Carrol
^^^^ CB: I've had this argument with Doug several times, and I'm not sure Doug is getting what super-profits, in Lenin's sense, is. It is not necessarily super absolute profits but profits above and beyond normal. Investments abroad is one of the responses of capitalists to the effects of Marx's law of the tendency of the rate of profits to fall (countervailing measures) Profits are made on capital investment abroad that could not be made in the US, because of saturation. This is "super" or above and beyond the profit limits in the US. Again , corporations that are able to do this are concentrations of wealth or monopolies. One capitalist kills many.
What does Charles Post say has led to opportunism in the US labor movement ? Walter Reuther, George Meany and Lane Kirkland opportunist/anti-Communist policies for the AFL-CIO are a historical fact; as were world leading wages and benefits for US autoworkers, steelworkers and other industrial workers.
The alternative explanation of this 1950's through 1990's history of AFL-CIO policies against class struggle trade unionism seems to be "super" productivity of US workers.
At any rate, Bob King of UAW , Leo Gerard and Richard Trumka seem to be forging a new policy including rejection of the "trade unionism pure and simple" or "economism" ( on these concepts,see _What is to be done ?_ by Lenin) of their predecessors. This article on Gerard indicates a break with economism or selfish , narrow focus on interests of a specific industry or shop and neglect of working class and political issues.
http://www.peoplesworld.org/video-steelworker-leader-honored-in-chicago/
Video: Steelworker leader honored in Chicago
by: Scott Marshall (former LBO-talk list member) November 16 2012
Leo Gerard, president of the United Steelworkers union came to Chicago this week to receive a Visionary Leader Award presented to him by Arise Chicago. Arise Chicago is an important coalition in Chicago that "seeks to build partnerships between faith communities and workers to fight workplace injustice."
Leo Gerard Arise Chicago from Scott Marshall on Vimeo.
Gerard gave a rousing keynote speech that was both a celebration of the election results and a call to action. He described the transformation his union is going through to respond to the globalization of capital. He also described how the union is changing to help organize non-traditional workers. He noted the steelworkers union's successful campaign to build a car wash workers local in Los Angeles.
Gerard put great stress on unions continuing to evolve more into movements for social and economic change. He said unions have to fight for all workers and their families. And he stressed the need to hit the ground running in the aftermath of the elections. To roaring applause he called for building even bigger coalitions of progressive organizations to resist any attempt to "balance the budget on the backs of workers." Post your comment
Leo Gerard, president of the United Steelworkers union came to Chicago this week to receive a Visionary Leader Award presented to him by Arise Chicago. Arise Chicago is an important coalition in Chicago that "seeks to build partnerships between faith communities and workers to fight workplace injustice."