What is the Marxist view of Economic Nationalism ?

[tradeunionsupporter]

What is the Marxist view of Economic Nationalism Free Trade and Protectionism ?

The rising tide of economic nationalism

30 January 2009

Those who push this reactionary poison in the working class are the trade unions and their various middle class radical allies. Far from defending jobs and conditions, economic nationalism goes hand-in-hand with the continuing impoverishment of working people. Whether in the US, Europe or any other country, the same union bureaucrats who have presided over the decimation of manufacturing industry over the past three decades now insist on the further sacrifice of wages and conditions as part of the protectionist packages to defend American or European companies.


The bailout plan for the US auto industry backed by the United Auto Workers is conditional on a savage restructuring of the industry that will result in plant closures, layoffs and the systematic lowering of wages. In France, Germany and other European countries, the unions are collaborating with governments and corporations in plans to defend “their” auto industries, using the threat of job losses to enlist the support of workers. The logic of economic nationalism is class collaboration in a dog-eat-dog competition that pits workers in one country against their class brothers and sisters around the world. The end result is trade war and military conflict.

The working class cannot defend its interests under the banner of either protectionism or “free trade”. The precondition for any genuine struggle to defend jobs and living standards is the political independence of workers from all wings of the capitalist class. The natural allies of workers in advanced economies such as US and Europe are workers in cheap labour platforms like China and India who are often exploited by the same global corporations and share a common class interest in abolishing the anarchic profit system and replacing it with a world-planned socialist economy. That is the perspective advanced by the World Socialist Web Site and the International Committee of the Fourth International.
Peter Symonds

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/jan2009/pers-j30.shtml

Why the UAW and the Democrats are pushing economic nationalism

18 December 2008

With anger among auto workers against the politicians, the companies and the UAW leadership growing by the day, both the Democratic Party and the union are attempting to whip up economic nationalism as a reactionary diversion to pit workers at the Big Three plants against their fellow workers at foreign-owned, non-union plants in the US as well as against auto workers in other countries. The aim is to politically disarm the workers, line them up behind their "own" employers and pre-empt any struggle in defense of jobs and living standards.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/dec2008/pers-d18.shtml

German union seeks to divide European and North American GM workers

The reactionary politics of economic nationalism

20 February 2009


On Tuesday, General Motors announced plans to cut its workforce world-wide by 47,000, with 26,000 jobs to be slashed in Europe alone. The main German engineering union, IG Metall, and its shop stewards organized in works councils at GM's German subsidiary Opel, reacted to the announcement by rejecting any joint struggle by GM workers in Europe and North America.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/feb2009/pers-f20.shtml

[RGacky3]

Its not an ideological issue usually, its more pragmatic.

[dodger]

HAS TO BE GOOD FOR DEVELOPMENT....protecting industry....bring it on I say. Get moving put all your weight behind it. Protect workers jobs investments and pensions.

make it in Britain,
grow it in Britain,
educate in Britain,
re-skill in Britain,
rebuild Britain,
invent it in Britain,
plan it in Britain,
plan it for Britain

[Nox]

HAS TO BE GOOD FOR DEVELOPMENT....protecting industry....bring it on I say. Get moving put all your weight behind it. Protect workers jobs investments and pensions.

make it in Britain,
grow it in Britain,
educate in Britain,
re-skill in Britain,
rebuild Britain,
invent it in Britain,
plan it in Britain,
plan it for Britain

Is that not exactly what the BNP want to do?

[RGacky3]

It is if you replace Britain with "by British."

Again, its not black and white, and whether or not you are infavor or it or not generally depends on the circumstances.

[Baseball]

Is that not exactly what the BNP want to do?

Yep. It is also what more mainstream, middle of the road revolutionary leftist chaps do when they denounce capitalism for leaving the shores in search of cheap labor in other countries to exploit for profit.

[dodger]

Is that not exactly what the BNP want to do?

I note question mark, so not rhetorical Nox, I am afraid I am none the wiser than you. Dare say it might involve IG Farben...at a guess.

Sovereignty, the ability to control one’s own affairs. Seemed like a good start to the debate, my economic illiteracy should not be an impediment either. Look how many have gone before. What do you want from a future Britain? What do you want it to do?

make it in Britain,
grow it in Britain,
educate in Britain,
re-skill in Britain,
rebuild Britain,
invent it in Britain,
plan it in Britain,
plan it for Britain.............on reflection Nox....do you think these are fascist ideas?...We have to start somewhere surely?

[dodger]

Yep. It is also what more mainstream, middle of the road revolutionary leftist chaps do when they denounce capitalism for leaving the shores in search of cheap labor in other countries to exploit for profit.



Fair comment....Baseball.