Sometimes, I’ll be watching a sports event, and wonder whether the referees – or umpires – have been bribed. It happens a lot in football, where there are so many fouls that it’s up to the officials to decide which ones to call. Considering the prevalence of gambling on ball games and who controls the ostensibly illegal industry, I wonder whether it’s the officials who decide who wins or loses.
Why am I babbling about sports events?
Because they remind me so much of politics.
Sandra (born in the USA) gets quite put out when I talk about class conflict. She learned in school that social classes don’t exist in America as they do in places like the United Kingdom and Jamaica.
If you suggest to Americans that there’s class warfare going on, they will probably think you are some kind of Marxist – or at least a “socialist.” This is a society of equal opportunity, they insist. Look, buddy, the only one standing in your way is you. So get out there and hustle your buns. If you’re smart and work hard, you’ll get rich.
If you believe that, you haven’t been paying attention.
The facts are irrefutable. Capital and labor are mutually antagonistic – in America or anywhere. Capital prospers by exploiting labor. Workers prosper by fighting for a fair share of the profits.
In today’s global economy, the conflict is palpable. I am sure you know how capital has fled the unionized western countries and resettled in low-wage countries where abuses like child labor are common, where workers have no rights and where the environment has no protection.
So who made this possible by abolishing tariffs on goods entering countries like America from countries like China?
Politicians.
In the inevitable contest between capital and labor, an even-handed government is essential to ensure a level playing field. The politicians are the referees. And today the politicians are nearly all bought and paid for by Big Business.
Tragically, in the game of life and death, the referees have been bribed.
For an example of the relationship between the corporate class and politicians, just click here to listen to this prank call featuring Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and a reporter posing as Walker’s patron, David Koch:
