Oh, The Humanity

Seattle, WA—  Those to whom perspiration is part of their actual job might find it surprising that professors view themselves as working in sweatshop conditions. “In fact, the slogans of Occupy have edged the conversation steadily toward something like a popular Marxism,” the Radical Caucus of the Modern Language Association (MLA) proclaims. “How might such a Marxism dispel the historical stupidity of mainstream U. S. politics, clarify the crisis of capitalism we are living through, and as a small side  benefit, make evident how students and teachers in MLA fields share the predicament of working class people generally?”

The MLA is the world’s largest association of English professors. “Capitalism is the social order in which workers sell labor power as a commodity,” the Radical Caucus claims. “How ingeniously the capitalists of the last 40 years have dispersed and cheapened the commodity around the globe!”

“That 75% of those teaching in U. S. universities are contingent laborers is not a separate fact,” the Radical Caucus asserts. “The war on the profession fuses with the war on unions and the working class.”

Nevertheless, what the Caucus may lack in benefits , they more than make up for in self-esteem. “If we want people’s education, we will have to wrest money back from the rich,” the Radical Caucus proclaims. “After all, our labor created their wealth.”

Final question: How much wealth have you witnessed that has been created by professorial labor?

Malcolm A. Kline is the Executive Director of Accuracy in Academia.

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