Underground Knowledge — A discussion group discussion

If the lower class decided to say no, to quit their jobs, to stop working, what would happen? Well, the whole structure would suffer, especially those on the top who would be forced to do something.

But then why doesn't the lower class rebel?
They have nothing to lose and a lot to gain.

Tyler imagines a world where you are not defined by what you own or where you work, but by who you really are. And that's why they fight, to strip away the useless waste to find who they really are in the fear and panic and anger in their fights.

If the shackles of self-regard can be removed from these people, they can really be free to be whoever they really are, good or bad.

Isn't that what America is? The land of the free? Why don't we rebel? Why don't we say no? The teachers in Seattle Public Schools did that, and it worked. Why doesn't the rest of the world do so?

They don't rebel because they are all going in different directions. The only way to change things is through coordinated action, but who can coordinate them?

It wont happen because the lower classes have everything to lose. And there is no reason to rebel since most governments hand out free stuff to the poor anyway.

You had unrest in Ferguson, riots in LA, Occupy Wall Street in NY. What purpose is a rebellion supposed to achieve? And I'm not sure it's the best course of action for any purpose

Lower classes have everything to lose? Governments give free stuff?
Free/underpaid stuff for the rich, much less - to the poor

Nik wrote: "Lower classes have everything to lose? Governments give free stuff?
Free/underpaid stuff for the rich, much less - to the poor"

Agreed Nik...100%.
Last time I checked govts weren't giving too many goodies away to the poor...The name of the game for world leaders is to hoard as much as possible for the global elite while maintaining the facade of democracy and equality.
A little extreme? Possibly, but the fact is we as a planet have almost unlimited capital available to fund enormous wars and rescue private banks on the verge of collapse, but never enough available for the comparatively small scraps that are required to house homeless people, feed the poor and provide medicine to the sick.

Yep, maybe a little extreme, but still a pretty accurate account -:)

Ian wrote: "They don't rebel because they are all going in different directions. The only way to change things is through coordinated action, but who can coordinate them?"

Tyler Durden xD

I wish I could remember who said it because it explains a lot. American poor people don't see themselves as an underclass but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires. They don't really identify as poor and are unable to find a shared identity with other underprivileged folks.