The economic consequences of thirty years of neo-liberal economics are now manifesting themselves in their place of origin. Neo-liberalism, unfettered capitalism, free markets - give it the ideological cover you want - has long since made the poor, the working poor and the working classes pay for the hi-tech machinery, the communication systems, the riot gear, the armaments, the monumental piles of wealth ie the conditions of its own exploitation. Now like a dying sun eating up its own heavier fuel, the system is turning on the European population as profit rates start to seriously decline elsewhere in the world and prices begin to rise. (Here's some of what we are going to hear a lot of in the not too distant future - "Workers may have to accept pay rises that do not keep pace with inflation, Alistair Darling suggested today.Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning, the chancellor said it would be "disastrous" for Britain if employers started making pay awards that fuelled inflationary pressures in the economy")
Here in France, there is a general(ish) strike today over pensions and the increase in the working week. The bosses can only do one thing, the workers the other. The ruling class and their governance clique have to continue the pressure on the 'little people', ("In New Labour's Britain, the working poor are taking the hit for a free-falling economy, while the rich get richer. Already reeling from below-inflation deals and privatisation, public service workers face an unjust pay policy - a 2% limit, not just last year, but this year, next year and the year after. Six million workers are enduring four years of a draconian pay policy that applies only to them.") reduce the amount of pensions, real wages and 'pension time' whilst the workers can only respond by withdrawing their labour, generate solidarity across the field of exploitation and, eventually, form an independent revolutionary party.
Here in France, there is a general(ish) strike today over pensions and the increase in the working week. The bosses can only do one thing, the workers the other. The ruling class and their governance clique have to continue the pressure on the 'little people', ("In New Labour's Britain, the working poor are taking the hit for a free-falling economy, while the rich get richer. Already reeling from below-inflation deals and privatisation, public service workers face an unjust pay policy - a 2% limit, not just last year, but this year, next year and the year after. Six million workers are enduring four years of a draconian pay policy that applies only to them.") reduce the amount of pensions, real wages and 'pension time' whilst the workers can only respond by withdrawing their labour, generate solidarity across the field of exploitation and, eventually, form an independent revolutionary party.
The number of wars in the world has decreased in the past decade - the real war has only increased in intensity.
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