Jane McAlevey

Unions are fantastic: every worker should have a union to support them.

I thought I'd better start with that because my review of this book isn't going to be so positive. The author starts from a premise with which, I am unable to concur: that true democracy and capitalism are compatible. Whilst I have great admiration for most of the union structure and the vast majority of its leading members, we should understand what that role is.

The job of a union is two fold; firstly, to make the day to day working conditions and wages of their members as good as possible and secondly, to educate those members to understand the Neoliberal system and the workings of the economy under Neoliberalism. Capitalism can't make fair return to the worker: there is always surplus value to be extracted from his/her earnings. Capitalism is built upon the concept of continued capital growth. The worker is always third in line behind capital growth and payment to shareholders.

The more I read and hear of American political and economic understanding today, the more certain I am that the dominance of the USA is in decline and soon a new major force (probably China) will become the world's policeman. I do not say this as a wish, I am not naive enough to believe that China would herald a comfortable future; I jus can't see the US hanging on for much longer....… (más)