The Untouchables return

By Maureen D. Taylor, State Chairperson, Michigan Welfare Rights Organization

DETROIT — It must be clear that the current state of the union is “scary.”  From coast to coast, events are unfolding that are frightening every working class person without exception.  The cost of living continues to go up, while the chances of living continues to go down, with no relief in sight.  The “schizophrenic” Wall Street daily reports are a clear demonstration of how unpredictable the economy is.   Even elite corporate managers answering directly to the private property ruling class can’t stabilize profits from day to day.  World-wide production of necessities of life is increasing while consumption is shrinking in most markets.  Unless we get a better grip on the reason for such events, we will keep hoping the enemy will help us escape our misery.
The American working class is experiencing “terror” everyday at work and deeply concerned if the next generation can survive.  So many horrible events are confronting us—teenagers and others in low income communities murdered by rogue cops with no one held responsible over and over again . . . mass water shutoffs in urban cities again where low income families reside . . . city roads  are in the worst shape since records were kept.  Also, we see frequent oil spills, non-stop strip-mining, the oil pipe-line discussion—all examples of the on-going destruction of Mother Earth.  It is becoming clear these events are a direct effect of new policies or rules of operation in our society.
It is easy to recant the list of problems that we face because there are so many but something is DIFFERENT this time.  The health of societies are determined and managed by the ability to provide the basics—food, clothing, shelter, education, safety and health care.  Access to these factors determining survival is determined by social policy, rules and laws that control how we interact between the classes. The American worker is not faring well these days in these six critical areas.  The twin political parties represent the interests of the richest 1%.  The problem lies in the permanent loss of work for millions.
Technology used to enhance labor is now permanently replacing the working class in production.  This major distinction must be studied and reckoned with if we are to survive the epochal changes in our world.  How do we find a place in this new world unless we understand that the new policymakers and sheriffs in town don’t care about democracy or humanity?
In the block-buster movie “The Untouchables,” the Eliot Ness character suggested that his crime-fighting investigators were stumped, not knowing what else to do to stop the spread of organized crime.  His usual tactics were not working and their efforts were ineffective.  His chief lieutenant asked the question we should be asking today . . . “What are you prepared to do about this”?  Our usual tactics don’t work, and past efforts engaged to secure our standard of living are ineffective today.
Should we consider policies that can unite the new way of producing our necessities with the interests of the working class?  Can we consider nationalization of productive assets (i.e. the transfer of private assets to state ownership) to harness them to serve all the workers? (To be continued.)