Re: [Marxism] Is "class" at the root of the real division in society?

[Jscotlive@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 03/06/2006 17:32:53 GMT Daylight Time,
jbustelo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:

> The first division of labor (historically) was between men and women


Reply:

Yes, but acknowledging different roles, and valuing those roles equally, as
in matriarchal societies, is a far cry from the divide and rule ethos used to
split the working class that I was getting at. Women were used to depress wages
at various times, as were different ethnic groups. By pandering to such
divisions - i.e. believing that our enemy are workers of a different gender,
ethnicity or religion - we obviously denude our strength as a class.

You write:

Capitalism rests on four pillars, patriarchy,
race/nationality, class, and finally I think it is necessary to add, a
generalized dehumanization of humanity, which includes negation of our
"naturalness."

Reply:

I disagree. Patriarchy is a hangover from feudalism and has its roots in
Christianity. Capitalists, the new ruling class, retained those aspects of 
feudal
societal structure which suited the purposes of control. The same goes for
differences of race and nationality. If Marx taught us anything it is that these
are 'false divisions' used to distract the proletariat from the division that
matters: namely that which exists between exploited and exploiter, between the
class which controls the means of production and the class which does not.

JD
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