Welfare State

[Sky]

The welfare state is a contemporary bourgeois-reformist apologist 'theory' about the nature of capitalist society and the bourgeois state that portrays the state as a force eliminating the injustices of the capitalist system and guarenteeing the growth of the well-bieng of the broad masses of hte population. It represents part of the false idea of the transformation of capitalism into a new social system. Its theoretical sources are Keynesianism and reformist ideology.

According to the "welfare state" conception, the bourgeois state in the past took a position of nonintervention with regard to the social injustices of the capitalist system, but it has now become transformed into a force that supposedly opposes the monopolies and secures social harmony. The development of state-monopoly capitalism after World War II, accompanied by the increased interference of the bourgeois state in the economy and the successful struggle of the workers for social gains in the capitalist countries, was used for propaganding the idea of the "welfare state". Acording to this "theory", seeing the attractive force of the idea of socialism, have also striven to create the impression that potentialities of socialism are characteristic of the "new" capitalist state.

In reality, the theory of the "welfare state" represents a veild form of defense of state monopoly capitalism, uner which the bourgeois state is used by the monopolies to strengthen their economic power and to increase the exploitation of working people. The resrictions set up by the bourgeois state on the activities of individual monopolies in certain cases is directed at the maintenance of the interests of the bourgeois class as aw hole. The socioeconomic conquests of the working masses in the capitalist countries are not the result of the activities of the bourgeois state but the result of a fierce class struggle.

[Pawn Power]

More recently (at least starting at the end of the Regan administration and most extreme during that of Clinton) we have a seen a dramatic decline in the welfare state in the United States and a push towards neo-liberal governance based on the ideals of "self-help." That is, people most pull themselves up "by their own boot straps" and that the market, acting freely, will dispense of ugly things such as unemployment, poverty, and dependency.

Similar revisions have taken place in England starting with Thatcher as well as in South America, particularly Mexico in the 1990's, Bolivia, and Chile after the assassination of Salvidor Allende and the reign of Pinochet. It was at this time that the US tested out the possibility of dismantling the welfare apparatus. In the US some of the first major reforms came from the City of New York (in the early 1990?) which kicked stated the neo-liberal campaign in the States.


But yes, i do agree that in general the welfare state serves as the purpose of giving the "masses" just enough as not to revolt. While the most intensive practice of this came about after the WWII, and in the mist of perhaps the most prosperous decade in American history, it really begun, in a way, with Roosevelt's New Deal. While some people working within the state honestly do believe and act out of "altruism" it is equally as prevalent that members of the ruling class and state officials first pushed for these mechanisms and for welfare as result of class pressure and not as a condolence.

[Tower of Bebel]

The welfare State was also accompanied by the decolonialisation of Africa and Asia. The bourgeoisie destroyed the chains of colonialism to further exploite the workers under neo-colonialism. Which gave rise to new opportunities.

Yet today, the Welfare State is under (neoliberal) attack. I compare the way the workers' gains are attacked to cutting a salami. You can cut off one tiny slize and nobody will notice, yet after a certain amount of time the salami will be totally disappeared. If there weren't that many gains every attack would result hard confrontation between workers and capitalists because the workers can't endure it. But the vast amount of small gains by the welfare State make it possible to attack one gain at a time without the workers noticing one bit.

[Luís Henrique]

But the vast amount of small gains by the welfare State make it possible to attack one gain at a time without the workers noticing one bit.

I don't see that happening. Workers resistance against neoliberal attacks on the Welfare systems worldwide may be misguided, but it has been the central core of proletarian class struggle for the late two decades.

Luís Henrique

[LSD]

I'm somewhat confused as to the point of this thread. Are you denying the existence of the welfare state or defining its class antagonisms? 'cause you can't do both.

The welfare state is the foundation of modern capitalist "democracy", it is both its legitimacy and its instrument of influence. It is the primary mechanism of market hampering and capital redistribution and is the means by which the bourgeoisie assures a functional society.

Modern capitalism cannot exist without a welfare state to keep it in check. There's always movement, of course, the workers want the state to interfere more, the bosses want it to interefere less; but the interference itself is almost unquestionable in contemporary economic circles. It's only the more radical CATOists and cyber-libertarians who have delusions of stateless capitalism, and even then only in the most minimalist terms. In the real world, an active welfare government is as essential to capitalism as money itself.

The welfare state is capitalism.