A world of extremes

[Hannah Bell]

WHAT KIND of year has 2010 been? Consider this story from Wisconsin.

Scott Walker, the Republican governor-elect, says he wants immediate concessions worth more than $154 million from unions representing public-sector workers to help close a $3.3 billion budget shortfall over two years. And if the unions won't go along? Walker says he'll put forward legislation to get rid of collective bargaining for state workers, and effectively turn Wisconsin into an anti-union right-to-work state.

In other words: Hand over the money--or else.

It remains to be seen if Walker could get away with tearing up union contracts, either legally or politically, but his threat illustrates the scale of the assault on the U.S. working class at its sharpest edge--the drive for austerity at every level of government.

Wisconsin isn't alone, of course...

WHAT CAN we do to turn the tide? The first point is to recognize the scale of the ruling-class offensive and its purpose. Otherwise, it's easy to become confused or demoralized about the lack of response--and the inability, so far, of those struggles that have taken place to stop the attacks.

The drive for austerity is the centerpiece of a strategy for resolving the economic crisis. Capitalism's age-old solution in an economic slump is to restore profitability and stability by forcing through a decline in living standards for the working majority...

The successes of the late 1930s were part of a process that began years before with a political radicalization that didn't automatically translate into activity, and then with people learning the lessons of defeated struggles that would help them win in the fights to come.

We face a similar situation today. We have to prepare for the battles of the future through the smaller struggles of the present, wherever they take place. Wherever we are today, we need to build up the organization of socialists who can participate in all the fights in society and look ahead to a new world of solidarity, democracy and freedom.




http://socialistworker.org/2010/12/15/a-world-of-extremes

[maryf]

1. first point is to recognize the scale of the ruling-class offensive and its purpose

This is a huge first step that many are stuck on. People must realize that the ruling-class does not have our interests at heart. Far too many apologize for the elitists as many of the ruled (especially those better off), somehow, believe that they will be able to become part of the 1%.