The Dilemma of the Working Class
The working class is the only force, domestically and internationally, that can defeat the ruling oligarchy and its corporate capitalist dominated government. Of course, this must be accomplished to save and liberate the masses of society, and the world itself, from the devastating effects of the profit-driven exploitation of human and natural resources. Unfortunately, here and elsewhere the working class is unprepared to take on its historic role.
US corporate capitalism with its neoliberal ideology has held absolute power over our government, politics, and economy for the last 45 years. The extent of the owner-class rule of our government has waxed and waned some over the centuries, but it has always been dominant. That does not mean it is invincible, but it will take a politically conscious and informed populus to break through its dominance and control. Deliberately arranged poor public education and pervasive ruling class propaganda disseminated by a wholly corporate-captured mass media successfully prepares Americans to be receptive to a neoliberal social/political agenda that directly conflicts with their welfare. These conditions explain why it is difficult to raise public class consciousness and to organize people to fight to liberate themselves from oligarch rule.
Class consciousness refers to the recognition by working people that they have nothing in common with the owner class and that they share the condition of having their labor exploited. The rulers actively work to prevent class consciousness by promoting artificial divisions among workers to create envy, hostility, and racial animosity, among other things. When groups of workers hold antagonism against one another, they are less likely to recognize their common circumstances, therefore less likely to unite against a common enemy. The activists’ task of raising consciousness involves educating workers about their natural conflict with the ruling class, the tactics used by the rulers to keep them divided and the importance of unity in building the power to end the rule of capital, a role importantly played formerly by unions. Essential concomitant tasks of leftists in this period are: to achieve participatory citizenship education in pubic schools nationwide, and to exponentially grow local and national public and independent media to compete with the managed news offered by the main stream media.
At the beginning of the nation, to protect landowners such as themselves, our Founders raised the fear of “too much democracy” as a justification for creating a representative government that was easy to manipulate in their favor. The US has never had a People’s Democracy. Of course, participatory democracy IS possible, and local council government DOES exist in socialist countries and, for example, in autonomous, self-governing regions such as the large area of southern Mexico controlled by the Zapatistas.
Here in the US real democracy is not currently possible because our capitalist economic system is incompatible with people’s democracy. It and the governing structures that support it must be completely removed for real democracy to exist. A mature, organized radical left is the force that can build the workers movement that will achieve a people’s democracy here.
