Until the protests, they were the “silent masses,” a sector of society unaccustomed to articulating its interests. They have no theories, no leaders, no classics, and not even stars like Greta Thunberg or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. And they have no alternative vision of society, no utopia, except perhaps the yearning for a good life. And for most, a good life is simply the desire to escape precarious living conditions and the downward spiral of social exclusion.
They have no theories, no leaders, no classics, and not even stars like Greta Thunberg or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. And they have no alternative vision of society, no utopia, except perhaps the longing for a good life. And for most, a good life is really just the desire to escape precarious living conditions and the downward spiral of social exclusion.
This is especially true, of course, for a new, politicized self-confidence among the Yellow Vests themselves and the social circles from which they come: the downwardly mobile losers of neoliberal globalization, the precariously employed who just barely escape unemployment or welfare, but have to worry at the end of each month about how they will make ends meet… the supermarket cashiers, the delivery drivers, the cleaning and security staff, and all the others with the bullshit jobs of the new service proletariat.
None of the masses who stormed the Bastille on July 14, 1789, had read Voltaire, Diderot, and Montesquieu; indeed, most couldn’t even read or write. Yet they still made history.
Furthermore, the yellow vest has a tremendous visual impact when worn in a group, as it amplifies the impression of sheer numbers. (Markus)
