: We have to remember that our only power is labor power, and the only thing we have over the capitalists' is our ability to withold that labor power (i.e. go on strike). If the average workers had, say, six month's salary the bank--imagine the strike potential there!I think that there are two important points that you and many others forget.
First, the average worker actually does have over six months salary in the bank. In fact, the average factory worker has a six-month severence package. Office workers, often considered poster-children of elementary capitalism, are the ones who have two weeks at most. In addition, record numbers of people are investing in the stock market -- and I assure you that numbers among the upper class who invest are not rising significantly. Who is it then? You guessed it. The middle and working class. Either directly by programs from discount brokerages such as Fidelity, or indirectly through corporate 401k plans, the average worker will have over a $50,000 "nest egg" at retirement. Most poverty statistics are from below the working class, the very dregs of society. The working class that socialist and communist economics seek to promote are doing quite well under capitalism, thank you.
Second, LABOR and CAPITALIST are not OPPOSITE TERMS!!! This is perhaps the SINGLE MOST ANNOYING STIPULATION EVER CREATED!!! Communists and socialists don't think twice about reading and quoting Marx (all of whose theories failed the test of time, btw) but most have never even contemplated reading Adam Smith (whose theories have, btw)! I suggest anyone who hasn't take out a copy from their local public library. One of Smith's major stipulations (and this is the grandfather of capitalism, here) IS THAT FOR PROPER FUNCTIONING OF CAPITALISM, LABOR UNIONS MUST EXIST AND THEY MUST BE POWERFUL!!! Hmmm... Nobody ever seems to remember this! UNIONIST=CAPITALIST=WORKER! They're the SAME THING! The only people who truly benefit from a socialist economy are those who DON'T WORK! And this may sound harsh, but I don't want some incapacitated drunk earning a living off my hard work. And I don't think any factory laborer wants to either.
Questions, comments. Tasteful e-mails welcome, flames go in the recycling bin.
None.
