Social Junk and Social Dynamite

"Problem populations are defined in terms if their threat and costs to capitalist relations of production." (Spitzer 503) In other words people are judged by how or what they contribute to society. "Social junk" can be defined as people that don't contribute to society but rather in take. For example senior citizens, handicapped and the mentally retarded. Spitzer defines "social junk" as a costly but relatively harmless burden to society. (504)

In contrary to "social junk" there's another group of social deviants called "social dynamite", this group consist of strikers, demonstrators and minorities. This group usually goes against society in some way, "especially in relations to production and domination." (Spitzer 504) The government often views these groups of social dynamite as a threat to society. Social dynamite groups are usually rebellious and go against the ruling class or government.

The police and FBI actually target these social dynamite groups. One example of this is about the woman who worked for , she talked about how she would get threatening phone calls from some type of government or legal group. The police and FBI can actually break these small groups up by putting one group member against the other, and many other ways. Another way the police target these groups is by using unnecessary restraints such as pepper spray, tear gas, clubs and rubber bullets like they did in Seattle, when people were demonstrating against the WTO.

Some groups that might be considered social dynamite today include unions, protestors of any sort, minorities, the lower class, homosexuals, just to name a