From: "Charlotte S. Wellen" <cwellen-AT-pen.k12.va.us>
Subject: US Profits and the Labor Aristocracy
Date: Tue, 20 Aug 96 14:05:28 EDT


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Greetings to all comrades from Wei En Lin.
Subject:  Maoist Analysis of US Profits



The Maoist International Movement recently asked:

"Are you meaning to tell us that US. imperialism
owes the superexploited Third World and exploited
and oppressed internal semi-colonies less than
the profits listed below? That some of that comes from
the white workers as unpaid labor? Or is it that you
agree with MIM scientifically, but you don't give a damn
about reparations, so you proceed representing the
labor aristocracy?

"You are on record saying
the Third World produces little value while
of course sidestepping what we said about
oppressed nations within US. borders. We've
already proved that it's impossible for these
profits to come from anywhere but the Third World
and internal oppressed nation workers, but go ahead
and prove that they do come from white workers.
Whether you ignore the question or mangle it,
you will only prove your political bankruptcy.

"Lay it out how much you think is owed the
Third World workers and how much is owed immigrant
and oppressed nation workers of imperialism out of the
profits and excess executive compensation. We at MIM
are confident it exceeds 100% of below.  But go ahead
Doug; prove your point."


It is difficult to calculate the exact amount of
value which has been extracted from third world
workers by the transnational corporations.  But
any calculation must include not only a consideration 
the profit rates of corporations.  The IMF loans to
third world countries have been subsidies to multi-
nationals paid by the taxes imposed on third world
workers.  


'These practices, along with the
programs dictated by the International Monetary
 Fund and World Bank, have helped double the
gap between rich and poor countries since 1960. 
Resource transfers from the poor to the rich
amounted to more than $400 billion from 1982 to 
1990, "the equivalent in today's dollars of some
six Marshall Plans provided by the South to the 
North," observes Susan George of the
Transnational Institute in Amsterdam; she notes
 also that commercial banks were protected by
transfer of their bad debts to the public sector. 
As in the case of the S&L's, and advanced industry
generally, "free-market capitalism" is to be risk-free 
for the masters, as fully as can be achieved. '

--Noam Chomsky


Most Americans seem to be unaware of these
facts.  In fact, most Americans believe that the
US is doing everything it can to benefit the poorer
countries.  The word 'colonialist' or imperialist
has no meaning for the average American worker
as far as I can tell.  It should be the job of all activists,
educators, and teachers to tell the people not only
about the facts of Corporate exploitation of the 
American workers, but of the unfortunate fact
of the existence of a labor aristocracy in the 
advanced industrialized world.  Yes, many American
laborers benefit from Third World Exploitation.
The point is not to blame the rank and file US workers.
The point is to make them aware.  BOTH U.S. and 
Third World workers should gain democratic control
of the means of production in their own respective spheres.
I do not care about the silly argument as to whether the
Euro-American proletariat or the Third World proletariat
is the true vanguard as much as I care about the fact 
of exploitation in both regions.

The point is not to divide, but to unite the working class.
Many of these arguments between the various self-proclaimed
advocates of working class democracy are destructive. 

Sincerely,

Wei En Lin


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