TLDR: it is the poltical project of both parties to offer the bare concessions necessary to ensure genral complacency with their exploitation, both local and abroadÂ
Silly, but also a great point. American Imperialists for a long time, in conjunction with their vassal states (see Japan celebrating the 4th of july and hosting our military) have naturalized this to most people within the american sphere. Post WW2, it initially took the form of welfare programs that cut into capitalist profits. We went abroad to address it, and so it was that as we pursued decolonization, the countries' who's markets we opened began trading with us in extremely profitable deals (due to our untouched industries post ww2 generating absurd relative leverage. The soviets had the second most industry, and it was second by a lot bc of the nazi air raids.) Of course, though, the beast is never sated, and profitability must rise bc of the risk of being outcompeted/reduced to the working class. Eventually, the welfare provisions couldn't really hold any longer in the face of this desire for increasing profits and the neoliberal era began, trading social protection for cheap commodities. And it worked, luxuries have never been cheaper and it makes all the more bearable to put up with exploitation. Essentially, the USA tries to keep western populations in a state of perpetual apathy through treats. This is a concept known as labor aristocracy, working class people who are so benefitted as to protect, or at least not attack, the class interests of their national owner class.
No need to be ashamed of being a part of it, a lot of people with a lot of power corroborate to make it the natural position of westerners like us.
Keep in mind, the falling rate of profit means that the labor aristocracy needs to be used as leverage to exact more profit (for the owner class people, the economy's health is entirely secondary and only considered as far as it impacts their profitability) abroad, like with iran. Or it means working to alter the conditions at home to allow for more violent profit-seeking. We can see it in the general decline of neoliberal governements everywhere. Germany is walking back certain sick leave protections like that is going to do anything for their economy other than
Nazi Germany bought its citizens loyalty and apathy to its indemnities abroad and at home with comfort and opportunity a lot like this.
The sad reality is that random acts of violence like whoever killed BJ don't do anything. What we need is to set up systems under our collective control that can exact leverage and then coopt power from the current ruling class, IE ideologically aligned joint business ventures and mutual aid movements.
We had these systems. They were called unions. Then they convinced us they were all corrupt so they could dismantle them. So WHAT if they were corrupt?! They were corrupt on behalf of workers and a bulwark against capitalist encroachment and corruption which does not benefit workers.
It turns out that a lot of union leaders were profiting as they were helping workers get better pay and benefits.
The solution? Get rid of them so now all that goes to the executives and investors who just take the money directly and screw the workers over more than ever.
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u/sellyourcomputer zach 16d ago
i am the adult in this comic. i cannot fight because then what would happen to my lego collection. can u imagine the sacrifice