Version 3 why 'class struggle' and 'revolutionary politics'

Why 'class struggle' and 'revolutionary politics' is the way forward in Pakistan, and why the reformist left is not good enough as an alternative to the status (quo) in Pakistan Not all by Riaz Ahmed Associate Prof Dept of Applied Chemistry Karachi University

History

• History of every class society is a history of class struggle – Karl Marx

Parts of this talk • • • •

Class Class Struggle Reformist Politics Revolutionary Politics

What do we mean by class?

– Politicians and media pundits • class no longer exists.

• Yet most people feel -- society defined by class.

• Superficial Definition • 6 percent “elite” class • “precariat” at the bottom.

– In between “established middle class, new affluent workers, the traditional working class and emergent service workers.

• class reduced to individual consumer choices

Marxian Definition of Class For Marxists class is a dynamic social relationship between people who exploit others and those who are exploited

Marxian Definition • Ruling Class – Owns means of production – Employee workers – Maximizes profits – Pays workers less than value produced

• Working Class – No other way of living – Sell their ability to labour

• Inherent Tension – Ruling vs Working – Struggle & tension built into the relationship that lies at the heart of the societies

Capitalist Model

State

Economy

Allocation of Resources and Control of Production and Distribution

Civil Society

Pierre Bourdieu • French sociologist • “cultural and social capital” • Class power – – social advantages of the ruling class, such as education essential – ‘social capital’ – friends in higher places!

• Social network – determining feature?

• Answer – trappings of class

• Changing working class?

– Automation, flexi work, job sharing

Changing Working Class Capitalism “stripped of its halo every occupation hitherto honoured.

“It has converted the physician, the lawyer, the priest, the poet, the man of science, into its paid wage labourers”. Karl Marx

Reformist Politics

The World We Live in ---Is a Reformist World •

War and Economic Crisis •

Integral part of the capitalist system • •

•

•

Marx also called the army the “slaughter industry”, and it is dependent on real industry.

One hierarchy fits the other hierarchy.

Production, over-production, search for markets, war, production…

Two choices • • •

Be put up with the ‘system’ Overthrow it!

Jehangir Tareen, Aleem Khan, a cricketer part of the system!

Crisis of Reformism •

CORRUPTION! •

•

Under-Development •

•

Already Rs1500 billion/yr dev budget and $2 billion of loans have over-developed the ruling class

Looming Dictatorship •

•

Corruption is built into the Capitalist System

A last resort for the Pakistani capitalist

War on Terror •

Already waged on 3/4th of Pakistan with no end in sight?

Revolutionary Politics

Revolutionary Solution • Expropriate the capitalists •

the working class must take political power.

• Existing state machine in Worker Control?

• •

– that’s Reformism present state mirrors the hierarchical structure of capitalism.

• Smash this hierarchical state machine • replace it with a state with no standing army, no permanent bureaucracy, all officials are elected and can be removed – equal wage.

(Marx, Paris Commune)

Organise to Overthrow Capitalism