Why is it that everyone flies the American flag at the Occupy movement? Why is it that so many occupiers who consider themselves to be on the Left speak of “restoring” the American constitution? Do they not realize that they sound exactly like Ron Paul, who never tires of singing the merits of the Constitution, and whose campaign slogan is precisely “Restore America Now”? Why do so many occupiers feel the need to quote Thomas Jefferson? Do they not realize that Thomas Jefferson’s entire political philosophy sought solely to free capitalist commodity exchange by creating a republic of slaveholding plantation owners?
We live under capitalism. Good luck, therefore, in finding one single commodity that isn’t dripping in blood. What are you wearing right now? Fair trade coffee, indigenous handicrafts, and locally grown organic produce are petty gimmicks, but fortunately only the bourgeoisie is short-sighted enough to fall for its own tricks. They’re also the only ones who can monetarily afford to throw a bone to their conscience. We are all guilty, in a sense, just by living our lives. It could be no other way under capitalism. Religions, such as, for example, Catholicism or Westboro Baptist Church, would simply ask you to repent for your sins. But if you go down that route, you may well end up molesting children or irrationally hating certain people because of their bedroom practices. Just as there is no such thing as an innocent philosophy, there is no such thing as penance. Capitalism only allows two possible ways of life for the working class: Either you can bury your head in the sand, or you can consciously work to bring capitalism to an end. And we are not speaking here of the so-called “excesses of capitalism”. On the contrary, we are speaking of capitalism itself. How can “greed” be an “excess” of a mode of production premised on the inexorable self-valorization of private capital in the first place? Adam Smith himself knew this well. Only small business owners would try to convince you otherwise, but they do so precisely because the valorization of their own capital requires you to assign a use-value to that strange abstraction known as pity. But why should we pity them? Leave that to their friends at a Ron Paul rally. And where did the bourgeois bohemians of Occupy Wall Street ever get it into their heads that “Mom and Pop” are somehow closet socialists? Have they ever actually met a small business owner? Worst yet, have they ever actually worked for one?
Small business owners are not the friend of “the people”, and they are certainly not the friend of their employees. Small business owners are the friend of small business owners. They are at odds with big business, quite simply because big business is driving them under, but they must necessarily side with big business at every point against the working class. The primary antagonism in a capitalist society such as America is that between labor and capital. This does not mean that different strata within the realm of capital will not come into conflict with one another, because, indeed, the very notion of competition within a free market presupposes such conflict. However, it does mean that, at the end of the day, the forces of capital will side with one another against the forces of labor. This is why, for example, there are different factions and ideologies within the Democratic and Republican Parties. These factions are nothing but a reflection of the different strata within the bourgeoisie, the capital-holding class of large and small business owners. When push comes to shove, though, we all know damn well that the Democrats and Republicans are both looking out for the same interests.
And the same can be said of Occupy and Ron Paul: In slightly different ways, both represent a revolt of the interests of small business against those of big business. Neither position, however, represents the interests of the actual working class. This is primarily an internal struggle within the bourgeoisie, hence the yoga lessons. That’s why it’s time for the proletariat to start taking matters into its own hands. We may well start to see some action coming from the poorest neighborhoods of America’s cities, where there is very little interest in “restoring” the American constitution, and very little love for Thomas Jefferson.
As Dead Prez once said, with characteristic insight, “If you claimin’ gangsta, then bang on the system, and show that you ready to ride.” Hell yeah.
Prole Center
January 7, 2012
We just posted this article on our blog, as you can see from the trackback. Excellent criticism and exceptionally well-worded! Like you at Selecting Stones, we have had mixed feelings about the Occupy movement. Our understanding is that there is a radical strain within in it as well as some Proletarian and labor involvement, but the criticism is nonetheless valid. Our hope is that Proles will eventually take over this movement, or at least be spurred to action on their own. Time will tell.
selectingstones
January 7, 2012
Thanks for reposting our article.
Indeed, there is a genuinely working class element within Occupy, more visible at some occupations than others, but this element is, on the whole, quite small, and may continue to get smaller if Occupy finds itself too deeply seduced by the upcoming presidential election cycle.
Agreed on all points: Either the proletariat can take over Occupy, or it can move in its own direction. As you say, time will tell.
Justin (@inexorablewreck)
January 7, 2012
“Leave that to their friends at a Ron Paul rally. And where did the bourgeois bohemians of Occupy Wall Street ever get it into their heads that “Mom and Pop” are somehow closet socialists? Have they ever actually met a small business owner? Worst yet, have they ever actually worked for one?”
Excellent line of questioning. Small business owners’ goals do not differ from large business; they seek to maximize profit and minimize wages while capturing as much surplus value as possible (or, at the very least, are encouraged to do so by the tenants of capitalism).
Decrying all large corporations means rejecting many of the things we all benefit from on a daily basis.
Would a consortium of independently owned, small businesses be able to maintain the infrastructure of the internet?
Is there enough farmland in every area of the world for small, organic farms to feed the world’s population year-round?
Does every individual have the ability and knowledge base to be self-sufficient and operate their own gardens?
How are some of these solutions proposed by most anarchists any different than the social Darwinism that they decry?
Self-reliance is great for those who don’t have the ability or the means to be self-reliant.
Some areas of the world are constrained by climate and environmental concerns that cannot be overcame (except, perhaps, with the aid of large scale hydroponic farming operations which, while energy intensive, are not constrained by external environmental factors).
We have to realize that the resources of large corporations are crucial to handling the problems posed by a population of 7 billion; the effort must be to wrestle control of those resources away from the interests of the capitalist and place it in the hands of the worker, and that requires something other than marginally higher tax or wage rates. For every increase in tax or wage, we will accordingly see an increase in price (unless prices are fixed).
Occupy Wall Street replaces the terms “capitalist” and “bourgeoisie” with “1%.” They seem weary of any association with traditional socialist thought, but without declaring that intent or making that distinction apparent, they will continue to attract those who seek to sustain capitalism and while confusing those who don’t understand the real culprit.