File spoon-archives/marxism-general.archive/marxism-general_1996/96-11-25.072, message 29


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 ---


   

Driftline Main Page

 

Display software: ArchTracker © Malgosia Askanas, 2000-2005