What could these new revolutionary tasks be? It strikes me that unemployment and informal employment are major causes of poverty in South Africa, along with generally low wages. I would guess that this stems from colonial underdevelopment, in some regions more than others. Am I wrong?
Unemployment doesn't just impoverish you financially, it degrades you in other ways, for instance driving people into criminality. Can the state do anything towards creating a condition of full employment, at decent rates of pay? Can true socialised industries be created within capitalism, or, as has been argued here, would 'state capitalism' be a step forward? What is happening about the creation of street committees? Are they developing any of the character of soviets? Similar structures (communal councils) are being developed in Venezuela, but we get precious little information about them. I'm afraid that they may not be developing at all. James 2009/7/31 Dominic Tweedie <[email protected]>: > That's very clear and it's relevant. > > NHI and free education are reforms worth having, even if a lot of the work > is sub-contracted. Let's make sure to score both in the term of this > government. > > I don't think such reforms amount to Economism, though. > > What I was personally after in this discussion was to make the point that > the current apparent "wave of militancy", though it could "build class > consciousness and organisation", as you say, may actually not do so. > > The reason I think it may not do so is that the degree of class > consciousness is at some sort of peak, already. It needs an injection of > something extra. The working class needs new revolutionary tasks. > > The major industrial divisions are well organised and are well capable of > uniting behind a wage claim. That we can see. > > At 2 million organised in COSATU-affiliated unions, in a country of nearly > 50 million, there is a prima facie case for quantitative growth. That's > possible. But that was not my concern. I am concerned to see how the class > is going to be "seized" with new qualitative tasks. > > No doubt the COSATU and SACP Congresses, in September and December > respectively, will try to do this. Both should be given maximum critical > attention from this point of view. > > If the working class cannot be motivated towards new, revolutionary goals > then it will tend to fall back towards pure Economism, resting on its > laurels, and it will threaten to develop political organs to suit. > > Domza! > > VC! > > > James Tweedie wrote: > > I think it may have already been said in this discussion that > economist trade union activity can build class conciousness and > organisation - if it is successful. If it fails, for instance the > trade union leads everyone out on a strike which they lose - then it > has the opposite effect. > > I personally have had good and bad experiences of trade unions (and > not due to 'bureaucracy'), so I don't hold them up as the Holy Grail > of struggle. > > Where I'm from in Britain we have state-funded free universal > healthcare (the National Health Service) and compulsory free universal > education from age 5 to 16, with voluntary free education to 18 or 19 > (in preparation for university). I am a great believer in the > principles behind both, I worked in the NHS for years. There are, > however, a great many problems in how they are run, stemming from > government policy. > > Recently attempts have been made to privatise these services > piecemeal. What this actually amounts to is sub-contracting public > service work to private companies, who have the guarantee that the > taxpayer will keep them in profit. It is just charity to businessmen, > not true privatisation. > > Some people say that these services are evidence of a past 'socialism' > in Britain under previous Labour Party governments. But of course > Britain has never been socialist. These services were founded partly > because the Labour movement fought for them, but, like the post office > or the privatisation of the railways and coal mines following the > Second World War, because they were necessary to the capitalist > economy but could not be run at a profit. In other words, the social > democracy that the British trade unions have been fighting for since > at least 1907 is just another variation of the capitalist state. > > How much do South African capitalists need a well-educated workforce? > How much investment do they put into training their employees that > they cannot afford to lose a large number of them to illness? Are not > the majority of people employed in low-skilled, low-paid jobs, with an > army of unemployed waiting to take their places if they fall ill? > > James > > 2009/7/31 Thabang Ngcozela <[email protected]>: > > > to end > and a revolutionary organisation > > > > Date: Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:05:36 +0200 > Subject: [YCLSA Discussion] Re: Anti-poverty protests in SA ? > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > CC: [email protected]; [email protected] > > > There is no foreign hand behind the protests. South Africa along with > Brazil and Botswana is one of the most unequal societies in the world. > The majority of the people are working class, poor and black and they > are tired of the neo-liberal economic mess the country is in because > they are the ones expected to accept poverty, degradation and > exploitation while the new non-racial ruling class continues to live > the high life. Neo liberal capitalism is unable to resolve the > pressing questions facing South Africa, be it poverty, unemployment, > disease, housing etc. What South Africa lacks is good working class > leadership. > > On Fri, Jul 31, 2009 at 10:52 AM, Loselo Segwe<[email protected]> wrote: > > > Cdes > > My firm believe and informed by my exposure on the ground is that we are > now > or have entered a terrain of class struggle which was preceded by > National > liberation struggle. Untipoverty campaigns are signs of uneasiness from > the > people. This being motivated by the fact that whilst people are told to > wait > for service delivery and job creation - which is supposed to empower and > liberate people from poverty and incomeless conditions, they are at the > same > time almost watching helplessly whilst others are getting more richer > and > enjoying opulance life styles just across the street or even worse next > door. > Without sounding judgemental, our local sphere of government is also > letting > all of us down. Affirmative Action to me meant empowering our own people > with the neccessary skills, education and exposure over a period of time > in > other for us to better serve our people, affirm them and support them to > realise their life aspirations. Now what is happening some > municipalities is > just taking affirmative action beyond its worth. Cadres with no > education, > skills and training and in most instances with no support, are deployed > in > councils - sometime to serve certain cabals or to block others more > suitable > for the position (who might not neccessarily agree with us). > > Our revolution is under siege as from municipality to municipality we > hear > of strikes, demonstrations and picketing. These are signs that the route > taken is not sustainable, we need a total review and instill certain > revolutionary morals and ethics in order to move forward. The Cuban > revolution has been sustained by a high level of discipline, morality > and > good revolutionary ethics. > > Just the other day I happen to chat to one of the Cuban Doctors deployed > in > our country, what struck me was his clear understanding of why he was in > South Africa, why for instance he chose his career, why Cuban government > took policy decisions it took and why he must do his best to serve and > serve > with honour. > > So lets all work towards instilling a sense of pride, dignity and honour > in > those deployed to serve. Lets eradicate the greed that is now > characterising > some of our deployed cadres, the self-serving attitudes, the arrogance > and > laziness as well as entitlement attitudes. > > Lets do it for our movement cdes!!!! > > On Tue, Jul 28, 2009 at 5:29 PM, Sikhumbuzo Thomo > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > RC > > Well what l can say is that we are have a series of class struggles > during > this bargaining period nothing out of the ordinary. > > Comrade ST > > On Sat, Jul 25, 2009 at 5:31 PM, Rajesh Roy <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > Hello comrades, i live in India, we hear about the so-called > antipoverty > protests going on now in SA.. is there a foreign hand behind these > protests? > it seems like there is some well-planned conspiracy behind these > protests.. > > Rajesh Cherian. > > ________________________________ > Yahoo! recommends that you upgrade to the new and safer Internet > Explorer > 8 > > > > > > -- > Loselo Segwe > > Mobile: +27766383723 > > > > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You are subscribed. 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