Feature Article Kenny Stancil, Political Science & Global Studies ‘13
Students of the Left: what it is, and why it exists Students of the Left is a recently formed group at PLU. We aim to study the left—radical works of history, geography, political economy, and social theory—and to provide a much-needed leftist antidote to the ideology and practices of neoliberalized global capitalism, the hegemony of which is best encapsulated by Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s nauseating remark that “there is no alternative.” Starting from the viewpoint that the pervasive injustices which plague our world are neither natural nor accidental outcomes of history, we wish to expose and critique how inequalities are systematically produced and institutionally maintained. We also wish to develop a language of possibility surrounding fundamental social transformation. We abhor the idea that there is no alternative. There must be alternatives to this dehumanizing system in which human beings are commodified and seen as disposable, while social suffering and environmental destruction are considered inevitable costs of “doing business,” and, perhaps even more disturbingly, are preyed upon as yet additional investment opportunities. Our desire to understand the historical-geographical context and the structural causes of oppression leads us to view capitalism as the source that produces and reproduces social misery and environmental degradation, not to mention erodes the possibility for democratic politics. Therefore, it is only logical that weare anti-capitalists.2 The capitalist mode of production is based on the exploitation of working people by a small group of economic elites. Members of the working class are forced to
1
sell their labor to members of the capitalist class (who own the means of production) in exchange for a wage. Despite the fact that it is labor power that produces surplus value, it is capitalists who subsequently appropriate it for their own purposes. Rather than spend away the surplus, which would surely drive him or her out of business, the capitalist is compelled to reinvest the surplus in expanded production. More surplus value is produced by workers, it is reinvested in new areas, and on and on the story goes. The endurance of capitalism depends on ceaseless expansion: a compound growth rate of roughly 3% is necessary to be considered “healthy.” This means that capitalists must constantly find profitable outlets in which to invest surplus capital. Endless capital accumulation thus depends on the constant production and absorption of surplus capital, irrespective of the social and environmental costs this incurs. The massive accumulation and concentration of wealth leads to a massive accumulation and concentration of political power. The capitalist class then uses its coercive influence to gain increasing control over different mechanisms of the state, the media, and other institutions like think tanks and (increasingly) universities, as a way to legitimize and reinforce its rule. There is a central and irreconcilable contradiction between the assumption of the capitalist system of economic inequality and the assumption of (neo)liberal ideology of political equality; the notion that political equality could exist without economic equality is certainly illogical. The political power afforded by extreme concentrations of wealth gives rise to plutocratic and oligarchic forms of governance,
The purpose of this piece is to outline our group’s basic understanding of the present situation and to explain our views and intentions. While I believe the members of SL would generally agree with what has been written, which is why I use “we” throughout the essay, I want to emphasize that all views, as well as any errors, are mine alone. 2 I say anti-capitalist to highlight the fact that there is a broad range of left alternatives to capitalism and to convey that there is no prescription for what a new society would look like. 1
6 The Matrix