be a clear class issue.
Do you think, if class becomes the next big social issue, one party will take the side of the wealthy, and one the side of the middle/lower classes? If evangelical voters, for example, are not tied to the Republican party for the sake of social issues like gay marriage, will people shift their political affiliations based solely on class?
I agree with each of you on this particular subject. It definitely appears to be an increasing problem throughout all aspects of our nation. I believe that due to the reelection of President Obama that he will institute several other changes to our nation which will inevitably be in favor of the lower classes. Over the course of the past 4 years of his term in office, there has not been much change in things that positively effect the upper classes and, in particular, the 1%. In response to Hallie's reference to equal opportunities in areas such as education where many upperclass families have more opportunities to obtain better education and Katie's statement of having the right to purchase better health, I believe that in the future, there could be actions taken to increase opportunities in a variety of social aspects, not only education and health care.
ReplyDeleteI agree with each of you on this particular subject. It definitely appears to be an increasing problem throughout all aspects of our nation. I believe that due to the reelection of President Obama that he will institute several other changes to our nation which will inevitably be in favor of the lower classes. Over the course of the past 4 years of his term in office, there has not been much change in things that positively effect the upper classes and, in particular, the 1%. In response to Hallie's reference to equal opportunities in areas such as education where many upperclass families have more opportunities to obtain better education and Katie's statement of having the right to purchase better health, I believe that in the future, there could be actions taken to increase opportunities in a variety of social aspects, not only education and health care.
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