Trying to borrow the authority of Marx has long been a gambit on the left. In the example at hand, we get extrapolations from a quote in the Grundrisse and from Marx's address to the First International. Of course, Marx had to tailor the latter speech to his audience of trade union officials and activists. He could not talk explicitly and bluntly about revolution in the Address. Marx emphasized working hours, a big issue in those days. As others remarked above, the movement peaked with the widespread although not universal achievement of the 40-hour week. Since then, earning enough to survive has taken priority. Often when hours are reduced, as when Walmart puts workers on call for a few hours a week, workers take another job or sign up with Uber.
And we hear nothing here about Marx's later and more considered view, namely, the critique of the Gotha Program. It was an inner-party document, where Marx spoke of the communist goal that "labor has become not only a means of life but itself life's prime want" – opposite to reducing the hours of work and dallying about as Oscar Wilde dreamed. Arguing from Marx's words is not a materialist method. And as here, when it is done, it is usually cherry-pick. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#30703): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/30703 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/100605945/21656 Mute #degrowth:https://groups.io/g/marxmail/mutehashtag/degrowth Mute #planning:https://groups.io/g/marxmail/mutehashtag/planning Mute #disposabletime:https://groups.io/g/marxmail/mutehashtag/disposabletime -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/8674936/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
