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The Forum > Article Comments > Neolibs trumped as working class flexes muscle > Comments

Neolibs trumped as working class flexes muscle : Comments

By Malcolm King, published 18/11/2016

Australian working class people have been mute because contemporary politics gives them no way of telling it.

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Sadly, and I am stating the obvious here, as has been stated by many in the recent past but our politicians, generally, have no idea or ideas.
They live in a well paid sinecure designed to keep them there and seem to have little interest in changing the status quo.
Sooner or later the apathetic voting population will tire and it won`t be pretty.
Posted by ateday, Friday, 18 November 2016 8:34:52 AM
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We all know this, and we can do something about it. As a South Australian I would have, in the past, voted Liberal to get rid of Labor. Next year, I will put Labor last, and Liberal second to last and then look for the best of what is left
Posted by ttbn, Friday, 18 November 2016 9:27:24 AM
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Yep, the worst was when the elite would offshore good blue collar jobs to India or Bangladesh and get their soon-to-be-jobless Aussie workers to go over and train them up! The icing on the cake was telling these now out of work Aussies to go do a course in 'human rights' or computers so they would better fit into the new 'global' economy.
Posted by progressive pat, Friday, 18 November 2016 9:40:42 AM
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The problem seems to be the shrinking of the middle class, meaning a more obvious distinction between working and upper class strata.But the replacement of many middle-class occupations by technology is a logical way to remove much repetitive drudgery from work, leaving greater options for the use of individual experience-based skills.

From the working class aspect, progress needs to be not only economic but also in the awareness of cultural/ethical norms on the part of those seeking improvement of their lot.

Reverse the scenario from manufacturers of wealth to those who spend it.
Shoppers have a purchasing power which lies at the heart of economic gain; if they refuse to buy a product or service, the supplier goes out of business, and those employed by that company lose their jobs.

The working class has the undeniable ability to flex its muscles.That's why smart responsible politicians (oxymoron?) must be aware of public needs and fulfilment options.
There are worse alignments than being neoliberal.
Posted by Ponder, Friday, 18 November 2016 9:53:53 AM
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"While some blame immigration, most recognise that the real threat comes from global forces which seek to eliminate them completely from the means of production."

No, the real threat comes from governments prioritising financial outcomes over the needs of the people.
Posted by Aidan, Friday, 18 November 2016 10:26:18 AM
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Well if the majority of full time work is already a thing of the past and casual work is all that is available I am all for the idea of a universal wage/income.
It may not please the biggest capitalists among us but it may help give the disenfranchised a way to survive without becoming destitute. I guess the odds of this happening soon enough for the big mass of people facing hardship is unlikely.
I think the big question is how do people retain relevance in the skills base when their skills are deemed redundant. Also, how do working class people take control of the means of production without the influence of corporations.
England was known as the land of shopkeepers but if you look at the trend in this country, shopkeepers are struggling against the forces of the single market.
Posted by gen X gent, Saturday, 19 November 2016 7:54:53 AM
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You know, what intrigues me is the similarity to the way the East
European communist regimes collapsed.
Somewhere in East Germany or Poland one person said to another;
"You know I am not a communist and I wish them all to hell".
The other person said ,"No I am not a communist either".

That idea spread like wildfire aqnd in no time at all the east European
communist regimes were gone !

Now one US election candidate says "Political correctness is nonsense"
and the whole world says, "YES !" "I am going to be politically incorrect
and to hell with them and if they don't like it, tough tities !"
Posted by Bazz, Saturday, 19 November 2016 3:43:11 PM
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Malcolm is right. Robotics will soon replace many of our jobs and few will earn a living to buy the products these robots make.In all reality this makes many of us in the eyes of our elite 0.001% redundant. They no longer need us.

Even if Trump puts a 35% tariff on all imports,robotics will soon eliminate these jobs. So do we have even bigger Govts that tax more to pay people to consume and not work ? We all need to have this conversation and find a way for people to have a free meaningful existence with being crushed by big Govt.
Posted by Arjay, Saturday, 19 November 2016 3:59:08 PM
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There seems to be a truism that globalisation is ending.
The cause I suspect is complex.
The rising manufacturing costs in Asia, in particular China.
The increasing use of numerically controlled machines.
The increased cost of international container freight.
Financial difficulties of shipping companies.
See the Korean bankrupt shipping company.
The unreliability of just in time supply due to shipping co finance.
Increased automation in a wider range of industries.
Not a complete list I presume.

However where should Australia look for a market ?
Our main big opportunity might be in agriculture.
We have big farms, so automation of many functions looks good.
Some techniques have been demonstrated, such as driverless tractor ploughing.
Significant progress here would improve our farmers profit and
kickstart a new manufacturing industry.
There must be many areas where we have such a natural advantage.
Posted by Bazz, Saturday, 19 November 2016 4:04:57 PM
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Must view. Donald Trump's view on the corrupt New World Order.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYozWHBIf8g
Posted by Arjay, Saturday, 19 November 2016 5:51:24 PM
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gen X gent

That is so true. Unless neoliberal capitalism can find a way to reverse its relentless destruction of secure, paid employment in the pursuit of global profits that only benefit the well off, then a universal basic income is the only means of preventing a slide into mass entrenched destitution and its inevitable fascist anarchy.

How wonderful if a universal basic income could allow the working classes to finally do all the things that have historically been the self-righteous preserve of the rich - voluntary community service, creative pursuits, spiritual fulfillment - instead of spending their lives in crippling debt and living for the next payday. Call me utopian, but how can that not be a good thing?
Posted by Killarney, Sunday, 20 November 2016 6:25:45 AM
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Hi Killarney,

Paid for by whom ? Fascist neoliberal capitalism ?

Capitalism rolls on, there's no part of it that feels obliged to do anything about "relentless destruction of secure, paid employment". In fact, some firm or other is bound to take advantage of whatever situation arises.

An article in yesterday's Australian detailed how firms are moving from low-wage, low- and medium-skilled, workforces to robotics, as (inevitably) the cost of Chinese etc.labour increases dramatically (at around 15 % p.a.). All other firms in the same field would have to adopt robots to keep up. And thereafter, nowhere, will any firms go back to a large low-wage, low-skill workforce. Every step 'forward' is irreversible. That's the capitalist dynamic, an impersonal machine rolling on and over working people, picking out the bits with the best returns and scrapping the rest.

I think I read yesterday that manufacturing jobs in Australia make up only 5 % of employment. So goodbye to any prattle about a dictatorship of the proletariat.

Joe
Posted by Loudmouth, Sunday, 20 November 2016 7:53:47 AM
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Loudmouth

Fine. So capitalism leaves many millions of people without jobs and unemployable. So, where do they go? If you have no job and can't find employment, you eventually join the vast army of homeless people. You become the scum of the earth, dependent on charity and the rule of the streets. That's OK, as long as capitalism goes on making its profits.

The scum of the earth have no power, so they pose no threat to capitalist profit. Isn't it wonderful to think that this could never happen to you?
Posted by Killarney, Monday, 21 November 2016 7:55:48 AM
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Well Killarney these people you describe are the "Deplorables" and most
are just hanging onto a house simply because the area is so rundown and
the price of houses is very low.
They cannot leave and go elsewhere for a job because only California
and the east coast centred on NYC have any chance of a job but they
have no resources to rent or buy in those expensive locations.

I am sure that there are people like this in Australia and I would
expect that their voting trend would be similar.
It looks like we may already have seen it in the polls on Pauline
Hansen and One Nation in Queensland.
The journalists still have the same "knock her" attitude to Pauline
and they have not learnt the lesson of Orange by election and the
US election plus Brexit.

They just cannot accept that she is right and what one Nation is
proposing is the desire of many ignored people.
Posted by Bazz, Monday, 21 November 2016 1:20:45 PM
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Oops, that should have read, " ..... manufacturing jobs in Australia make up only 15 % of employment."

Hi Killarney,

I'm certainly not advocating or supporting what may be happening soon here, simply pointing out that capitalism is an impersonal monster which rolls on regardless.

And yes, it certainly could happen to me or my kids.

Cheers,

Joe
Posted by Loudmouth, Monday, 21 November 2016 2:15:14 PM
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