Many Americans (and everyone around the globe, but as a dumbass Yank, I’m going to stay in my lane here) are seeing the current state of what 70ish years of neoliberalism has wrought on us: ever-increasing efficiencies at work, but none of the profits passed to workers. Wages stagnant compared to rising costs in housing, education, healthcare, and a host of other things considered essential to life in modern society. They’re seeing these things and asking my title question: “yeah, but what can I do?”
Capitalism under neoliberalism, our current state of affairs in the US and many countries, is a depressing and soul crushing existence. Gone are the days of the benefits our great and great great grandparents fought and died for. The boomers sold those benefits out and Gen X was/is more than happy to bury them for good. That means no more cheap housing, no more cheap or free college education, no more high (read: fair) taxes on the rich to fund social programs. Social security? Cut it. Medicare and Medicaid? Socialism. Cut them too.
The mantra is no longer “give the people a slice of the pie to keep them complacent and from overthrowing us!” from the capitalist class; it’s now “whew, sure glad my grandpa started work in the 60s to undermine all this socialist bullshit so he could ensure I live a life of luxury on the backs of everyone else!”
There’s lessons to be learned here. The most obvious lesson is: Capital can and will cave to the workers when put under stress. That’s how we gained the right to unionize in the first place and then later had a few (precious few) laws put into place to ensure a higher quality of life for future Americans. Eight hour work day, etc. Capital, the owner class, has almost all the wealth in society. They tell us we can’t have “nice things” like guaranteed healthcare for all or free college for all. We can. They just don’t want to give us what is already ours. That’s important to always remember in the back of your mind. You’re not taking anything from them. You’re reclaiming what is yours. This is selfdefense and retaliation against a class of people that took everything from you. If they surrender the stolen property peacefully- fair enough. Reddit won’t let me type the alternative… read up on Lenin or Mao for more on that. 🙂
So we know from history capital will give into demands because ultimately they must.
“But can I do RIGHT NOW!?”
What you can do right now is a few things. I’d say “step zero” is read and be educated on labor history and the history of revolutions either of the people or under the guise of “the people.” The Russian revolution being the former and the American being the latter. The second part to reading is while it’s natural to desperately want these things to happen right now, I’m going to be a bummer here and say: don’t expect it anytime soon. Now of course anything can happen in life, but right now, Americans as a whole have no concept of class consciousness. That’s not necessarily completely our fault. Propaganda and a lifetime of living under some of the most oppressive forms of capitalism to ever exist has broken far too many of us. But we can be mended. Consider this: every single American reading this right now that grew up in the US grew up under a constant bombardment of right wing reactionary propaganda. Yes, that includes democrats and CNN. They are center right wing politically. Don’t believe me? Listen to their vile rhetoric regarding the possible rail union strikes. They blame the workers for seeking what is theirs by right and not Capital for stealing it. That’s right wing bullshit. Yet, here you are. Here I am. We grew up under a system that told us “socialism has failed everywhere! Capitalism is the correct way! The military are heroes! Cops only shoot criminals!” and maybe we believed it for a long time. I did. But then I read more into it, and here I am. I saw through the lies just like most people who will see this post. Imagine how crazy that is? There is absolutely no organized left in the US and yet we found a way to end up at the right place in our minds. If I were one to make lame movie comparisons I’d say it’s like someone in the matrix realizing they’re in a simulation… it’s not supposed to happen.
If our minds can be mended and “deprogrammed” from this reactionary way of thinking we were indoctrinated into then anyone else can as well. And that’s the entire point of this post.
Unions.
Unionizing to create solidarity and CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS above all else is the goal. But not the end goal. Unions must be political tools. First you agitate to form a union (this is most Americans unfortunately). Then you radicalize those union workers. This will lead to better laws being enacted like in the early 1900s. Perhaps we approach something like the Nordic nations.
But that isn’t the end goal. We already got close to that once and they stripped it away. Even the Nordic countries and England, etc. aren’t safe from capitalism. Where ever capitalism exists it will grow and destroy everything including the people who exist under it. That means us and the entire world. Capitalism is incapable of restricting itself. It must grow and grow and grow and will absolutely destroy us if we don’t destroy it first. It’s already well on its way…
It will take all of us doing our part and remaining diligent to grow this movement. Maybe it seems small, but remember you’re an individual. Alone you’re small and weak, but together we can achieve so much.
Tldr: learn more, unionize, radicalize within unions, and then way down the list once the workers are extremely class conscious and know what must be and how it must be done, and only then, can a revolution of the people take place here.