Revolution By and For Whom?

By: Victoria Smith

 

Times like this seem to cry out for some kind of revolution. But what kind, and more importantly, for whom?

We’re dealing not only with extreme polarization between rich and poor in mind-boggling ratios, but at the same time facing sharpening social confl icts caused, on the surface, seemingly not by class confl ict, but by prejudice against race (Blacks, Latinos, Asians, Jews, and Muslims) and nationality (immigrants and refugees). We might recall the history-making book, Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. Based on the author’s powerful and, I maintain, still much relevant and instructive critique of the political economy of capitalism, the author would say that our current social tensions all grow from the same root: class confl ict. For if one were to examine the deeper currents of contemporary social and racial prejudice, he would say that the discrimination and oppression against minorities is none other than discrimination and oppression against the economically underprivileged—or, in his terminology, the proletariat or working class. But I wonder whether Marx’s theory remains an adequate model within which to understand the social and economic confl icts of our times.

What may confound Marx, if he were still alive, as it does many of us, is why the US white working class appears to be politically and socially united with the economic class that systematically keeps it poor and powerless. An answer might be that the white working class—which, by the way, has been the traditional core base of the US middle class—has been consistently and systematically denied, since the late 70’s, of upward mobility jobs and resources for comprehensive education and self-realization, thereby having been denied opportunities to fully understand the real roots of its disenfranchisement. That it has likewise been additionally inveigled to fall for the historical lie often exploited by the ruling class during times of discontent, to wit, that non-whites and immigrants are to blame for all their problems—adds to the complexity of the problem. Marx would point out that the US white working class would behave according to its economic interests if it did not allow itself to be misled by the ruling capitalist class into believing, in the name of American democracy, that if it works hard and plays by the rules, it too would eventually enjoy wealth and power under the myth of trickle-down capitalist economics. And Marx would be right. Yet still, I wonder whether Marxism provides an adequate theoretical lens within which to understand our current political and economic divisions that signifi cantly no longer neatly coincide along class lines, but now also include race, nationality, and religion.

The latter—religion, is a factor. In order to survive, religious institutions have historically allied themselves with the ruling class—the economically and politically powerful. Despite common misconception, religious institutions are not so much about preserving realms of morality, but rather keeping the status quo that keeps their religious belief system in power. This has never been more apparent than in the current sustained support given by evangelical Christian churches for the present US president who is well-known for his feckless lack of morality in almost all matters, whose sole system of morality, it appears, is his unconditional dedication to the cause of aggrandizing his own immoral self. On this yet again, Marx remains relevant when he wrote that religion is the opium of the people, for the masses are deluded into complacency and resignation to their sufferings by a belief in a better life in the afterlife, that their earthy deprivations would be rewarded with heavenly riches only if they worshipped a particular god or gods and unconditionally obeyed their priests, pastors, or imams. While it’s true that many people would otherwise be bad were it not for religion, it’s also true that religion has been among the top causes for genocide in human history.

In the US, many have tried for the last hundred years to reform our society, economy, and government to make them more inclusive, fair, and democratic. Some of our greatest advocates for societal reform have been some of the most powerful politicians and economic titans in modern history. Yet, still they failed to fully institute the reforms necessary for avoiding our current climate of decay. Here, too, Marx remains relevant. He suggested that the ruling economic and political class would never voluntarily give up or share its wealth and power with the proletariats, and therefore it is necessary for the working class to take such power by force, or, in other words, by armed revolution. And yet we only need to be reminded of how the communists in the former USSR, China, Cuba, Vietnam, and North Korea have botched their socialist revolutions through their corrupt and abusive governments, thereby also forever tainting the real meaning of socialism which remains, to my mind, to be the best economic ideal by which all classes of people could be set up for equal opportunities to improve the quality of their lives. One must remember that socialism is NOT necessarily anathema to, nor exclusive of capitalism and democracy, as proven by many other countries that are able to balance the resulting hybrid political and economic systems, albeit imperfectly, of course, but in much better ways than the US has achieved. It’s an eye opener to see that in terms of economic equality, the US ranks way down in the world scale, alongside some of the worstrun Third World countries. (See, Robert Reich’s book and documentary, INEQUALITY FOR ALL.)

I regret to conclude at this point that the problem I see, in the end, is not the theoretical lens by which we can study and understand our problems, nor the social, economic, and political systems that humanity’s best minds, money, and muscle have achieved and established in various periods of our history, but human nature itself. Most people think human nature is good; some believe it’s bad. I don’t know for sure. What I do know is that it is both good AND bad. And that despite our best intentions, whatever new political, economic, and social system take over old ones everywhere in the world, the replacement systems inevitably unravel and decay into centralization and abuse of power by the ruling class—whether it be the capitalist class or working class. Why? Because human institutions which are supposedly established for human benefi t inevitably become, through corrupt human leadership, creatures dedicated only to promoting and perpetuating their own existence and power. In the end, they become, like corporations under US vs. Citizens United—“persons”. But persons ultimately devoted to only one goal: self-preservation to the detriment of all others, especially human beings.

What is the solution then? Do we just give up and become apathetic, caring only for our selves, indifferent to our fellow human beings who are suffering from grave social and economic injustices that are now breaking our democracy? Robert Reich appears to propose a nuanced solution in his book and documentary, SAVING CAPITALISM. Like Reich, I believe that capitalism despite all its ills—accepting that some measure of social and economic inequality will persist by the very existence of inequalities in human skills and talents—is still the most realistic basic economic system on which to build a society that allows most people the most freedoms for individual and societal advancement—if, and only if, it is tempered with the egalitarian ideals of socialism. Capitalism gone awry, dedicated solely to private profi t, is proving to be our Armageddon, especially since it has already successfully invaded our political, legal, and justice systems. In the end, I think the solution is not the bloody, armed revolution of the Marxists, but the highly smart, highly nuanced strategic revolution of true democratic socialist-capitalist reformers. They are smart and nuanced strategies because they take into account the corrupting infl uence and realities of human nature. I hope that in order to give these revolutionaries adequate power to achieve their goals, we Americans would not have to fi ght another civil war. Bloody revolution or peaceful reforms? Let’s hope our people choose the latter through the next presidential elections in November.

(All rights reserved. Copyright ©2020 by Victoria G. Smith. For more on the author and her literary works, go to VictoriaGSmith. com. “Like” her on Facebook at Author Victoria G. Smith. “Follow” her on Twitter @AuthorVGSmith)