The US Civil War was a major influence on the development of Marxism. For Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, the war against chattel slavery was an important phase in the global struggle against human bondage. Their commentary on the war is compiled in The Civil War in the United States, an essential volume for those seeking a Marxist understanding of the most pivotal conflict in US history, as well as the relationship between oppression and labor.
Proponents of the labor-aristocracy thesis argue that there is a layer of highly paid workers in the US who are bribed by the super-profits of imperialism. This logical fallacy conflates better-off workers with the very real problem of the labor bureaucracy, distorts the exploitation of the entire working class, and leads to fundamental errors in organization.
There is a great political and strategic difference between typical modern capitalism and settler colonialism. The working class can be the revolutionary agent even in societies like the United States that were founded as settler colonies. Giving up on white workers as “settlers” is giving up on the potential of revolution. Abstract moralism is not an adequate guide to politics.
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.