From: Paul Bullock (paulbullock@EBMS-LTD.CO.UK)
Date: Sat Dec 11 2004 - 16:43:10 EST
Gerry, I am sure you understood that I was speaking of landless labour - the 'informal' sector - your remark re poor peasants seems to me pointless in the context. In any case poor peasants have been leaving the land by the millions globally every month for many years, forced into a position of jobless workers. Of course prisoners are, on the whole, of the working class. The specifically extortionate exploitation that they are forced to endure in prison work regimes simply underlines the fact. As for small time drug dealers then here we have another example of the absolutely crushing moral and physical effect that imperialism has upon a section of the working class. Each of the categories you choose live generally by turning upon other workers, immitating the worst petty bourgeoise prejudices, rather than organising against their condition. They have no 'class consciousness' in revolutionary sense. All have a common real enemy. Paul B ----- Original Message ----- From: <Gerald_A_Levy@MSN.COM> To: <OPE-L@SUS.CSUCHICO.EDU> Sent: Saturday, December 11, 2004 4:07 AM Subject: Re: [OPE-L] Chavez and Trotsky > > <snip> does not obscure the fact that they have to work in > > some way to avoid starvation. > > Paul B, > > Poor peasants also have to work in order to survive. Does > this mean that they are no longer part of the peasantry and > are now part of the working class? > > In many countries prisoners are also required to work for > their food and 'housing'. Are they therefore ipso facto part > of the working class? > > Small-time drug dealers also have to work (i.e. sell drugs) > in order to survive. Are they now part of the working class? > > Etc. Etc. > > Michael L, > > You wrote: > > > In Venezuela, where about 1.5 of the 14 million (over half > > of whom are in the informal sector) are organized, do we > > mean basically the oil, steel and aluminum proletariat? > > No. Whether workers are organized or not does not > determine which class they are members of. Unorganized > wage-workers are just as much a part of the working class > as organized wage-workers. > > In solidarity, Jerry > >
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