Imperialism and Working-class Agency

Abstract

It is widely believed that, during the neoliberal era, labor has become weaker and capital has become stronger. This chapter argues the opposite is true. Only if class struggle is reduced to the economic struggle to improve our position within capitalism – as opposed to the political struggle to overthrow it – can workers’ loss of agency be considered a fact. In every other respect, this belief is false. When uprisings against corrupt plutocracies, worldwide mobilizations sparked by George Floyd’s murder, youth rebellions against the capitalist destruction of nature, struggles of millions of women for reproductive rights are seen for what they are – expressions of class struggle – it becomes clear that transition to socialism is not only necessary, it is also possible.

Citation

Smith, J. (2021), "Imperialism and Working-class Agency", Herrera, R. (Ed.) Imperialism and Transitions to Socialism (Research in Political Economy, Vol. 36), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 21-38. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0161-723020210000036002