Why Reforming Capitalism Falls Short: The Case for a Politics of Rupture
By
ByBhaskar Sunkara
Pulled from the oven just right. Trustworthy, fact-dense, deeply satisfying.
Summary
The article discusses the historical significance of the Victorian Trades Hall and the 1856 stonemasons' strike for the eight-hour day in Melbourne. It argues that the slogan "eight hours of labor, eight hours of recreation, and eight hours of rest" remains relevant today, but that basic reformist demands are insufficient. The piece contends that the era of class compromise is over and that a serious democratic socialist politics must pursue a rupture with capitalism rather than merely reforming it.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledFor a while, this city was the closest thing the nineteenth century had to a model of what an organized working class could wring out of capital.
It wasn't a basic reformist demand;
The era of class compromise is never coming back.
Any serious democratic socialist politics must pursue a politics of rupture with capitalism.
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