Do we all have something to lose?

Check out the comment by Steven Harris@05:48PM (why the Telegraph feels the need to use a twenty-four hour format and still ignore its basic premise is beyond me.)

A few interesting points made. Are they true though?

Thatcherism is largely to blame, including that Blairite blend of Thatcherism that ensured three election victories for the Labour Party in recent years. Is there still a revolutionary communist inside you Robert? If so then you are a rarity. Marx argued that the revolution would be driven by the class with nothing to lose. Thanks to Thatcher, Major, Blair and Brown our aspirations are thoroughly middle class, our materialistic gene has grown out of all proportion to the rest of our political make-up. Our houses are filled with gadgets, gizmos and endless consumer shackles. We ALL have something to lose (or believe we do). The revolution has been indefinitely postponed.

So according to Mr Harris it is now impossible to be a revolutionary communist because we are all middle class. Kind of. Is there any truth in this? Sat here using a wireless connection on a laptop after listening to the football on the digital radio; am I in fact a product of intensive consumerism? Product or prisoner? Economic controller of my own affairs or advert-programmed robot revelling in the midst of increasing debt levels?

My materialistic gene. Not my favourite to be truthful. It is there, I do come over all happy-clappy with a new bit of fascinating technology, but 'things', any kind of 'things', actually mean fuck all to me. The ability to communicate in the modern world is fantastic. The ability to freely express my own opinion and compare it with others is essential. It is progress, not consumerism. The tools are only the means.

Democracy, true representative democracy would be a bonus, but the X-factor style surge in public opinion towards the Lib Dems might give the election system its required detailed public assassination. The issue is a much bigger scandal or con than the expenses scandal. It might also reverse the trend outlined by Mr Harris of an indefinite postponement of the revolution.

Without it - without the change of system - we truly do have something to lose. Democracy and freedom. I'll keep my free thought and ability to vote over any fucking Nintendo Wii.