US Capitalism. Its Political Monopoly comes apart. A new era opens.

A statement from Facts For Working People

US capitalist politics is receiving shattering blows. The US political system where the capitalist class has ruled in relative stability through its two party monopoly, the Democratic and Republican parties, is coming to an end. That is the significance of the crisis in the Republican Party. This party, unless some extremely unexpected developments take place is likely to be shattered into pieces in the coming period. US political life will take its place with the rest of the countries of the world where the old political balances and forces are being thrown into crisis with old forces disappearing and new forces being created. This reality is of the greatest importance given the fact that US imperialism is the most powerful imperialist force on the planet.  The underlying reason for the coming apart of US political stability is the crisis of world capitalism and the crisis of US capitalism and imperialism. 

For a century, US imperialism dominated and looted the rest of the capitalist world. In this way it was able to placate, make concessions to, a section of its own working class and prevent the development of a mass workers’ movement and a mass workers’ party and maintain the stability of its two capitalist party monopoly. However, over the past decades US capitalism has being going into increasing crisis. It has been unable to continue financing its imperialist policies around the world and keep its own working class at home at the standards to which it was accustomed. In other words, it was unable to continue to afford guns and butter. So for the past decades it has been taking away the butter, that is attacking the living standards of its own working class. It has been experiencing a process similar to that which Britain experienced a century ago. As British capitalism lost its number one position in the world it could no longer placate a section of its own working class, and out of this the trade unions were strengthened as mass organizations and the British Labor Party arose. We are entering a similar period now in the US. An unprecedented situation is opening up in the US and the world.

This is the background to why the US political system is coming under such strain and is cracking. But to look closer at the details. Some decades ago one of US capitalism’s two main parties, the Republican Party, began to appeal and draw in to its ranks, born again Christian elements. Their role was to do the grunt work. To appeal to this section of society the party had to adopt, or at least pretend to adopt, the most reactionary, insane and stupid ideas of the born again movement. Many people in this movement were low paid working and middle class people who were conned through this religious and social garbage into supporting the Republican Party. 

When this began to develop, the authors of this Blog explained that this would cause problems for US capitalist rule and specifically for the Republican Party. We explained that as the capitalist class attacked US living standards, sections of this base in the Party would rise in opposition. We were correct on this. However this has taken a form different than that we anticipated. We thought it would initially result in a movement to the left amongst this layer. In fact it has resulted in extreme confusion and even a movement towards the right amongst some sections around Trump. However we are the early stage of this process. A lot more has yet to come.

Trump is a racist sexist semi fascist politician. He has whipped up the frustration and anger of a layer of people in and around the base of the Republican Party. His road to this and to his now being the presidential nominee for the Republican Party, was paved for him by the Republican Party as a whole. While the Republican Party needed a mass base, and created one from the born again Christian right, the Democratic Party were more fortunate in this regard as the trade union bureaucracy supported that party, providing hundreds of millions of dollars and tens and tens of thousands of rank and file members as foot soldiers walking precincts and manning phone banks during each election cycle. The union leadership did this while at the same time collaborating with the bosses in carrying out  attacks on their members and the working class as whole, doing whatever the capitalist class asked of them.. 

Meanwhile, as the living standards of the base of the Republican Party, that is, the working class and lower middle income sections within that party, were being squeezed on all fronts, the party leadership was filling its pockets in Washington and corporate board rooms receiving billions of dollars from lobbyists for their efforts. They served the interests of the major US and world corporations in signing trade deals which were sending US industries and jobs abroad to low paid, dictatorial regimes with union and regulatory free environments.  In these climates, union activity is a life threatening activity.

A perfect storm was rising in the Republican Party. Its born again right wing base was beginning to rebel. This first took the shape of the Tea Party and then developed to where it has now reached the point where Trump has won the presidential nomination for one of US capitalism's two main parties. This was, and is a major blow to US capitalism. It is losing control over one of its major parties. One of the dogs that it bred and trained to serve its interests is now turning on it.

These conditions that led to Trump’s rise are in no way progressive. The movement around Trump is a reactionary movement which wants to take society back to a world where class, sexist and racist, oppression are the norm and in the process, where division of the working class is increased and therefore where the capitalist class can more decisively rule. The violent, aggressive way that Trump treated the women workers in his companies, how he racially discriminated in his housing complexes, and the slogan of his reality show: "You're fired" are indications of how he and his movement would treat the working class as a whole if he and his movement were in power. The working class would be grabbed, assaulted and fired. 

Since Trump began his run for the presidency, the authors of this Blog have maintained the position that it was very unlikely that he could win a presidential race. While he went further than we thought, winning the Republican Party nomination for example, we were right on this position. We were right because we looked at a few factors and especially the state of US capitalism, the balance of forces nationally and internationally, the balance of class forces nationally and internationally, and the developing needs and objectives of the newly evolving developing US capitalist class.

US capitalism wants to break down trade barriers so its capital can go where it likes and do what it likes. US capitalism wants to be able to dominate world wide without triggering a nuclear war but also without being continually bogged down in endless wars. We said that the decisive sections of the US capitalist were horrified at the idea Trump might be president. He was and is an ignoramus about world affairs and the balance of forces between the various world powers and the classes. He is unreliable and unpredictable to the extreme. An idiot, and an idiot who does not know he is an idiot, a creature who would be extremely dangerous if he got into the White House.  

For the US capitalist class, for US imperialism, we correctly explained that the decisive sections of that class wanted Clinton and were practically certain to get their wish. Clinton was and is a known commodity, long experience in working at the top levels of the capitalist class with close links with Wall Street and the financial sector, the military industrial complex, and with the increasingly important high tech sector and high tech capitalist class. And on top of this, she had the experience as Senator and also as Secretary of State in the Obama Administration where she represented US imperialism abroad and in that capacity showed her capabilities and her extreme ruthlessness.    

But it is not only this preference of the decisive sections of the capitalist class for Clinton that is bringing Trump to his knees. His extreme right wing racist and sexist and anti working class positions have come up against the sensibilities and progressive attitudes of the majority of the US population, of the working class and most of the youth and minorities; especially women. African Americans, women and all specially oppressed groups have not fought and made the gains they have over the past decades to allow them to be taken away by an ignorant thug like Trump. It is the position of the authors of this Blog that if he is not removed as the candidate of the Republican Party he will be defeated in the election. And this is without the big battalions of the working class, the 14 million organized in unions, and the hundreds of millions not yet organized moving into action.  

US capitalism has had relative political stability because it has had a political monopoly through its two major parties. The working class has had no mass party. US politics and consciousness has been dominated by the fact that its two capitalist parties ruled, dominated. When one could not rule the other was slotted in and things went on pretty much as before. But the authors of this Blog have consistently said that this would not last forever, that the US working class would rise to its feet and fight. We pointed out that as the working class was forced into struggle it would shatter US capitalism's two party political monopoly, this division of labor between the Republicans and Democrats, and transform the consciousness and US society.

This is what we are seeing now but in a more complex and complicated way than we anticipated. It appears that Trump will hang on and run in the election and lose. Even if he does not and he is replaced, he is likely to run on some other ticket and openly split with the Republicans even before the elections. Whatever way things develop either he or any replacement under the Republican ticket would be practically certain to be defeated. All out civil war is already developing in the Republican Party between the Trump wing and the elite established old guard. The most likely possibility is that the Republican Party will split. Whether before or after the election is not clear. 

Regardless of timing, a split with Trump at its head is extremely likely.  Out of this a new reactionary right wing movement and party is likely to develop. This could be the way the breaking of the two main capitalist party monopoly could take place. With the Republican Party dramatically reduced and a new right-wing party with a semi mass base rising, US politics, political life and consciousness would be transformed. This would especially be the case because of what would flow from this.

A new right wing party or mass or semi mass right wing movement, would evoke a counter action, a counter development. If there was the rise of such a new right wing party or movement, this would give rise to a new left wing mass movement or party. The youth, women, the minorities, sections of the working class, would be thrust into action and struggle to defend themselves. US political life would be transformed, US consciousness would be transformed and a new mass or semi mass left party would develop.  

The authors of this Blog thought that the two capitalist party monopoly would be broken by a new left wing workers party leading the way. But it is now very possible, in fact likely, that it will be broken by a new right wing party leading the way initially, and then under the hammer blow and threat of such a development there will be the rise of a new left wing party to counter this. The result would not only be a split in the Republican Party but also very likely a split at least in the base of the Democratic Party, as those from a more working class and union background who support it would be drawn towards this new Party or movement. Along with this there would most likely be a split in the trade union movement with some sections of the rank and file and even some sections of the bureaucracy going with the new left party or movement even while sections of the bureaucracy still clung on to the Democrats. A whole new era is opening up in US life. As we write, the US Supreme Court, the top legal body of capitalism, is being forced by events to consider ending of the centuries old tradition of keeping jury deliberations secret. This is in response to a Latino defendant’s claim of racial bias. All the important pillars of US capitalism’s are beginning to crack.

In Europe the developments of mass workers parties took different forms in different countries. In some, mass workers parties came first and developed the trade unions. In other countries it was the other way around with the trade unions coming first and building workers parties. Here in the US even though small trade unions already exist, it is likely that if the developments we describe here occur, even partially, it would likely give rise to a split in the trade unions and the rise of a left in these organizations. This is one way in which the US working class could rise to its feet. Such a development will be of worldwide significance. The US working class will fight and transform itself and build. The shattering of the Republican Party that is taking place before our eyes brings this closer. 

The inevitable rise of the US working class movement will be driven forward by the brutal economic, political and military offensive against such a movement that will be carried out by a Clinton presidency. The authors of this Blog believe Clinton is almost certain to be elected. This will "educate" a lot of workers and youth in relation to the Democratic Party and their so-called Party allies in the trade union bureaucracy, and will force them to fight. However, while saying this it is necessary to be careful. US and world capitalism is becoming somewhat unhinged and it is impossible to gauge exactly how events will unfold as there are so many variables. 

The assassination of important figures or politicians like Clinton for example would drive movements along many different channels, and it is not as if assassination of US political figures never occurs. If such an event arose it could certainly undermine some movements but on the other hand strengthen and create others. Climatic and nuclear events and accidents could also change mass consciousness and bring about mass movements. And of course we already have the many movements such as Black Lives Matter, the minimum wage movements, the environmental movements. US capitalism's political stability is coming to an end. This will affect events in every aspect of every American's life and in every corner of the globe.

The authors of this Blog have minuscule resources. The mass consciousness of the working class is an objective factor as far as we and all the self styled revolutionary groups are concerned, and at this time, with our few resources, we cannot affect the mass consciousness of the working class. This mass consciousness will be changed by events, by the crisis of capitalism, big spontaneous movement of the working class itself, environmental events, wars, possibly nuclear accidents etc.  This Blog’s inability due to lack of resources to affect the consciousness of the working class applies also to the Green Party of which we are part. It too does not have the resources to change the consciousness of the working class. 

The struggle against capitalism and imperialism is a struggle for the consciousness of the working class. Is a struggle to help the working class see that it can overthrow capitalism and build a new international democratic socialist world. It is to this task we put our resources. We seek to influence the mass consciousness through intervening in the movements and struggles and also trying to understand and explain these struggles. We do so also through our Blog. We would like to invite others to contribute to our Blog through writing for it and also donating to it so we can have greater reach and interaction with and discussion with and learn from wider sections of the working class. Only the working class can change the world. Only if the consciousness of the working class is changed can the world be changed and life on earth preserved. We ask for your help in spreading our democratic socialist ideas and interacting with wider sections of the working class. The old US two capitalist party monopoly is breaking down in front of our eyes.

Unprecedented opportunities now exist.