Date: 18 Nov 96 21:51:37 EST From: neil <74742.1651-AT-CompuServe.COM> Subject: M-G: new voice dear friends, Gary O. is only partially correct that the election policy of the AFL/CIO of Sweeney/Trumka was "an an abject failure". He is correct if he means spending tens of millions of workers monies to support a legion of the bosses political stooges is detrimental and criminal and can never serve the interests of workers. But he is incorrect that this support for capitalist candidates is an "abject failure' for the pro wage slavery apparatus of the AFL/CIO . For them and the bosses they serve it is in fact money well spent because is helps keep the workers politically confused , in the dark , and relatively passive. This is exactly what the AFL/CIO and the corporations and the State want. THis way the results are: 1) workers can continue to be angry --BUT Demoralized so they don't see the need for a mass rank and file revolt- that being the worst nightmare not only for the corporate exploiters but the fro the Sweeney/trumka fakers too! 2) The level of class struggle remains quite low so the bosses (and the AFL hacks) can laugh all the way to the bank. (The stock market has hit 6300 so the pension and mutual funds of the unions and the bosses are still going strong). But this does not stop capital >from trying to lay their hands more on these funds so as to shore up any profit rate falls and bolster overall relative accumulation so they can rob more workers--and fend off the competition. 3) If the AFL/CIO keeps the workers tied to nationalism and the state, the state does 'reward' the AFL leaders and co. with government monies for , AID, AIFLD, Labor Dept. and other projects with the rich so the hackdom and their allies continue to reap political pork and wallow in THEIR OWN special priveliges. Meanwhile the workers in the ranks are supposed to kiss the flag, "cooperate with the bosses", keep production levels skyrocketing, kill their health , take the wage and benefit cuts , and all the accompanying layoffs and decimation of their lives and those of their friends and families. Actually the AFL/CIOs approx. $50 millions spent on the election in '96 and all the rest is disaster for the rankand file but a bonanza for the rich and their pet AFL/CIO leadership. The AFL leaders know which side their bread is really buttered on. It's we workers in the ranks who really need the wake-up call to start more organizing of our own fightbacks--against the bosses, & over and against their bribed union apparatus and the state -- and doing all we can to defend our own interests as a hostile social class. Neil --- from list marxism-general-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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