>It seems to me that there is an unending pressure within capitalism for
>the narrowing of rights, while resistance to that pressure comes only
>from self=conscious independent mass movements.
Rubbish.
>Compare Marx's argument in _Wages, Price and Profit_ that the general
>tendency of capital is to reduce wages and that that tendency can only
>be controlled by constant struggle by workers.
>
>And on finding different words for different things. "Wage slavery" is a
>useful metaphor, but wage slavery is NOT slavery, and it is no
>contribution to the struggle to pretend that it is.
Slavery is not confined to chattel slavery and it is no contribution to the struggle to pretend it is.
Use of the term wage slavery is not intended to convey the impression that wage slavery is chattel slavery and it is no contribution to the struggle to pretend that it is.
Capitalism means slavery for the great majority of people. Not chattel slavery, because wage slaves can choose a master. But slavery because, as a rule, they cannot choose NOT to have a master.
Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas