Capital must accumulate in order to survive. It grows by keeping for itself the surplus value produced by workers after they have reproduced the value of their labour power, their wages. Surplus value is the source of all profit. The unending search for surplus value, for profit, is the motive force of capitalist production. In its restless search for maximum profits, spurred on by ruthless competition, each capitalist company is bound to attempt to increase its productive strength to the full.
Capitalism can produce only for profit. It is forced constantly to seek new ways to achieve the maximum rate of profit. Competition between rival capitals ensures the destruction of all capitals which do not conform to the blind laws of capitalist production. The bosses cut their costs of production mainly by stepping up their already vicious exploitation of the working class. They cut their wage bills by reducing wages and sacking workers. They also make the remaining workers work longer hours and they increase the intensity of labour.
Capitalists also reduce their wage bill by buying more advanced machinery in order to produce the same goods with less labour. The cut-throat competition between employers, particularly at times of crisis, means that eventually factories using outdated machinery will inevitably be closed down unless the owners can make a profit by installing new machinery, and have the capital to do so. In many cases they cannot. And so repeatedly the capitalists are forced by the laws of capitalist production to destroy the means of production on a massive scale and make thousands of workers unemployed.
At times of crisis management tell us to tighten our belts and slave harder for them, “in the national interest”. They try to increase exploitation so as to get the huge profit needed to start capital expanding again. Competition among the capitalists to minimise losses is very fierce. In this battle the winners as well as the losers lay workers off and further reduce living standards.
The government is an executive committee for managing the common affairs of the whole bourgeoisie. With the great sharpening of the crisis of capitalism on all fronts, governments inevitably plays a greater and greater part in the economy, whatever the desires of any individual particular capitalist on this matter. Capitalism is increasingly openly becoming state-interventionist capitalism.
As section after section of British financial capitalism tottered towards complete bankruptcy, more and more only the state provided massive source of funds to bail out the banks. Northern Rock, Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland were taken under state control whether it is called “nationalisation” or “government assistance” the essence of the matter is the same.
The Labour Party is a capitalist political party. This is determined by the class it serves politically and the class character of its ideology. The Labour Party is especially valuable to the ruling class in hiding the class nature of their control. In words the Labor Party claims to be the party of the working class but in deeds it serves the rich and powerful. The Labour Party is “the best bosses’ party”. By posing as a friend of the working class it can get the cooperation of the trade unions for its capitalist policies of attacking the working class, in a way that the Conservative Party cannot. Thus it success fully binds the workers’ economic organisations, the Trade Unions, into the capitalist system.
The Left-wing versus Right-wing feuds within the Labour Party are not accidental but a deliberate and conscious balancing act, essential if the Labour Party is to fool the working class to give into the demands of the employer class. Compared to the Conservative Party, the Labour Party represents that section of employers which favours greater state intervention. Although this is disliked by other employers. Between the two main political parties, the Labour Party is not “the lesser evil”. The Labour Party is the greater danger! Who are our enemies? Who are our friends? This is a question of the first importance for the revolution. Our enemy is the capitalist class and all those in league with them.
The main force in the socialist revolution is the working class. Capitalism brings into being and unites the working class into one great mass and teaches them to fight in a disciplined and united way. It is only the working class that is most far-sighted, most unselfish and most thoroughly progressive. Only the working class, the great majority of the people, can struggle for socialism. We place our trust in the people. The working class is always organising against oppression. The capitalist class is forever trying to grind the working class down, and where there is oppression, there is always resistance. Now the capitalist class is increasing the attack on the working class. A drive to break the power and influence of trade unions is under way. Wage, benefits and working condition gains are being taken away.
Labour struggles being conducted are mostly defensive - maintaining concessions won previously. Educational and social services and welfare funding is being reduced. This is a capitalist attack. The working class resists. True, the resistance is still scattered over many issues, but struggles are merging into mighty currents something activists should help to be achieved.
We are in a period of sharpening class struggle. Pessimists see only half the struggle, only the capitalist attack. The capitalist class has no alternative but to attack the working class’s life in every respect. And the workers are in struggle. Students no longer stand passive as they once did during the Thatcher years. Government workers defend their pensions.The private sector protect their jobs. There is deep distrust and rejection of the official channels into which the capitalist class tries to divert politics. The old faith in electoral politics is disappearing. The links are at the base, among concerned people in the grass roots of the various movements, organising horizontally or structuring themselves from the bottom up. Newspapers and television are read and watched cynically. The percentage of people who vote at elections is at a historical low point but social consciousness is deeper. There is a sense of mutual support and solidarity of each others’ struggles. New connections between the labour and environmental movements are being made.
We are not at the brink of a revolutionary period yet by any means. Yet now more than ever, it can be said that the workers question capitalism on a much broader scope than ever before. It is a time for optimism
FOR SOCIALISM
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