[Marxism] Crisis good for US K'ists

[brad bauerly]

Looking over the recent data it strikes me that the outcome of the crisis
may be beneficial for US capitalists.  Nothing really shocking there to us,
however it is interesting to see how this was already occurring in 2008 and
to think about how we could use this politically.  This shows clearly how
their crisis will be paid for by working people, both in the US and across
the rest of the world.

Here are some examples: exports continued to grow through 2008 by 6.2%
(percent change over last year in constant dollars) while imports shrank by
3.5%.  Also, nonfarm output per hour doubled its increase over percent
change from last year to increase by 2.8%, while nonfarm compensation
decreased its percent change over the last year.

In short, people are working harder for less.  All of the doom and gloom
media about the crisis is placing real pressure on people to work harder in
an increasingly competitive labor market.  The threat of loosing your home,
your retirement fund and your source of cheap credit has worked to increase
the output per worker. The problem is that this has also lowered demand and
increased the corporate bankruptcies.  Thus, we will once again see a
consolidation of capitalist power and the renewal of US dynamism that is the
root of the US empire.  Interesting to see how this crisis will turn out to
be functional to capitalism and how this process started so early.  Also,
the complete lack of discussion of how this is taking place and the
inability of the left to put this out for public consumption/outrage and
build a movement to take advantage of the situation.

Brad

-- 
Brad A. Bauerly
PhD Candidate
Political Science
York University
Toronto, Canada
647-345-2072
bauerly at yorku.ca