Lately since covid has begun, there has been a high job insecurity in multiple fields , while the logical thing to do would have been improving job security laws, at least our govt( the name does not matter really) has brought laws , that gives power to the capitalists to abuse labour laws , or to fire employees more easily! I dont understand how does it even help the state or people , except the capitalists ?

  • Jimmycrackcrack@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    I think the short answer is basically, yes, but in the context of your specifics I look at it as a little more complex than that, though still, yes.

    The first nuance, though I’m not sure how important this distinction is, is that I don’t think there’s a cohesive entrenched in stone and detailed policy that says “keep capitalist interests on top”. I think it’s a consequence of the system where despite safeguards to try and keep it in check like democracy, the concentration of wealth leads inexorably to influence and power. This means if there is a real or even just perceived threat, some strong economic headwinds on the horizon perhaps, if somebody has to eat shit, the owners of capital are going to make damn sure it isn’t them. It doesn’t matter if the consequences for them would be mild in relative terms compared to the unshielded masses, they won’t have it it’s selfish and repugnant but then perhaps possibly to an extent understandable, it’s just human nature to use the resources at your disposal to ensure the best outcome for yourself and while by and large we do also have pro-social instincts, if you have a situation where some can opt not to experience a downturn and others don’t get that choice then you’re going to see what we see, they use their influence to make sure they don’t suffer anything and they steer governments to this end.

    Another nuance and a less understandable and more sinister one, but one which I definitely believe is happening, is that given point number 1, exceptional circumstances prevail and a public mood of acceptance is more likely to develop and be exploited. Rich people with significant business interests that would benefit from relaxed labour laws will lobby to erode such laws at all times and tend gradually to succeed anyway, but when you have crisis, lobbyists don’t let them go to waste and they harness them to accelerate their permanent agenda. Sometimes crisis are invened, moral panics deliberately whipped up to allow an agenda to be pushed through but sometimes they’re real crisis and “exceptional circumstances” really do prevail which is particularly insidious since they can take this moral license and mood of acceptance to push well past what’s necessary or fair and usually weasel a way to keep the “temporary” changes in place ever after even when the exigencies have long passed.

    My third and final point, for nuance is a devilish one because it can be interwoven nicely in to points 1 and 2 to justify terrible things. As I say, I don’t think there’s a secret evil plan amongst governments specifically to protect capitalist interests above social interests, but I do think governments are more beholden to them and also that sometimes circumstances mean the state has to step in to protect and shield segments of society against crisis. While you and I and many would probably think that it ought to be the more vulnerable and less wealthy that need that protection, for the sake of intellectual honesty I should at least acknowledge the justification they might make for instead protecting capital. It’s not how I look at things, but I should imagine if pushed in to a corner where they have to acknowledge that that is indeed what they’re doing this is what your government might say. “We have to protect the interests of corporations and capitalists because they are the economic engines of our society and the source of our welfare and prosperity. If we let them suffer, or even fail, the social consequences would be far greater than if we didn’t protect them at the expense of the working class because it will worsen the impact of a crisis across the board for all”. They’ll claim that the crisis that you’d think would mean workers need more protection are in fact the very reason that they should be fired more easily because they’ll frame labour laws ironically as a kind of bourgeois indulgence that can be tolerated in times of plenty but will burden corporations too much in times of crisis. I really don’t agree with this idea but it is important to know what the supposed logic is to help at least prevent the exploitation of crisis in light of a well meaning mood of public acceptance.