Saving the Middle Class Is Ideological, Too from Open Left - Front Page

highlights: from http://www.openleft.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=10419

"I do take issue with one aspect of DH's writing, though: the part where he argues that the desire to destroy a union instead of saving the economy makes someone an ideologue. This is because wanting to save three million middle class jobs is itself an ideological position. It isn't so much that Senate Republicans are being ideologues, and those who want to save the three million jobs are not being ideologues, but rather that it is a clash of ideologies. Wanting to save three million jobs instead of destroying the UAW is itself an ideological position."

"For example, DHinMI writes:

So, it's possible that the GOP Senators like Corker and McConnell are stupid, and just don't understand some of the basics of the global auto industry.  But we shouldn't dismiss the possibility that the ultras who've taken over the GOP, the people for whom ideology is more important than consequences and reality, would rather risk destroying one of our most important industries in an attempt to destroy a labor union."

"This isn't about a clash between ideology and reality. This is, instead, about different ideological desires for what should happen in reality."

"There is no non-ideological ground in this fight. This is the case with most political fights. Values like helping the middle class, ensuring civil rights, and protecting the environment are, in fact, ideological positions. These fights are not about defeating ideology altogether since, without ideology, then there would be no reason to work for civil rights, a clean environment, or broad economic prosperity. This isn't about defeating ideology altogether, but rather about defeating certain ideologies. Specifically, it is about defeating ideologies that consider busting a union more important than saving three million jobs. Beliefs like that are extremely dangerous to those who hold a different, progressive ideology: the belief in broad, economic prosperity for all."