by Ellen Isaacs and Karyn Pomerantz
I must admit that we were surprised at the outcome of the election. We thought that Trump’s overt racism against so many groups and his disparagement of women would be enough for him to at least lose the popular vote. But that was wrong. Whatever offense he may have caused was apparently trumped by higher prices for rent, food, insurance, mortgages and other necessities. And the longstanding tradition of racism in US society.
Whoever Wins Any US Election is a Capitalist
Whether candidates call themselves a Republican, Democrat, Green or Democratic Socialist, they do no question the basic structure of the economy, this economy based on private ownership and profit making. Liberals may call for greater benefits for workers and better services, but a declining capitalist society simply cannot afford this. Even conservatives would prefer that workers are well taken care of, enough to prevent discontent and rebellion. Ultimately, even liberals have no choice except to blame economic stresses on foreigners or minorities and move towards fascism. Harris was already on the anti-immigrant bandwagon and in favor of Israel’s war, repression of campus protestors and demonstrators.
Despite claims that the US economy is doing great, consumer prices have risen by 21.5% since 2020 while disposable personal income has gone up only 11%. Income inequality in the US is now the highest in the world and getting worse: the top 1% of Americans own 35% of all personal wealth, while 10% of Americans own 71%; yet the bottom 50% own just 1%.(https://thenextrecession.wordpress.com/2024/11/02/the-us-presidential-election-part-one-the-economy/). Over 650,000 are unhoused in the US. Unemployment may be said to be low, but that number doesn’t count those who have given up looking, have never had a job, are in prison or the military or work part time or work multiple jobs to make ends meet.
As the US loses ground around the world to China’s investment and infrastructure projects, it has tentative holds on resource and trade assets in the Middle East and South China Sea based on maintaining control of Israel and Taiwan. Ultimately, military conflict will erupt as it already has in Palestine, Lebanon and Iran. At some unpredictable time, open conflict with China will occur. The cost to the US economy will be great even as defense industries may reap profits. As US workers face a draft or military induction, discontent will rise.
What Should We Do?
For us the challenge is to continue to build an anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist movement. We must win workers — blue collar, white collar, employed and unemployed – students and soldiers to understand that this system cannot provide them with a rewarding life, guaranteed subsistence, or even survival. The fate of Gazans, dying under bombardment, or millions fleeing climate disasters ultimately awaits all of us. We must seek to ally with workers in all countries and never agree to fight one another. We must strive to build a society we run ourselves in our interests, without profits or private ownership or privilege, a communist society. We must study the errors of previous communist revolutions so we do not repeat them. We must raise this goal as we engage in strikes, demonstrations and many movements, always opposing racism, nationalism and sexism and winning our fellows to the longer goal. If we don’t, capitalism will destroy our world.
Both authors are anti-racist and anti-capitalist activists and edit multiracialunity.org. Karyn is a retired public health librarian and Ellen is a retired physician.
