Latest update April 18th, 2024 12:59 AM
Aug 20, 2017 Letters
Dear Editor,
In a letter in the newspaper, dated June 22, 2017 and captioned “Workers need to develop class consciousness” I discussed the need for a special effort to learn the opposing views that may very well reflect our real interests. We should never forget that 90% of the means of disseminating information is controlled by the one percent who owns over 65 percent of the world’s wealth. I hope that in the intervening period some at least would have researched the concept of “cultural hegemony” if not i appeal to you to do so.
In discussions, I would attempt try to point out how while the present economic system was progressive at one time it has become retrogressive, in the same way as slavery and feudalism – past economic systems. Its inherent contradictions have become more acute (This needs to be discussed). I would point out that previous economic systems were exploitative and the present system is no different. The next possible one may also be exploitative but as with past changes it could very well advance the conditions of our existence as did capitalism.
The reality of the present system is that a minority has become filthy rich to the extent that eight person by next year would own more than the entire third world. Money is power it makes and breaks governments. Make any criticism of the present system and rather than examining the issue in an objective manner the inevitable response is, “look at the USSR, it collapsed”. They then conclude that because of this, capitalism is superior and would always be there. There is no discussion of the growing inequalities not only within countries but also between countries. They argue that state ownership is inherently inefficient ignoring so many countries have over 50% of their economy controlled by the state. This needs to be examined thoroughly.
There is no discussion as to why with technological advancement one billion people are without pure water. Or why ten million children die each year because of poverty; or why we have over 160 countries that are under developing; or why it seems that wars have become a necessary feature of the global situation. It seems that to ensure profits we have to have wars. The International banking system needs wars. It lends money to both sides.
We do not ask why with such advanced technology, the rich is getting richer and 1 billion people are without water and 10 Million children die each year of poverty related factors. Rather, the discussion goes right away to how socialism collapsed and how there is no freedom under socialism and how Stalin killed millions. With clock- work precision the discussion trends this way. They forget that world war two alone took 50 Million lives or the genocide of the indigenous population etc, etc.
Funny the workers who do not own and control the means of production and does not appropriate the profits defend capitalism. They hate socialism and they have swallowed lock stock and barrel the demonization of socialism. Socialism becomes synonymous with dictatorship/totalarianism while capitalism is synonymous with democracy. The only dictators in the world was Stalin and Castro. There is total forgetfulness of these dictators, the Shaw of Iran, Samoza, Pinochet Papa Doc and the list is long. I left out Hitler and apartheid all within capitalist countries.
They equate capitalism with democracy and socialism with totalitarianism. And I wonder why. For within my information base the capitalist world enslaved the world to build their economy. Remember Dr. Rodney “How Europe underdeveloped Africa”. I recall that while the west was fighting and convincing us how there is no democracy in the socialist countries, Blacks were not permitted to walk on the same side of the street as a white person much less have the right to vote.
But speaking about voting, after the capitalist class used the peasants to overthrow the feudal order and establish the capitalist order. Universal suffrage, ie one man one vote, only became the order of the day 300 years after. But wait this democracy was not introduced as something inherent in the system but was fought for by the blood sweat and tears of the working people. But we have been taught capitalism is synonymous with democracy?
Funny there was a time when a number of organisations were preaching that there were two imperialisms, Russian and American. They were telling us to utilise the best of both socialism and capitalism. The huge organisation, the Socialist International was preaching the concept of socialism with a human face. Then the USSR collapsed and the funny thing is that the politics of mathematics caused two imperialisms minus one imperialism to become zero imperialism.
All the organisations that preached two superpowers, two imperialisms, and socialism with a human face disappeared. Think, don’t you find this strange. But it is not as it is obvious that these organisations were created and funded by the same economic elites. I am simply chatting with you so that we can realise that the truth may be somewhat different from what we have been taught. For instance there is the history of the working class. Its organisations, its leaders and how they made history but this history was never taught to us.
There needs to be a discussion as to why the private sector cannot be the only engine of growth, though a necessary one, and why a tri- sector economy is needed, i.e. State, private sector and cooperatives, a discussion to utilise the best of both worlds. There needs to be discussions also as to why we are thinking Black and Indians. This is divide and rule tactics to weaken the largest interest group in the country, the working class. This discussion needs to be continued.
Rajendra Nauth Bisessar
LLB, BSc Sociology
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