"reform is not private property, but to abolish it, it is not overcome class antagonisms but the abolition of classes, not about improving society existing, but to establish a new one. "
Carlos Marx, Message to the League of Communists, 1850
In many ways the twentieth century has certainly been the busiest, prolific and controversial history. Indelibly marked the general course of human events with an everlasting strength: for better or for worse we did attend the emergence of countless new processes, such as scientific and technological revolution unstoppable applied to the improvement of everyday life, first socialist experiments, the globalization of the economy and culture (now dubbed the "globalization"), wars with the application of the most destructive forces that could conceive, the beginning of the conquest of space, the beginning of the liberation of women, development of the syndrome acquired immunodeficiency overcrowded societies and supported by growing force in the media, hegemonic powers worldwide. All this was new in history, and the last century is the starting point, turning point probably not recede more ...
Each of these aspects represents, in and of itself, a world apart, each has run lots different, very different future prospects together. Among all interests us now particularize for the speech protester who brought socialism and luck that it had throughout the century.
When discussing the history of socialism, that is, genuine hope a new world of justice, we mean not so much to its genesis and early nineteenth-century scores and worldview, but to what, and in both mature proposal, meant that expectations were opening. No doubt, no one could deny this, moved to the best of humanity, in every sense: those most noble, selfless and honest who saw his appearance as a theory and the first Russian revolution, 1917 - the beginning of a paradise possible, to injustice, the gateway to "the homeland of mankind." Moved, also, the best that each human can have: the spirit of solidarity, brotherhood, generosity genuine and selfless.
Many things have marked the twentieth century, of course, but the beginning of the socialist experiments are among those most reactions occurred both acceptance and rejection. What was at stake there was a lot bigger than I could open any scientific discovery or artistic trend. The depth of the desired transformation was equally intense passions. Nobody could remain indifferent to the magnitude of his proposal.
In a way one could say that the century was crossed by this phenomenon: the first union struggles in order to socialize property the triumph of the first socialist revolution, the capitalist world's reaction to his appearance, the building began to give the countries that started to travel those roads, the cold war between antagonistic blocs that were delineated and the subsequent triumph of capitalism over his opponent model by the end of the century, none of this stopped deeply move to any person on the planet. During the long years this struggle between blocks, between world views, the ideas generated by socialism began to be commonplace in popular culture. No one was surprised by talk of "exploitation", nor were cryptic terms of Upper Room to initiated the "class struggle", the "distribution of wealth", the "seizure of power," "imperialism."
Today, the beginning of the XXI century, having raced much water under the bridge and drop those first hope, no alternative models to the eye that serve to counterbalance the overwhelming hegemony of neoliberalism and the military unipolarity States together, all the speech of only a few decades ago seems to have vanished. But, in substance, nothing of what these words mean has changed is the class struggle continues the unequal distribution of wealth, power remains in very few hands, Imperialism has increased.
Why left the scene all these terms? Does "out of fashion?
really changed the political agenda, they changed the scenery, but no real changes in the structures. Although it is almost a dirty word and no one can use today, no more imperialism? History is written by the victors, so now, having imposed the market as absolute deity, everything that goes against them is blasphemous. Hence, not named above, are anathema. Talking about class struggle or anachronistic imperialism is today ...
But not so! It is true that history is written by the winners, but there is another story! Although the overwhelming force that shows the triumph of high capital-management can have us overwhelmed by media, "the realities behind these terms are today" blasphemous "have not disappeared. Surely by the same taxation of big business that brought victory, we have taken this discourse oppositional fear and we fear being seen as nostalgic for a bygone era. Bow to the powers that be, of course, is easier to go against him. The numbness that caused the fall of the Berlin Wall, before being sold in pieces as souvenirs tourist still has us baffled and did we seem to be forgetting the healthy irreverence and rebellion that encouraged share struggles past decades. But that is not dead.
The post-Cold War world has resulted in quite pathetic phenomena: first, shares of ruthless exploitation that recall nineteenth-century capitalism without social laws to protect workers or state regulations. The job insecurity in recent years (read: exploitation starker) again showed the true face of economic and social system in which we operate. Along with this, as another consequence of this fall (which was the downfall not only of a wall but the hopes that were played there) we presented an attempt to empty the discourse and practice of change, revolutionary. The protest was spoiled, deteriorated, and the system-wise, could be criminalizing. Could safely be said that the dominant discourse made us move from class struggle to the criminalization of social relations as an engine of history. Marx (abolition of private ownership of the means of production and class society based on it) we were going to Marc's (alternative dispute resolution).
Change often, no doubt. The class struggle left the scene. But let it be understood: they stopped being a subject of debate, the subject of scholarly debate concerning the political discourse ...., But there they remain. The "concern" that we were creating the dominant discourse began embracing topics such as "major." In addition to the advocacy of god-market, representative democracy was enthroned as a superior mode of government, and social problems were summarized in two things: poor governance practices (the "fault" of the politicians) or runaway crime, that in recent years seems to have been transformed into a new all embracing evil.
In other words, the class struggle as a crime explosion factor of societies. The daily life of recent times, increasingly plagued by corrupt acts (today is no longer news that "drop" any officer for any act of corruption) and crime of all sizes (cities increasingly insecure, drug trafficking, youth gangs and so on), it reveals the economic exploitation, class struggle, the great discontent that breeds in all societies. In short: the most flagrant injustice, we have been made and "natural", stopped be the main theme. To cover this, to make up the system conveniently has been finding increasingly more subtle and effective control: religious fundamentalism of all kinds, global mass and saturated the sports show, mainly football (there was talk of making the World Championships every two years even), merciless bombardment of the media partners to the system (fourth generation warfare call that Pentagon strategists). Ie the social unrest of the farm product, the basic injustices still exist, was driving, controlling, shaping. And that was the main theme of any discussion everyday violence street .... or football. But the class struggle, but "outdated" are still there.
With the advent of socialism in the XXI century in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for several years, dusted off old concepts that seemed long forgotten heritage of dinosaurs as the Cubans. " The ideals buried under the rubble of the Berlin Wall came timidly to come to light. Perhaps justifiably expect a lot no doubt, of this process in Haiti. Today we do not know where it will go well for the Venezuelan experience, if you really look into a socialist horizon (of the century whatever) or the "settlement class" ends imposed. So yes, without doubt, raised hopes that had been dormant over the years, the "socialism" is no longer a dirty word. And when nobody expected it (at least from the Western world) there knocking at the door of history, the revival of the Arab peoples with this storm of protests that are happening.
Taking the words of José Steinsleger referring to events in Egypt, valid throughout the process that occurs today in much of the Arab world: "Is [there] a prerevolutionary situation? Anarchists oppose authoritarian solution, the Socialists held their breath democratic uprising, the Communists think if the conditions are ripe, the Trotskyists agitate the program nationalists evoke the dignity of other times, the Liberals and Conservatives reviewed the pages of "The Leopard" , and the religious dream of the rebirth of Islam. " What this is really all this volcano? The readings are diverse, even antithetical, and still can not predict where it will fire for the process. But definitely something is moving. Moves .... A lot! All this shows that the world's problems, the basic problems produce this nonsense of civilization in which we live where it matters more machine than a human life, all that is what the old foundation Marx vehemently denounced 150 years ago.
really is not "predict" what will happen to this wave of protests that set in motion the Arab peoples, it is important to support them as time, privileged perhaps in history. Support, and if you see that this is a step towards social transformation towards higher levels of justice, take it as their own, although not specifically belong to the Arab world. In any case, this can be a battle over a much broader struggle, more universal, not just the Arabs of course. In this case we are all Arabs, we are all in Tahrir Square in Cairo, we all part of the volcano has awakened.
But also worth taking this trip that began in the Arab world as a reminder that beyond the phenomenal media management distraction that confronts us with other problems, no doubt important, but ultimately minor (crime daily assessments of corruption, the "bad government"), class struggles are not dead.
Marcelo Colussi
Argenpress taken
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