“ A defining feature of capitalist societies is that the majority of people are systematically dispossessed from the means of producing wealth — from the land and its resources, mines, factories and so on. This is often done through conscious effort by the state and capital, in order to gain access to what was previously collectively or publicly controlled resources and to create a market in wage labor. In turn, in order to survive people must then enter the labor market and sell their ability to work to the people who have secured ownership over the means of producing wealth. The dispossession of the majority from their land confers a great deal of power to capitalists, including the ability to control conditions of work and thus maintain (from their perspective) a healthy degree of exploitation and profits.
Todd Gordon. Imperialist Canada (Arbeiter Ring Publishing, 2010), p. 30. (via 08-23-47)
1 year ago
