From: Paul Bullock (paulbullock@EBMS-LTD.CO.UK)
Date: Sun Dec 12 2004 - 17:33:31 EST
I should like to add to my hurried note , that many 'common criminal' prisoners develop a clear class consciousness in prison itself, and there is nothing 'fixed' implied in my previous comment. paul B. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul Bullock" <paulbullock@EBMS-LTD.CO.UK> To: <OPE-L@SUS.CSUCHICO.EDU> Sent: Saturday, December 11, 2004 9:43 PM Subject: Re: [OPE-L] Chavez and Trotsky > 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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