Many readers of my text seem skeptical about the possibility effectively organize the "double trigger transition" that I recommended: first a transition from capitalism to capitalism gray green, then a transition of this green capitalism to post-capitalism. The question, in fact, is whether the first phase will not make the second impossible.
is a legitimate question, especially in light of recent disaster capitalism announced in supermarkets (Carrefour Belgium, insolvency and the loss of jobs from 1600 to 3000 redundancies): the logic of capitalism does not actual weight to the "human resource", because even a "social" costs less than the maintaining jobs temporarily less profitable. Why? Simply because the social plan is negotiated with the government and unions, and the bargaining power of these local actors is planed face of large groups can move their capital in a playground has become global. The Walloon minister's speech this morning at Andre Antoine RTBF radio confirmed the inability of policy makers: if Carrefour hand, it will try to find "buyers" but what do you think those buyers are going to do? Gently put the stores up and running and keep current employees? Nothing is less certain, even if the buyer is Walloon: what determines his behavior is not his nationality or regional identity, but its quality great capitalist .
Green Capitalism will not change this fact. I wrote in my text and I maintain it. But then I asked you, why advocate still a first transition to green capitalism? My response is mainly pragmatic: at least to mislead me completely on the relationship of forces (and here, believe me, I'd be happy to have me watch my mistake because it would be really liberating!), The current movements Citizens of the base are not yet sufficiently equipped to perform alone direct transition from capitalism gray to post-capitalism. They would have multiple holdings - including land, new jobs and capital, but also and especially new economic and social rights - to be able to operate at once a complete disconnection with respect the whole logic of the present capitalist social democracy. I think that these allocations do not exist today, and they can not be generated without passing through a green capitalism readily socialized and "harnessed" by governments in order to finance and support more soon as possible post-capitalist initiatives .
And it is there, obviously, that hurts ... For one can rightly wonder what team of elected officers shall have the political courage enough to tell the color of the players that green capitalism, moreover, it will support and stimulate. Which national government, regional or local level have the courage to say "investors" (read: financial-economic groups in search of pools of labor to operate) it wants to "attract" (translate: he who wants to offer an exploitable labor cost) than they will reap the profits will be taxed to support alternative economic initiatives? Or if he has the courage, what government will then suffer the consequences, that is to say, a flight of capital to areas more docile? The underlying issue is that of redefining the green capitalism itself: not a kind of neoliberal capitalism, but a sort of "public-private partnership" very tentative and very box that could allow to "play "with the currently dominant logic, just time to move beyond it.
You do not really believe? I can not give you completely wrong. The current power relations, in effect, give more desire to give voice, banging on the table, to rebel violently. But perhaps he should, prior to vilify the idea of a transition with double trigger, wondering about the role that could play the basic citizen movements and unions.
The central imperative is to push our policymakers to exploit the green capitalism the best possible manner to serve as a springboard to the second transition - one that really matters. For this, we must leave no doubt that the threat of disorder and social chaos or even real, and maintained. This is one of the traditional roles of unions, and it is more important than ever. What seems to be missed, however, in the present situation, a vision updated in the name of what this threat of disorder and chaos must be maintained. On behalf of a social model future? Continuing the project of capitalist exploitation of labor, forms green rather than gray? If that vision, not surprising that the idea of a double transition does not recipe.
But unions could possibly ally (even more than they do at the moment) with citizen movements of the base, exactly. Instilling social struggles immediate horizon wider can reinvigorate and courage to Wrestlers often tired of the daily obstacles that they face: the balance of power, cynicism, hypocrisy, double talk, deafness vis-à-vis, economic imperatives coming from outside and uncontrollable, etc.. The wider horizon which can now feed the social struggles in the workplace is simply the class struggle - or, rather, is a vision deeply renewed class struggle : transition to a multitude of citizen initiatives post-capitalist would take the place of the old set, which was otherwise the seizure of political power by the workers, at least the consolidation of social democracy to "pump" capitalist profits to fund public services, education, unemployment, health care and pensions. In the immediate future, this aim can hold some validity, but we know at the same time, wanting to stay "in" capitalism but by pumping resources, you end up wanting to stay "inside". However, under the founder of socialism was well pumped up the resources of capitalism can do without him - and that's exactly what the transition from capitalism to the green post-capitalism would try to do. The world
current union knows maybe not sufficiently transition initiatives non-salary and non-capitalist that already exist. (See especially the book Nowtopia Chris Carlsson, as I mentioned in a previous article which claims to offer "a new labor policy.") Can easily initiate it by placing more attentive movements of ordinary citizens, notament within the growth target. In contrast, "people in transition" does not have a sufficient strategic leverage in the business community and state capitalist classic, and do not look quite active these levers so sometimes they live in isolation, without seeing that Most workers does not even know the alternative post-capitalist most promising. This is where unions can play an irreplaceable role in relays and even active support, the threat of social chaos if the post-capitalist transition would be set aside, even opposed, by our economic and political leaders .
Why not work urgently for a strategic rapprochement between the union and that "citizens in transition", so as to prevent the second expansion of the transition moves to the door and that our bosses and our Politicians do we lock in the first? Both unions and citizen movements would gain by being forced to change their ways of seeing and doing things. If the transition post-capitalist must have a chance, it is certainly in this renewed alliance between unions and public policy basis our greatest hope.
0 comments:
Post a Comment