As we go to the elections there is unprecedented anger against the capitalist politicians and parties but because the union leaders refuse to break with the capitalist parties and build a mass working peoples party this anger cannot find an articulate expression. In the vacuum we have the phenomenon like the Tea Baggers, the idiots like O'Donnell, Angle, Beck and Palin. Even the capitalist class to whom these people are totally dedicated are worried about their unreliability. The union leaders refusal to act is a disgrace. They have forfeited their right to lead.
In 2005 the National Academies, a group of the top scientists in the US, was asked by a number of Senators to draw up a study spelling out what steps should be taken to make the US competitive in the new century. Their study was published under the heading: "Rising Above the Gathering Storm." A follow up report was issued this September. It was entitled:"Rapidly Approaching Category 5." These titles give an idea of how bad these scientists thing things are.
Charles M. Vest, former MIT president recently made some comments on these studies. "The conclusion has to be that in spite of the efforts of both those in government and those in the private sector, the outlook for America to compete for quality jobs has further deteriorated over the past five years." An article in the New York Times dealing with this had the author saying with some sarcasm: "But we are number 1." He then goes on to look at the situation of US capitalism relative to its rivals.
"The US is sixth in global innovation based competitiveness, but only 40th in rate of change over the past decade, 11th amongst industrialized nations in the fraction of 25 to 34 year olds who have graduated from high school, 16th in college completion rate, 22nd in broadband Internet access, 24th in life expectancy at birth, 27th amongst developed nations in the proportion of college students receiving degrees in science and engineering, 48th in quality of K-12 math and science education and 29th in the number of mobile phones per 100 people." Vest is quoted as saying: "This is not a pretty picture and it cannot be wished away."
To get this full report you can Google it.
We are almost at the end of the election campaign. When have you heard a candidate discuss these issues, this report of its top scientists? No it is just garbage and junk to divert the attention of people from the crisis that is enveloping US capitalism. US capitalism is in economic crisis, it is in a military crisis in its two wars and it is in a political crisis because it does not have a party or parties that can convince people what has to be done in its own, that is capitalism's, interests. And now its political crisis worsens as its main Party the Republicans falls more and more under the influence of the Tea bagger movement. This movement is made up of all kinds of strands, it is not controlled in the absolute way by US capitalism as are the old Democratic and Republican Parties. It can splinter and parts of it get out of control. What kind of a political system is it that cannot discuss the report of its top scientists but instead fight a major election on the basis of things like the so called right to carry a gun, separation of church and state, ranting about freedom while beating up protesters and handcuffing journalists who ask hard questions.
This blog continues to point out: US capitalism can only get away with what it is doing because the potential power of the working class is not harnessed and mobilized. The Union leaders hold their organizations down and refuse to mobilize their potential strength. They continue to work with the employers in the workplaces through the so called team concept and this prevents the unions from developing as independent organizations capable of organizing and fighting and bringing in to their ranks the tens and tens of millions of workers who are living in poverty and insecurity. And they continue to squander hundreds of millions of their members' money in donations to the capitalist, that is "bosses", Democratic Party, which will turn and shaft the union members and all workers whenever they are in power.
We stand for organizing the unorganized. For ending the team concept in the workplace and politics. For building a mass working peoples party to break the capitalist monopoly of US politics and give a channel through which the working class can move forward and fight for its own interests.
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