No subject

they are adults. From our perspective, they are
the aristocracy, while we are both the bourgeois
and the working class. In the end, neither
analysis is ultimately correct, since the
difference in the viewpoints was caused by
different material conditions.

The important thing, I think, remains in what
both sides do with their different perspectives.
George Lakoff is known for arguing that the
difference between conservatives and progressives
in America relates to different views of the
family--the "strict father" versus the "nurturing
parent." Does the political establishment view
the netroots as dangerous teenagers who need to
be "taken in hand" for their own good (or
"knocked in the teeth," as someone might put it)
or rather as individuals who need be respected
and encouraged in their independence? They need
to decide whether to take the combative,
conservative stance towards us, or the
progressive, encouraging and inclusive stance
toward us. Talks need to open up in the activist
class war, but considering that they hold all of
the cards and all of the power and influence, and
considering the narratives they are spinning
about us, the ball remains firmly in their court.