WHAT ANARCHO-SYNDICALISTS BELIEVE:
Why class struggle and revolution
from below?
Capitalism and the State are based on the
exploitation of the many by the few- the ruling class. These
structures are also the main cause of special oppressions like
racism. Capitalism, the State and all forms of oppression must be
fought and ultimately replaced by a democratic stateless socialist
(anarcho-syndicalist) system. This task can only be successfully
accomplished by the working class, the poor and the working
peasantry.
WHAT ARE CLASSES?
Society is divided into different classes. By "class", we mean a
group of people with a common relationship to the structures of
political and economic power.
The biggest class in South Africa is the working class. It
consists of manual and white collar workers and their families, farm
workers, service sector workers, labour tenants, the unemployed poor,
rank-and-file soldiers, and the marginalised youth. All these people
lack political and economic power. They do not own the means of life-
factories, land, offices etc. They are therefore dependent on wages
earned by working for the bosses to survive (either working
themselves or being supported by a family member).
The other key class in society is the ruling class. It is made up
of the bosses (large capitalists), top military officials like
generals, and top government officials (like directors and
professional politicians). This class owns all the land and
factories. It makes profits by exploiting and oppressing the workers
and poor. This is called capitalism. It also has political power in
that it controls the State (army, police, government departments,
parliament). The State acts to defend this class.
There is also a third class- the middle class. This is not
everyone who gets a good wage! It means those who stand between the
two key classes: small capitalists who only employ a few workers;
middle level management; and professionals (like lawyers). This class
is caught in the middle of the class struggle and is divided over
which key class it supports. But its privileged position tends to
make it conservative.
Finally, in some countries there is also a class called the
working peasantry. This refers to small family farmers who do not
employ wage labour. This class is the natural ally of the working
class and has the same enemies- the ruling class.
WHY REVOLUTION?
Both capitalism and the State are tools of the ruling class. They
are anti-democratic structures that out the needs of the few ahead of
the needs of the many (see separate article on "Why do we oppose
capitalism and the State?"). They are the key cause of racism- racism
was created to divide workers, justify genocide, slavery, colonialism
and apartheid-capitalism. Racism can only be finally defeated with
destruction of capitalism and the State. Capitalism and the state
cannot be reformed- they must be abolished.
CLASS STRUGGLE?
We believe that the only people who can achieve these tasks are
the working class and the working peasants. Why?
Class struggle is central because it is the struggle of the
majority- the working and poor people.
The ruling class and the working class have totally opposite
interests. The rich get richer at the expense of the poor; every gain
the working class is at the expense of the ruling class. This leads
to a struggle between the two key classes which we call the "class
struggle". Only the working class and peasantry can create a free
society because only these classes are not based on exploitation.
The majority of people are working class and therefore have a
direct interest in opposing capitalism and the State. That is why
most people are actually engaged in class struggle, through actions
like strikes, squatting unofficially, land invasions, rent boycotts,
getting back at the boss etc.
FACTORIES
The class struggle is central because it is as workers that we
have the "social power" to fight back- we produce all wealth and
goods under capitalism, which means that we have the ability to hit
the bosses where it hurts - in the pocket- by workplace actions.
The class struggle is central because our experience under
capitalism forces us to organise as a class. Workers are often
concentrated in large factories and face similar conditions- this
makes it easy and vital to organise mass struggle. fighting
structures like trade unions, Large working class neighbourhoods and
schools have a similar effect.
COMMUNITY ACTION
Class struggle is not just about factory resistance, although this
is essential- it is about every action by working and poor people to
resist the bosses and rulers.
For example, in the community, workers pay rent to local
government. This local government is thus just like any other
landlord- wanting the most rent for the least services. To resist it
is an act of class struggle. For the poor to occupy land held by the
rich is a class struggle.
This does not mean that we are in favour of the "whole community"
( everyone from workers and the unemployed to local business-men and
"leaders") being mobilised. We are opposed to any attempt to bring
bosses and elites into our struggles. Poor people must do it for
themselves- to build an alliance with the rich and powerful means to
sacrifice the struggle against the rich and powerful to confusion and
treachery.
As for the middle class, we recognise that it will split before
and during revolution. They can join the struggle- not as leaders and
intellectuals giving orders, but as comrades who come to repay a debt
to the masses, and honestly rejecting the privileges of their class.
RICH SCUM
It is therefore in the interests of the working class to resist
the current system. By contrast, the ruling class fights to defend
capitalism and the State, and is thus guilty of all products of this
system. The power and wealth of the few depends on the poverty,
powerlessness and oppression of the many. So it is clear that these
bosses will never act to progressively change society- they will
agree to reforms if forced to do so; revolutionary change will be
opposed tooth and nail. It is therefore rubbish to talk about the
"progressive" bourgeoisie or to put our hopes in any famous member of
the ruling class- they are all rich scum.
FIGHTING OPPRESSION
Class struggle is central because it is the key to defeating
special oppressions such as racism and sexism. By special oppression,
we mean forms of oppression other than class exploitation.
To defeat our enemy we must understand it. Oppression does not
fall from the sky- it is rooted in capitalism and the State- it is a
tool to divide the working masses and super-exploit less socially
powerful sections of the masses (like women and Blacks).
This means that oppression can therefore only be defeated by a
struggle against capitalism and the State. Only a stateless socialist
society can end the causes of racism and provide redistribution to
the victims of racism by putting human need before profit.
Only the working class can win this struggle against the ruling
class because only it has the numbers, power and interest to destroy
capitalism and the State.
Rich Blacks may not like racism, but they do like capitalism and
the State and will therefore fight to defend these structures.
Strange as it may seem, they therefore defend the causes of racism.
Perhaps it is because your class affects your experience of
oppression- the Black elite can go to fancy schools and live in nice
houses, the Black working class cannot. The majority of people
affected by special oppression, and those who in fact are affected
the worst, are working/ poor people, with class grievances against
the system.
ONE STRUGGLE
The fight against racism and other oppression is thus not
something separate to the class struggle- it is central to the
struggle of the working class. As mentioned, the struggle against
racism requires a class struggle against capitalism and the State.
And successful class struggle requires maximum unity amongst the
working class. So it requires overcoming the divisions created by the
bosses. This includes racial, sexual and national divisions. Special
oppression like racism is against the interests of all workers as it
divides and weakens the workers struggle, resulting in worse
conditions for all workers. Class unity is in the interests of all
doubly oppressed groups as it provides the unity and solidarity
required to win gains and defeat the root cause of racism- capitalism
and the State.
Successful class struggle requires the mobilisation of as many
people and strata of the working class as possible. This requires a
programme that mobilises people around all issues that affect all
sectors of the working class: racism, wages, rents etc. In other
words, the class struggle can only succeed through mobilising and
uniting the working class on the basis of opposition to all forms of
oppression and exploitation. In other words, the struggle against
capitalism and the State requires a struggle against racism and all
oppression, and the struggle against racism and all oppression
requires a class struggle against capitalism and the State.
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