The
Communist Manifesto foresaw the predatory and polarised global
capitalism of the 21st century. But Marx and Engels also showed us
that we have the power to create a better world.
by
Yanis Varoufakis
Part
6 - Capitalism’s problem is that it is irrational
What
makes the manifesto truly inspiring today is its recommendation for
us in the here and now, in a world where our lives are being
constantly shaped by what Marx described in his earlier Economic and
Philosophical Manuscripts as “a universal energy which breaks
every limit and every bond and posits itself as the only policy, the
only universality, the only limit and the only bond”. From Uber
drivers and finance ministers to banking executives and the
wretchedly poor, we can all be excused for feeling overwhelmed by
this “energy”. Capitalism’s reach is so pervasive it can
sometimes seem impossible to imagine a world without it. It is only a
small step from feelings of impotence to falling victim to the
assertion there is no alternative. But, astonishingly (claims the
manifesto), it is precisely when we are about to succumb to this idea
that alternatives abound.
What we
don’t need at this juncture are sermons on the injustice of it all,
denunciations of rising inequality or vigils for our vanishing
democratic sovereignty. Nor should we stomach desperate acts of
regressive escapism: the cry to return to some pre-modern,
pre-technological state where we can cling to the bosom of
nationalism. What the manifesto promotes in moments of doubt and
submission is a clear-headed, objective assessment of capitalism and
its ills, seen through the cold, hard light of rationality.
The
manifesto argues that the problem with capitalism is not that it
produces too much technology, or that it is unfair. Capitalism’s
problem is that it is irrational. Capital’s success at spreading
its reach via accumulation for accumulation’s sake is causing human
workers to work like machines for a pittance, while the robots are
programmed to produce stuff that the workers can no longer afford and
the robots do not need. Capital fails to make rational use of the
brilliant machines it engenders, condemning whole generations to
deprivation, a decrepit environment, underemployment and zero real
leisure from the pursuit of employment and general survival. Even
capitalists are turned into angst-ridden automatons. They live in
permanent fear that unless they commodify their fellow humans, they
will cease to be capitalists – joining the desolate ranks of the
expanding precariat-proletariat.
If
capitalism appears unjust it is because it enslaves everyone, rich
and poor, wasting human and natural resources. The same “production
line” that pumps out untold wealth also produces deep unhappiness
and discontent on an industrial scale. So, our first task –
according to the manifesto – is to recognise the tendency of this
all-conquering “energy” to undermine itself.
When
asked by journalists who or what is the greatest threat to capitalism
today, I defy their expectations by answering: capital! Of course,
this is an idea I have been plagiarising for decades from the
manifesto. Given that it is neither possible nor desirable to annul
capitalism’s “energy”, the trick is to help speed up capital’s
development (so that it burns up like a meteor rushing through the
atmosphere) while, on the other hand, resisting (through rational,
collective action) its tendency to steamroller our human spirit. In
short, the manifesto’s recommendation is that we push capital to
its limits while limiting its consequences and preparing for its
socialisation.
We need
more robots, better solar panels, instant communication and
sophisticated green transport networks. But equally, we need to
organise politically to defend the weak, empower the many and prepare
the ground for reversing the absurdities of capitalism. In practical
terms, this means treating the idea that there is no alternative with
the contempt it deserves while rejecting all calls for a “return”
to a less modernised existence. There was nothing ethical about life
under earlier forms of capitalism. TV shows that massively invest in
calculated nostalgia, such as Downton Abbey, should make us glad to
live when we do. At the same time, they might also encourage us to
floor the accelerator of change.
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