US Workers Know the Truth. But Who Do They Turn To?

Richard Mellor

Afscme Local 444, retired
HEO/GED

9-10-24

 

Here in the US, we are about to elect politicians and a party, that have been behind the lies and behind the butchery all along. This election between two political parties and their generally unpopular candidates for president, reflects the deep political crisis facing the US today. On, the one hand we have a convicted felon and serial sexual abuser, the other an opportunistic prosecutor whose rise to fame has been to a large degree on the backs of incarcerated youth and working class people; in particular, black youth.

 

How similar, they are and the lack of enthusiasm, and trust that they will actually serve our (workers) interests, is revealed by poll results that show the difference between them is razor thin. On the question of genocide and Palestine, both candidates and parties have the same goals, US imperialism cannot let its European settler state go down. The murder of US citizens by the Zionists does not trump……no pun intended…..the interests of US imperialism in this extremely important part of the world.

 

There is no opposition party at all in the US, at least, one that has a chance of attaining power. It will be interesting to see what the turnout will be.

 

In 2016, close to 100 million US voters opted out of the process, thoroughly disgusted with the political choices and the US body politic as a whole. The fear of Trump is so deep and the Democrats use this strategically, that millions who are equally disgusted with the Democratic party will do what they always do, hold their noses and vote for the lesser. Evil. The fear of Trump will possibly increase the turn out but millions are not fooled.

 

This situation reveals how deep the political crisis in the US is as the era of the domination of these two parties over US political life comes to an end. For decades, the voting public has been crying out for change in the US. The one force that has the resources, the structure and the human capital to provide an alternative political voice for US workers and sections of the middle class, independent of the capitalist parties, is the organized labor movement with some twelve million members. This potential power present in the workplace and at the voting booth is held back by the trade union hierarchy that overwhelmingly supports US foreign policy for one, and worship the market as the answer to all things. They are terrified of their own members.

 

For the trade union bureaucracy, mobilizing the power of organized labor to act on our own behalf and in our own interests can only lead to chaos. They are masters at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. This power winning major gains, and certainly refusing to handle Israeli goods, would inspire the millions of unemployed and oppressed sections of US society placing further demands on a leadership that has the same world view as the bosses. Capitalism is the only form of social organization possible, workers cannot govern society and when capitalism is in crisis, it must be bailed out. And we know who they turn to for that.

This vacuum, and the deepening social crisis that is a result of it, will ensure the movement and struggles ahead will be not be passive, gentle, protests begging for crumbs from the master's table. They will be fierce and at times violent as the US security state moves to quell them, US working class history teaches us that. But we don't get to choose the field we play on. But we can win the game.