[lbo-talk] Working class

[Charles Brown]

Surely,the divisions within the working class were evident to Marx and
Engels in their day, evident and important.  The divisions between English
workers and Irish workers were important, as were other national divisions.
Thus, the slogan "Workers of all countries, unite !"  By the prominence of
the slogan one can infer that overcoming these divisions was the number one
thing on the Marxist program. Marx also said with respect to the U.S.
specifically that labor in white skin will not be free while labor in black
skin is branded.

 
Similarly, today, we know there are divisions in the U.S. working class
based on race, nationality, immigration status, geographic location, income
level, and much more. Worldwide, the primitive accumulation of capital is
based on segemented labor as there was both wage-labor and slave labor at
the rosy dawn of capitalist production in the 13 and 14O0's. The division of
the working class has always been integral to capitalism, and necessary to
its perpetuation.

 

  Marxists presume that _objectively_ these divided sectors of the working
class have ultimate interests more in common with each other than they do
with any sectors of the ruling class, despite subjective divisions fostered
by the ruling class to divide and rule.  

 
The heart of class consciousness is understanding the need for class unity
vis-a-vis the class enemy.

 
Charles
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