when the (next) revolution comes, what will it look like? and, the answer is that it will come in the mode of production, and in changes to the mode of production; the revolution will be the adoption of a universal basic income. all of these other revolts and protests are fun and everything, but it's the changes in the mode of production that lead to systemic changes and that's where the technology is taking us. that's the future...
and, it's the near future - the very near future.
a large percentage of the jobs that have been recently lost aren't coming back, and they're not going to mexico (at least not all of them; some of them are, sure). this started decades ago, but seems to implement itself in phases, with the last phase being ushered in by the 2008 market crash, which mechanized large numbers of labour positions. is anybody tracking the mechanization of labour during this economic crisis?
but, something that's different about this technological shift is that it might hit the service sector harder than the manufacturing sector. retail has taken over such a large percentage of the labour market, so it's being targeted by capital, who will always seek to minimize labour costs.
so, all of these retail stores have been closed for months, with many of them moving to online operations. how many of them are going to reopen without staff? how many are going to reopen store fronts at all?
but, is this so terrible, really? do we really want these jobs? or, are we better off changing how we think about work, altogether?
we may be at a pretty vicious crossroads, where we have to make a very explicit choice between communism or barbarism. the sick, twisted fact is that if capital doesn't need all of these workers to turn a profit anymore, then they become useless eaters, and can essentially be thrown in the ovens. they came to european capitals from the countryside as peasants and to north american cities as poor immigrants (some, as the descendants of slaves) in the nineteenth century, with the purpose of running the factories; they were brought in, they were put to work and they were initially treated like expendable animals, before they revolted and won concessions via the labour movement, creating an ahistorically wealthy working class. but, they're no longer needed - and capital is generally very efficient in disposing with what it no longer needs, so long as there's a river near by.
in the long run, the only serious way out is the ubi. time may be catching up to the luddites, who were never debunked so much as delayed; i cannot believe that the number of jobs creating servicing self-serve kiosks will be comparable to the number of jobs creating by servicing customers. it just doesn't add up. that breaking point may finally be upon us, and what do we do?
so, i look at what's happening, while these changes in the mode of production are occurring, and i wonder. there's a lot of poor people dying, right now. and, there's a lot of people ready to burn the world down...
again: i can't go down there and make these arguments. the movement is designed to lynch me for it. i could seriously end up getting hurt.
but, i would call on the black left to take a serious look at the place we're in in history now, and ask whether this movement isn't an opportunity for a wider revolt.
because, the revolution is coming, and soon; the change in the mode of production necessitates it.