A-Infos (en) France, OCL CA #362 - Editorial 362 (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

The bourgeoisie doesn't have many options for perpetuating indefinitely 
a system from which it is the sole beneficiary and which is based on the 
exploitation of human labor. In France and elsewhere, it primarily 
resorts to two methods: --- To prevent the gaps created by the 
"conquests" of the proletariat from widening, it strives to close them 
whenever the opportunity arises. This is the meaning behind all the 
deregulations implemented internationally in recent years.

To regain the offensive, it is pursuing an increasingly active 
repressive policy against all forms of protest-using the police, the 
judiciary, the army, censorship, and more as its weapons. In the 
streets, in the workplace, the hounds are unleashed!

But this repressive policy cannot, of course, function without the 
accompanying propaganda: the bourgeoisie must therefore also impose its 
ideological discourse. However, the weaker the resistance against it, 
the easier its task becomes.

In recent years, some rather striking shifts in opinion on a wide 
variety of subjects have demonstrated this. Two examples:

* During the 1950s, the government's choice of "all-electric" systems 
made electric heating sacrosanct in hastily constructed, makeshift 
homes. A few decades later, this "all-electric" approach was widely 
criticized in the name of necessary "energy savings"; and nuclear power, 
highly energy-intensive, became less popular due to successive disasters.

But recently, the skepticism surrounding electricity and nuclear power 
has dissipated under the influence of misleading state and partisan 
campaigns touting nuclear power as the ultimate "clean energy" and 
electricity as the miracle solution supposedly capable of resolving 
newly created problems: a war-torn context and climate change, both 
cleverly orchestrated by the nuclear establishment.

* During the 1950s, the government's choice of "all-electric" systems 
made it seem like the epitome of "clean energy," and electricity as the 
miracle solution meant to resolve supposedly new issues: a war-torn 
context and climate change, both cleverly orchestrated by nuclear power 
advocates.

* Participating in this disinformation campaign are environmentalists 
whose primary aim is to further their governmental ambitions by 
dissociating environmentalism from the fight against a system largely 
responsible for the geopolitical, economic, social, and climate 
situation. It is certainly more electorally advantageous to demand air 
conditioning for everyone than to denounce the exploitation of the vast 
majority of men and women by a minority.

But these deceitful state and partisan campaigns are bearing fruit: 
while the purchase of an electric car still encounters considerable 
reluctance due to its cost, the choice of electricity and nuclear power 
is no longer widely contested; and while government measures to promote 
electric vehicles (particularly the requirement to replace vehicles 
still in working order) are generating some discontent, this discontent 
primarily benefits the far right.

* The political movements that have distinguished themselves for over a 
century by their antisemitism have become the most ardent defenders of 
Israel. Indeed, for them, the Zionist state has at least the advantage 
of "beating up Arabs"-a practice they themselves have never hesitated to 
engage in.

Moreover, while these anti-Semites underwent a dramatic shift in their 
attitudes toward Israel, those who criticized and fought against the 
imperialist and colonialist policies pursued by Israel and other states 
were publicly labeled anti-Semites, even prosecuted.

Yet, while the systematic destruction of Gaza and the deliberate 
starvation of its population sparked outrage worldwide, only a few 
countries (such as the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy) saw 
mobilizations commensurate with this indignation. Similarly, solidarity 
with anti-imperialists and anti-colonialists facing repression, and 
denunciation of maneuvers aimed at distorting the fight against Zionism 
(by conflating it with antisemitism, much to the delight of true 
antisemites), have remained very weak.

The weapon constantly used by the proponents of capitalism against the 
proletariat is fear.

Even if you're not the type to be afraid, hearing the constant refrain, 
through every channel of communication, that you are afraid, you might 
end up believing it. Fear of immigrants, of Black people, of rapists, of 
murderers, of pedophiles, etc. You are no longer safe, they keep telling 
you, but don't worry: the State is there to take care of it.
The left, of course, plays this Big Brother game, which can win votes, 
but so does a segment of the far left, as it offers them an opportunity 
to build a small base of loyal supporters.

For our part, we reject this game, which leads to whining for government 
assistance, and we prefer to see something other than the perpetual 
passivity we are constantly bombarded with in society.

In recent weeks, France has seen an increase in strikes: at the SNCF 
(French National Railway), in all hospital sectors, in urban transport, 
in the civil service, in the national education system... But also in 
sectors of the new working class: at Decathlon, in analytical 
laboratories, in teleworking (like Le Bon Coin), in social and medical 
services, in the cultural sector (like the Machines of Nantes), at 
Ubisoft video games, at the Louvre Museum - and even in the banking 
sector (Crédit Agricole).

So, let's leave pessimism for better days and try to widen the cracks in 
the established order!

OCL Poitou

https://oclibertaire.lautre.net/spip.php?article4742
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