The Trump effect | Links
In 2016, both the liberal establishment and liberal left received a very serious lesson. But they did not learn from it. Worse, they doubled down on implementing principles of political correctness against the backdrop of dismantling the welfare state and pursuing market reforms. The result has been an objective intensification of class contradictions, with no political representation for the interests of the lower classes. This gap made it possible for the growth of right-wing populism, exploiting mass discontent but directing it not against dominant economic interests, but against ethnic minorities, liberal intellectuals, external enemies, and so on. Of course, there is nothing new here. This is exactly how fascists in Italy and Nazis in Germany ran their campaigns in the 1920s — and successfully so. But there are two significant differences. The first is that in the 1920s, there was a strong leftist movement represented by Communists and social democrats. Yes, they quarrelled and obstructed each other. But they were strong and popular. Today, no such movement exists. The second difference is that in the 1930s, the far right managed to implement a program of regulating capitalism. Now, however, their program boils down to economic protectionism combined with creating a “free market for their own”. At best, they might remove cheap migrant labour from the workforce and close markets to cheap Asian goods. Such a program will not work. The paradox is that Trumpist economic policy is likely to destabilise global and US capitalism. Theoretically, this (along with the demoralisation of the left and classic liberals) potentially creates space for new class-based left forces. But potential and realisation are two different things. And let us not forget the prophecy of the Strugatsky brothers: “After the grey ones come the black ones.”4 If the political vacuum representing the working majority is not filled by an adequate leftist force, the consequences will be tragic. And if anyone thinks “the worse, the better,” they are also mistaken. Recall the slogan of the German Communists in 1932: “Lass Hitler kommen, nach kommen wir” (“Let Hitler come, we will come after”). Unfortunately, the price of such illusions can be unbearably high. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#33651): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/33651 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/109651081/21656 -=-=- 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/13617172/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
