Classmatters
23rd November 2009, 02:19
The working class in western countries is now increasingly facing third world conditions. In 2008 16.4 percent of the US population lacked proper access to food. That is, 12.1 million adults and 5.2 million children lived in household where there was inadequate “food security”. These figures included many where at least one adult has a full time job.(US dept. of Agriculture)
This is putting working Americans into similar situations as approximately 642 Million people in the Asia Pacific region and 265 Million in Sub-Saharan Africa. (UN Food and Agricultural Organisation) Often the plight of hungry and homeless Americans is used either to make the “progressives” appear as though they “care” and/or to provide an impetus to fix the capitalist economy through even more austerity for the working class. But Marxist draw a different conclusion!
The crisis shows that more than ever before people's welfare under capitalism depends on attracting capital to their region through low wages and tough working conditions. Governments cut back on social spending under the same pretext. However, the cause of the hunger and the homelessness is not a technical problem with the economy. The economic efficiency argument is a mystification of class relations!
Despite real environmental problems the cause of hunger and other problems is not a lack of resources. There is roughly the same amount of land and same amount of farming expertise and the same amount of skilled labour in the world as there was before the crisis! Rather, poverty hunger and homelessness (at least in the case of developed countries) are a direct and deliberate consequence of capital's investment choices. In order to improve “labour flexibility” and the price of labour capitalists require a pool of unemployed workers so as to force workers to accept worse conditions. As the contradictions inherent in private control over the means of production become that profound that a liquidity crisis (as opposed to a mere credit crisis) develops, as is now the case, the bourgeoisie responds by increasing the exploitation of Labor even further through direct inroads into wages and working conditions and indirectly through reducing the tax burden and removing vital services. In the so called “third world” the causes are also to do with the failure of capitalism to sustain development except for a tiny privileged layer of the population.
There can no longer be any doubt among workers in western countries that they are approaching the same situation their class brothers face in the “third world”. This means that the class struggle will have to develop globally in opposition to globalised capital because the organisation of workers on a national basis can offer no protection against the easy relocation of production to jurisdictions conducive to the demands of private capital. The profound contradiction of globalised capitalism means that nation states, even ones purporting to be socialist, are organically incapable of providing for the needs of workers. As the crisis leads to greater discontent among workers the further development of class consciousness and the revival of a mass socialist movement requires that the leadership of such a movement understand the need for internationalism as the pillar of organisation. Only workers with the highest theoretical understanding of Marxism and proven organisational capability should be elected to leadership positions.
The struggle against capital and the recruitment of workers can be helped by making demands on government that they are unable and or unwilling to meet in such a way as to expose the limitation of nationally organised economies and to highlight class divisions. These are:
the immediate development of a public works program that provides work for the unemployed and the means to ensure food security and other necessities.
The provision of housing for the homeless
The provision of food for those unable to afford it.
The immediate reinstatement of sacked workers in globalised corporations regardless of nationality and the return of full production
The increase of aid to the working class in developing nations.
The response to these demands by government will likely be the well worn nostrums that government programs of this type are inefficient and stifle the operation of the Market. However, with the dolling out of trillions of dollars in government money to businesses still fresh in the minds of workers such refusal is obviously not based on efficiency concerns since inefficient businesses are being kept alive by the “stimulus” packages. The preferential treatment of the wealthy should be exposed at every level!
If socialists can highlight the plethora of cases where the actual capacity to provide public works and other programs exists but are not utilised due to political and business decisions then it will be clear to previously uncommitted workers that under capitalism production (including service delivery) is not done for the provision of social needs but for the interests of the bourgeoisie. People should then be further inclined to look at their own circumstances and see that they are excluded because of their class while the bourgeoisie continues to reap the rewards extracted from the working class on pain of hunger and homelessness. Pointing out every miserable failure of capitalism to make use of productive capacity and therefore solve the social problems created by the crisis, especially where international borders and nationalist rivalries are concerned, will show the working class that the government and the bourgeoisie are a dead weight on the backs of the workers! The workers must understand the need to seize the means of production and bring them to full utilisation without delay. This will require action and cooperation across national borders in accordance with the current organisation of production which means above all rebuilding the international socialist movement.
This is putting working Americans into similar situations as approximately 642 Million people in the Asia Pacific region and 265 Million in Sub-Saharan Africa. (UN Food and Agricultural Organisation) Often the plight of hungry and homeless Americans is used either to make the “progressives” appear as though they “care” and/or to provide an impetus to fix the capitalist economy through even more austerity for the working class. But Marxist draw a different conclusion!
The crisis shows that more than ever before people's welfare under capitalism depends on attracting capital to their region through low wages and tough working conditions. Governments cut back on social spending under the same pretext. However, the cause of the hunger and the homelessness is not a technical problem with the economy. The economic efficiency argument is a mystification of class relations!
Despite real environmental problems the cause of hunger and other problems is not a lack of resources. There is roughly the same amount of land and same amount of farming expertise and the same amount of skilled labour in the world as there was before the crisis! Rather, poverty hunger and homelessness (at least in the case of developed countries) are a direct and deliberate consequence of capital's investment choices. In order to improve “labour flexibility” and the price of labour capitalists require a pool of unemployed workers so as to force workers to accept worse conditions. As the contradictions inherent in private control over the means of production become that profound that a liquidity crisis (as opposed to a mere credit crisis) develops, as is now the case, the bourgeoisie responds by increasing the exploitation of Labor even further through direct inroads into wages and working conditions and indirectly through reducing the tax burden and removing vital services. In the so called “third world” the causes are also to do with the failure of capitalism to sustain development except for a tiny privileged layer of the population.
There can no longer be any doubt among workers in western countries that they are approaching the same situation their class brothers face in the “third world”. This means that the class struggle will have to develop globally in opposition to globalised capital because the organisation of workers on a national basis can offer no protection against the easy relocation of production to jurisdictions conducive to the demands of private capital. The profound contradiction of globalised capitalism means that nation states, even ones purporting to be socialist, are organically incapable of providing for the needs of workers. As the crisis leads to greater discontent among workers the further development of class consciousness and the revival of a mass socialist movement requires that the leadership of such a movement understand the need for internationalism as the pillar of organisation. Only workers with the highest theoretical understanding of Marxism and proven organisational capability should be elected to leadership positions.
The struggle against capital and the recruitment of workers can be helped by making demands on government that they are unable and or unwilling to meet in such a way as to expose the limitation of nationally organised economies and to highlight class divisions. These are:
the immediate development of a public works program that provides work for the unemployed and the means to ensure food security and other necessities.
The provision of housing for the homeless
The provision of food for those unable to afford it.
The immediate reinstatement of sacked workers in globalised corporations regardless of nationality and the return of full production
The increase of aid to the working class in developing nations.
The response to these demands by government will likely be the well worn nostrums that government programs of this type are inefficient and stifle the operation of the Market. However, with the dolling out of trillions of dollars in government money to businesses still fresh in the minds of workers such refusal is obviously not based on efficiency concerns since inefficient businesses are being kept alive by the “stimulus” packages. The preferential treatment of the wealthy should be exposed at every level!
If socialists can highlight the plethora of cases where the actual capacity to provide public works and other programs exists but are not utilised due to political and business decisions then it will be clear to previously uncommitted workers that under capitalism production (including service delivery) is not done for the provision of social needs but for the interests of the bourgeoisie. People should then be further inclined to look at their own circumstances and see that they are excluded because of their class while the bourgeoisie continues to reap the rewards extracted from the working class on pain of hunger and homelessness. Pointing out every miserable failure of capitalism to make use of productive capacity and therefore solve the social problems created by the crisis, especially where international borders and nationalist rivalries are concerned, will show the working class that the government and the bourgeoisie are a dead weight on the backs of the workers! The workers must understand the need to seize the means of production and bring them to full utilisation without delay. This will require action and cooperation across national borders in accordance with the current organisation of production which means above all rebuilding the international socialist movement.