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I've said this before, but kind of reminds me how the CEO and founder of Buzzfeed used to be a critical theorist, and wrote an essay about how "late capitalism not only accelerates the flow of capital, but also accelerates the rate at which subjects assume identities. Identity formation is inextricably linked to the urge to consume, and therefore the acceleration of capitalism necessitates an increase in the rate at which individuals assume and shed identities" using writings by Jameson, Guattari, and Deleuze. Kind of insane that he wrote about how the internet can perpetuate this, and then founded a company that did exactly that.
Stands to reason there are plenty of others, especially in positions of power in like the IMF and World Bank that understand Marxism, Marxist economics, and can use that to their advantage. Likewise, the reserve army of labor is a powerful concept that I can see those in the ruling class using to their advantage. I know American companies in Latin America would specifically create racial discord amongst laborers by shipping in black workers from the Caribbean to prevent labor solidarity. There's that Joe Biden quote about how if all the plumbers and stuff went on strike the whole country would stop. Those in power understand the game, and play it well.
Thank you. My hate just grew tenfold. Any more links and knowledge to fuel it ? I've rarely seen Deleuze and Guattari concepts used so "well", in terms of understanding and link to our current, urgent situation.
being a marxist-leninist in the tech industry gives me a huge advantage over the MBA fucks I chew up and spit out at other companies. I will never use my understanding of class against other workers, but I 100% use it when negotiating with businesses to come out on top.
Could you give an example? I've never been in a management position so I'm very curious on how it helps.
I'm still not following, specifically in terms of how you are using Marxism for negotiations.
Yeah, I'm still not really understanding what you are saying in terms of how you are using that in business.
“There’s class warfare, all right, but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.” - Warren Buffett.
Buffett's the one billionaire who I can listen to without ripping my hair out.
Bezos and Musk are fully aware of which side they're on, and are unwilling to make even the slightest of concessions. Gates is an on the spectrum idiot who's subscribed to oprah's book club. It's really only Buffett who is aware of what's happening...he understands the guillotines.
an on the spectrum idiot
This sounds like some shitty ableist insult.
Fuck I hope I'm alive the day some Martian worker who's read Red Mars one too many times blows Musk's smug face out the airlock.
There’s class warfare, all right, but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning
In his eyes he's a class traitor?
I think he's more warning the ruling class that maybe they should stop their rope-selling activities if they want to continue.
Last year at Thanksgiving I tried to convince the rich half of my family to vote for Bernie. One of my relatives, who may be worth tens of millions of dollars, said: "Put in a word for me when they send us to the re-education camps." It was honestly a pretty funny joke. These people do know about this shit, or at least they know the basics.
Awhile back I read an article in Jacobin called Four Futures that examines 4 different outcomes for capitalism. The outcomes are:
- Egalitarianism and Abundance: Communism
- Hierarchy and Abundance: Rentism
- Egalitarianism and Scarcity: Socialism
- Hierarchy and Scarcity: Exterminism
As far as I can tell, among the elites who are paying attention, 2 seems like the option they are pushing for, and this is basically what "The Great Reset" seems to be about. However, with climate collapse coming, I often wonder if 4 might be preferable for them. "Exterminism" would basically mean a transition to "communism", but for a very small group of elites who would have fully automated production and all of the planet's resources to themselves after they kill off most of humanity.
Yeah, I've often wondered the same thing. The elites are gonna have FALC all for themselves. What makes me think that's not really possible, is that the "elites" are a bunch of distrustful sociopaths, so after they've killed us all, they'll backstab each other too and all that will be left would be robots, rusting on a desert planet.
I have some dark thought about UBI eventually coming with the stipulation that you have to be sterilized to get it.
I will personally steal a predator drone to end the person that puts that forwards. What a horrible but entirely plausible thought...
not plausible yet but we all know how quickly things can deteriorate.
Theres also a book based on the article. I highly recommend it for "DSA-curious" types as an intro to contemporary American socialism.
Absolutely, it's like what Matt said, the only people in the world who have class consciousness nowadays are the rich.
I mean Pete Buttigieg and Kamala Harris probably both know some Marxism. Obama said he read Marx and other left wing philosophers. I'm sure plenty of finance freaks are well read in Marxist theory.
Not much to add, but I do think that the distinction of Marxism as a worldview/analytical framework from socialism or [insert tendency] as a political view. I'm definitely a Marxist, and it helps me see through western propaganda and understand the achievements of the USSR, PRC, Cuba, and so on, but I think it's important to take a critical look at the shortcomings of the l those countries and their leaders before making a practical application of their methods to my political involvement in my own community.
In short, this is a big reason why I don't jump into any particular tendency label with both feet.
I remember reading somewhere that right wingers like the Kochs,Heritage etc. used Combat Liberalism as a guide to organizing the conservative movement. The right is quite organized in the maintenance of their privileges.
It's basically necessary for them to understand it.
probably not, capitalism is stable as hell. the thing is socialism is not inevitable, that’s just wishful thinking.
