>History. I recommend reading up on the subject, especially the part about
>how the ruling class uses reformism to stave off the rabble.
>
>In other words, they had to kill off the IWW in order to make the AFL-CIO
>palatable for the masses. And when you've managed over the course of 20-30
>years to turn the party of the rich into the party of the people, you don't
>even have to bother throwing scraps at the rabble that is near revolt.
This is a bit confusing as the CIO didn't exist when the IWW was "killed" off (which of course continues to exist) adn the AFL-CIO didn't become such until 1955. As for the CIO being palatable to the masses? (It isn't clear if you really mean palatable for the masses or for the ruling class) The CIO was the leading edge of the trading union movement from 1937 to 1949 and didn't become palatable to the ruling class until the left-wing was expelled in 1949.
I don't think the formulation of the ruling class using reformism to stave off rebellion is a useful way of thinking about reform. It is a little to conspiratorial in my view. I think the ruling class does things that it deems to be in its interest, more specifically some sections of the ruling class are willing to make reforms of the system because they deem it in their interest.
E.G. the people who run the Big Three automakers want single payer universal health care in the US. Is this a reform to stave off rebellion or because they want the government to pay for healthcare so they can save billions each year? So...should we oppose single-payer because the companies would increase their bottom lines and presumably their power, etc. I think not.
Also, I find Marx's interest in the Factory Acts in Capital to be instructive. He is critical of their shortcomings and their failure to fully protect workers, but he is mostly interested in how they modify the system and in what direction they bring capitalism or how they "mature the process fo production."
Joel Wendland
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