[lbo-talk] RE: Activism/Socialism in the US

Grant Lee grantlee at iinet.net.au
Mon Feb 9 18:52:13 PST 2004


Ulhas said:


> The welfare state can be more proftable if conditions are right. As Lukacs
says,"...insofar as the exploitation of the working class is shifting even further away from exploitation through absolute surplus value towards exploitation towards relative surplus value, which means that a rise in exploitation can even be combined with an increase in the standard of living of the workers." Conversations with Lukacs, p. 54, The MIT Press.
>

Two facts which Doug is fond of pointing out are: (1) the average income in the US is close to the highest in the world, and (2) this is accompanied by a mediocre GINI score. Taken together with racism (and other bigotries) these two facts imply _extreme_ socio-economic _stratification_, including what is, in world-historical terms, probably the archetype of an "aristocracy of labour". (Not to mention a sizeable lumpenproletariat.)

As people around the world "know," e.g. from Hollywood movies, this combination of things "work" well for the US bourgeoisie, the petty-bourgeoisie and the aristocracy of labour. All of this tends to detract from any interest in and pressure for a welfare state, which is perceived ---- probably correctly --- as increasing their taxes.



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