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Evo2
21st October 2013, 02:14
What is the Marxist analysis of why the workers haven't revolted in the advanced capitalist nations?
Aleister Granger
21st October 2013, 02:44
Capitalists make concessions.
Marx was sure that workers wouldn't accept them. The fact is, humans like satisfying pleasure, and for as long as capitalists allow the workers to satisfy the pleasures of the flesh (or give the illusion of it) then the Western workers will defend capitalism.
You get the "chance" of becoming so satisfied as to have it made. In the west- socialism means you will never get that chance, so if you can't be rich and be happy, then it must not be good.

Basically, the capitalists decided to pay their workers a bit more than 5 cents an hour in exchange for not having their heads lopped off in revolutionary rage.
bad ideas actualised by alcohol
21st October 2013, 02:45
What is the Marxist analysis of why the workers haven't revolted in the advanced capitalist nations?

They definitely have revolted, they failed in the end to take power or were crushed but that doesn't mean they haven't revolted.
Jimmie Higgins
21st October 2013, 09:29
What is the Marxist analysis of why the workers haven't revolted in the advanced capitalist nations?What do you mean? You'll have to be more specific because all capitalist countries have experienced various levels of class struggle and so on. If you mean why haven't they acheived socialism... well no group of workers has achieved that and to explain it the broadest way possible would be to say that ruling classes have generally used a combination of repression and co-option against movements and hold hegemony in society which means that workers have to accomodate to them (to get wages and survive) if there is no active revolution.

Germany was one of the most advanced capitalist countried when it had a massive period of upheval and the largest socialist party and a series of insurrections that was only settled by massive repression and fascism. China is becoming very advanced and has had a lot of labor unrest in recent years. So I don't think it can be argued that advanced capitalist societies haven't had revolts - they may not have won or looked like how we wish they would be (or think they need to be if they hope to win).