72 p o l i t i e s comesmilitaryratherthaneconomicinthestate, it isa muchgreatermenacetothoseordinarypeoplewhowould liketolive.So,too,withtheowningclass,whichishostile tostatesocialismalthough itapprovesofprivatemonopolies,whichhavetheeconomicandtechnicalinconveni- encesofstatemonopolies,andperhapsothersaswel • • • WHAT dothepeopleforwhomtheword,"capitalism", representsabsoluteevil what dotheyhave in mind?Our societycrusheshumanbeingsthroughre- straintandoppression,painfulinequality,needlesssufering.Ontheotherhand, it ischaracterized,fromtheecon- omicpointofview,bycertainmodesofproduction,consumption,andexchange,whichareinacontinuousstateof flux,andwhichdependonafewbasicrelationsbetween theproductionandcirculationofgoods,betweenthecir- culationofgoodsandmoney,betweenmoneyandproduction,betweenmoneyandconsumption.Wetakeitonour- selvestocrystalizetheseseparateandshiftingphenomena intoanabstraction,calledCapitalism,whichcannotbe defined,andthencredit it withall ourownandothers' hardships. Amancanprovehimselfbydevotinghis life totheoverthrowofcapitalism,orwhatamountstothesame, torevolution; fortodayrevolutionhasthispurelynegative senAs se. the"OverthrowofCapitalism"ismeaningless,from thefactthatCapitalismisanabstraction,andasitdoesnot permitcertainspecificcorrectionsin theregime—corectionsarecontemptuouslycalled"reforms" i t canonly meanwipingoutthecapitalists,especialythosewhodon't declarethemselvesagainstCapitalism.Apparently, it is easiertokill,eventodie,thantoaskoneselfafewsimple questions,suchasthese:dothelaws,theconventionswhich actuallyregulateoureconomiclifeformasystem?What, ifany,tiebindsthisorthateconomicphenomenontothe rest?Howmuchwouldthemodificationofoneofthese economiclawsaffecttheothers? To whatextentdothe burdensoursocietyimposesstemfromthisor thateconomicconvention? To whatextentfromthesumof all theseconventions?What istheefectoffactorscommon toalleconomicsystems?Of factorswecouldeliminate withouteliminating"thesystem?"Whatnewburdens, passing,orpermanent,wouldthetransitiontoanewsystem inflict?Andmightnotanewsocialsystemimposespecial burdensof itsown? I f oneseriouslystudiedtheseprob- lems,perhapsonecouldstillsaythatcapitalismisanevil, butonlyarelativeevil,andthenanewsocialsystemcan onlybeproposedinviewofalesserevil.Whateverthe change,itspurposeshouldbespecified. THISwholecriticismappliesjustaswell totheother camp,replacingtheproblemof thelowerclasses' hardshipswiththeelite'sanxietytosafeguarditself,and theurgetochangewiththeurgetoretain.TheownerclassassumesthatanyonewhoanticipatestheendofCap- italismisanenemyoforder,evenassumesthisofaperson whowantstoreformit,becauseitdoesnotknowtowhat extentandunderwhatcircumstancestheeconomicrelations lumpedtogetheras"Capitalism"arenaturaltoorder.Not knowing,besides,whatmodificationmaybedangerous, it oftenpreferstoholdontoeverything,unawarethat, if timesarechancing,thisitselfisachangewhichmayend BibliotecaCinoBianco indisorder.As forthepeople,althoughtheeconomiclaws maychangedailybeforetheireyes,theyinvokethemas religiouslyastheunwritenlawsof Antigone oncewere invoked.PreservingCapitalismalsomeansnothing to them;theydonotknowwhat,when,howmuchtopreserve; again,itmeanstowipeouteverybodywhotalksaboutits fall. Thestrugglebetweenthefoesanddefendersof capitalism,astrugglebetweeninnovatorswhodonotknow whattoinnovate,andconservativeswhodonotknowwhat toconserve,isablindman'sbuffwhichby itsverylack ofpurposerisksmutualobliteration. Similarthingsaretruefortheconflictwithinthesmaler fieldofindustry. Aworkerinstinctivelyconnectsanyhard- shipsheenduresinthefactorywiththeowner;henever askshimselfwhether,underallotherkindsofownership, theadministrationwouldnothave toimposeatleast some ofthesehardships,orevenidenticalones,orperhapsmore; henolongeraskswhichoneshemightcutoutbyadirect atackontheircauses,ratherthanonthepropertysystem itself.Hisconflictwithownershipismixedwithahuman being'snaturalprotestagainstahardlife. Theowner, fromhisviewpoint,isrighttoholdontohisauthority.For managementhasits realfunctions:supervisingandco- ordinatingthework;maintaining,bymeansof acertain pressure,astandardproduct;andanysystemofenter- prise,wherethiscoordinationandsupervisioncanbeexpected,givesmanagementaresponsiblerole. But the owneralsobaseshisauthorityonacertainatmosphereof submissionandrespectwhichneednothaveanythingto dowiththeexecutionofgoodwork;and,furthermore,as soonasheseesanundercoveroropenrevoltamonghis workers,healwaysattributes it toa fewindividuals,although revolt,whetherstormyorsilent,aggressiveorde- spairing, isphysicalyandmoralyessentialto alloverburdenedhumanbeings. Ifhisfeelingofdignityconfusestheworker'scaseagainst theowner,theowner'sself-regardandprofessionalpride partlyaccountforhisfearof"troublemakers;"eachside expectstheimpossible,andcannotpossiblysetanylimits ontheconflict.Whereasstrikescaledondefinitepoints arearbitratedwithouttoomuchtrouble,others, inwhich neithersidehasanyrealobjective,remindusofwars; strikeswherenothingisrealortangibleexceptthehalt in production,thedeteriorationofmachines,thesuffering, thehunger,thewomens' tears,thericketychildren;while bothsidesobstinatelyrefusetogiveway.Herealreadyis thegermofcivilwar. If oneanalyzestheotherwordsandsloganswhich, throughouthumanhistory,haveinspiredthecombinedspirit ofsacrificeandcruelty,theyturnouttobeequalyempty. Nevertheless,thesebloodthirstyabsolutesmusthavesome linkwithreal life. Theyhave,indeed.TherewasperhapsonlythephantomofHelenatTroy,buttheGreek armyandtheTrojanarmywerenotphantoms;likewise, if "nation"andthenationalisticslogansarenonsensical, theseparatenationswiththeirownbureaucratsandtariffs, theirprisonsandarsenalsandbarracksareveryreal.• • • Thecatchwordsforandagainstcapitalismaremeaningless butpartisansformbehindthem.Everyemptyabstraction hasitsfaction. I f anyabstractionexistsforwhichthisis nottrue it isharmless;also,groupswhichdonotform aboutanabsolutestandachanceofnotbeingdangerous.
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