“Michael Yates’s passion and respect for the class he came out
of delivers a book that is especially accessible without retreating
from the complexities and internal contradictions of working class
life and organization—a book committed not only to defending
workers, but also to building on their potentials to transform
society.”—Sam Gindin, former chief economist, Canadian Auto
Workers Union; Packer Visitor in Social Justice, Political Science
Dept., York University, Toronto One of the horrors of the
capitalist system is that slave labor, which was central to the
formation and growth of capitalism itself, is still fully able to
coexist alongside wage labor. But, as Karl Marx points out, it is
the fact of being paid for one's work that validates capitalism as
a viable socio-economic structure. Beneath this veil of “free
commerce” – where workers are paid only for a portion of their
workday, and buyers and sellers in the marketplace face each other
as “equals” – lies a foundation of immense inequality. Yet
workers have always rebelled. They've organized unions, struck,
picketed, boycotted, formed political organizations and parties –
sometimes they have actually won and improved their lives. But,
Marx argued, because capitalism is the apotheosis of class society,
it must be the last class society: it must, therefore, be
destroyed. And only the working class, said Marx, is capable of
creating that change. In his timely and innovative book, Michael D.
Yates asks if the working class can, indeed, change the world.
Deftly factoring in such contemporary elements as sharp changes in
the rise of identity politics and the nature of work, itself, Yates
asks if there can, in fact, be a thing called the working class? If
so, how might it overcome inherent divisions of gender, race,
ethnicity, religion, location – to become a cohesive and radical
force for change? Forcefully and without illusions, Yates supports
his arguments with relevant, clearly explained data, historical
examples, and his own personal experiences. This book is a
sophisticated and prescient understanding of the working class, and
what all of us might do to change the world.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
