"Blue No Matter Who": Liberal’s Rhetoric of Fear, The Vampire Castle, and Abandoned Railway Workers
Start Date
15-4-2023 10:30 AM
End Date
15-4-2023 11:30 AM
Description
In 2022 unionized railway workers were on the verge of a strike after contract negotiations failed to address worker concerns. As the holiday season approached Democrats in congress forced a deal without concessions at the urging of President Biden to avoid "economic disaster."" This paper analyses liberal rhetoric, both online and in traditional media, both leading up to and following the midterm election to reveal how liberals’ fear of Republican control operates as a paralyzing force preventing any move towards a class-oriented policy agenda. Moreover, this analysis reveals how liberal fear interacts with what theorist Mark Fisher called the "vampire castle" to create additional challenges for fostering class consciousness beyond what Fisher identified in his lifetime. Finally, this paper demonstrates that while liberals’ fear of Republican control is justified, their concession to capital is ultimately ineffective in preventing their fears from manifesting.
"Blue No Matter Who": Liberal’s Rhetoric of Fear, The Vampire Castle, and Abandoned Railway Workers
In 2022 unionized railway workers were on the verge of a strike after contract negotiations failed to address worker concerns. As the holiday season approached Democrats in congress forced a deal without concessions at the urging of President Biden to avoid "economic disaster."" This paper analyses liberal rhetoric, both online and in traditional media, both leading up to and following the midterm election to reveal how liberals’ fear of Republican control operates as a paralyzing force preventing any move towards a class-oriented policy agenda. Moreover, this analysis reveals how liberal fear interacts with what theorist Mark Fisher called the "vampire castle" to create additional challenges for fostering class consciousness beyond what Fisher identified in his lifetime. Finally, this paper demonstrates that while liberals’ fear of Republican control is justified, their concession to capital is ultimately ineffective in preventing their fears from manifesting.