What makes the working class so internationalist?

[jacobin1949]

Why makes the working class historically the international class? It seems the feudal and capitalist classes have more interests in promoting internationalism. The early workingmen parties of the USA and Europe were often notoriously chauvinist and racist. Even today many non-Marxist unions demonstrate an incredibly anti-internationalist nativism, while the corporations actually push for greater "globalization". Its true class consciousness and education can change this. But empirically it doesnt;t seem like the working class is naturally internationally minded. this is especially true in the Usa.

[BobKKKindle$]

The ruling class uses nationalism in order to convince workers to fight in their imperialist wars which allows the system to survive - the concept of the "nation state" is actually a fairly recent idea and emerged during the beginning of the capitalist epoch, as a result of increases commercial exchange between urban centres, which led to the growth of a common language across a large area and thus the foundation of a state.

[MarxSchmarx]

Bobkindles is right. The apparent "trickery" of nationalism essentially renders it a secular religion. This is part of why "nativist" unions have so much appeal. And increasingly the union movement is realizing that the struggle can be carried on abroad.

More broadly, the liberation of the working class is a global project. Therefore, it is in the interests of workers to be internationalist, more so than it is in the interests of capitalists.

True, it depends on what you mean by "internationalism". But lets focus on the abolition of national borders and the free movement of people and goods around the globe.


the feudal and capitalist classes have more interests in promoting internationalism.

Then this cannot be true. The free movement of people is contradictory to how feudalism works.

Moreover, the capitalist class requires pitting workers against each other. When the workers of the world unite, we'll have a "monopoly" on labor. Then the capitalists are screwed because they can't threaten to make us bid down wages. Capitalists benefit from the free flow of capital and goods across borders only when workers are chained to their locales.

[Bandito]

Workers are opressed over the whole world and that is why.

[Philosophical Materialist]

The bourgeois aren't very internationalist. Although they do like the freedom of moving their money around, and enjoying package holidays, but that's about it. The bourgeois are intrinsically nationalist and chauvinist and will rally behind the state whenever their interests (profits) are threatened by a foreign bourgeoisie. Transnational bourgeoisie align in extraordinary circumstances, in a limited way if it is particularly profitable, or if cooperation is desired to defeat internationalist worker's movements and workers' states.

Like MarxSchmarx has said, the bourgeoisie benefit the most from free trade when cultural, xenophobic and legal restrictions prevent a truly free movement of people and labour. This is why xenophobia and nationalism is used as a tool against working class unity, so that working people will blame joblessness and low wages on foreigners, immigrants, and asylum seekers, instead of the material conditions caused by the imperialist neoliberal mode of production.

The working class are very internationalist when their consciousness is high. Such as in the past when Liverpool dockers strike out of solidarity with US workers on strike. Workers and students worldwide campaigned and protested in solidarity with Vietnam against capitalist aggression.

[Angry Young Man]

I'm with atheist on this one. Succinct and accurate. The other three, put down the books for a sec.

[INDK]

Just because the bourgeoisie is internationally connected through trade and business does not make them 'Internationalists'. The international ruling class is not united as the international proletariat is, in the sense they are all oppressed as one. If anything the current bourgeoisie is hand-in-hand with downright Nationalism, promoting the national unity and State power growth in their respective countries - Adverse to the first sentence of this post, Nationalism does not equate to isolation. No bourgeoisie from country to country is united as much as they are business partners.

[Dr Mindbender]

because workers in one country have more in common with workers in another country than they do with their local beourgious.

[Tower of Bebel]

Because it is a product and victim of (global) capitalism. It is its gravedigger.

[gilhyle]

Question needs clarification. Why the working class have the POTENTIAL to be internationalist is one thing, whether they are actually particularly 'internationalist' in this particularly state of the world is a very different question, and one that probably cant be answered for the whole working class one particular way.

[Apollodorus]

I believe Marx urging them to be may have had an effect.

[INDK]

I believe Marx urging them to be may have had an effect.

I don't think so. Marx's Internationalism was the Internationalist approach at Communist revolution. We all know the workers are far from entirely class-conscious. I think by 'Internationalist' we mean how the proletariat is internationally united as an oppressed class.