I work delivering pizza and recently complained to my buddy Jim about conditions on the job. I told him that I believed that I would be proper to have a union to defend me.  Jim replied, "What do you need a union for? They're all run by right wingers here."

I was really surprised.  Jim's a great working-class guy, has worked a number of jobs, and could benefit a great deal from the security provided by a union.

I replied that no matter who runs the locals now, the point is to get involved and through day-to-day struggle on the issues of working conditions, try to bring about change.

Jim was not convinced and went on to argue that not only did the problem exist at the local level but also nationally. He said, "The Democratic Party is just as far right as the Republicans, why then should we vote for them, if we vote at all?"

Jim fashions himself as a revolutionary and defines real change as socialism. So, in fact, do I. He went on to say "Okay, so what if the Democrats are the best option for the working class, at this particular moment?  Why should we vote for them? Doing so will only delay the material conditions needed for the revolution."

To me however, Jim does not understand that "the material conditions needed for revolution" and sustained socialism come through participation in the democratic process. Voting, community organizing, union work, and other such efforts are essential in working towards a fair and democratic America.

Rather than delaying real change, it advances it. Why? Because as Mr. Spock from Star Trek said "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one."

Translate that into straight labor talk and it means "How does what you are doing right now affect the cause of the working class?"

To me it means what am I doing right now that will affect the lives of those I work with every day? If we don't struggle with them on day-to-day issues, how will they ever develop the confidence to fight for big things later on?

The situation in our country reflects this very concept right now. I am speaking of the one percent versus the ninety-nine percent wealth inequality concept that has been brought to the forefront of social discussion in the past months by the Occupy Movement.

Working-class people, old and young, are under assault every day. They are losing health benefits, unions are under assault, education funding is being stripped, voting rights are being attacked, and the list goes on.  This is particularly true for those in Texas, which ranks near the top at every level of the population, as regards the uninsured, i.e. children, workers, and retirees.  Texas, being a Right-to-Work State, also has a very low union membership rate and has laws that allow employers to fire people without cause or notice, an anti-union tactic.  Texas also ranks near the bottom in education nationally, and is presently experiencing an intense attack on voter rights at the hands of State Attorney General Gregg Abbott.

Participating in the democratic process and helping to get progressive politicians into office, fighting for fair pay at the working place, and lobbying for better education can help to begin the reversal of these trends.  Doing this does something else as well: It gives us the opportunity to educate people on the benefits of a socialist America, and it gives us face-to-face opportunities to show people what a real worker's movement can do when everyone gets involved.

Furthermore, participating in the democratic process gives people a sense of belonging and purpose in their community, as well as, giving them a sense of courage that helps them to be more willing to stand up when they encounter injustice.

People that espouse the idea that this all useless and is only blocking the material conditions for a revolution are really only working against themselves and the cause of the working class and are, furthermore, showing their naivety.

Do they not see that the revolution is already happening? For the reasons previously stated and more, working-class people are facing a battle from all sides. Getting involved in the democratic process is their means by which to peacefully change their circumstances.

As regards the naivety of the people that espouse the view that the material conditions for a violent revolution are being blocked, one has to ask, how naïve can they really be?

The working-class people of this country have lost enough loved ones already. They do not want to lose more, and to assume that worsening their conditions will make them desperate enough to commit to violence is just ignorance.

To say nothing of why use violence anyway?

Most people are peaceful and just want to live a comfortable life, in which they can be happy and support their family. Supporting the idea that violent revolution is the answer is counterproductive.  It will serve only to push the people away and make them less likely to get involved in peaceful methods, like voting and union organizing that will produce actual long lasting results.

Look, I have a lot of respect for the people that I have the chance to encounter when I am doing organizing work.  This means that I will listen to whatever they have to say, and that not only will I listen, but I will do everything I can to understand where they are coming from. Who knows what learning experience one might miss out on if they unwilling to have an attentive ear and an open mind.  I, however, must contend very strongly with the people that make these comments.  Violence is the option of the one percent - not us.  Real Change will occur by making the 99 percent aware of their great power.  And that is starting to happen before our very eyes.

Consider this one final thought.  Given the worst case scenario, one in which the working class is pushed to explosion, how will those people feel about individuals that could have done something to help them but knowingly stood to the side and watched them suffer, for the sake of a philosophical interpretation?