In its quest for profits capitalism is prepared to look anywhere for cheap labour power. One consequence has been the massive growth in numbers of immigrant workers, who travel, (legally or illegally), to another country for the sake of employment. It would be an error to pretend that there are no problems connected with population movements — both within, as well as, across frontiers. But at most, the immigrants may aggravate problems in housing, hospitals and schools; they cannot cause those problems because they already exist. Immigration may expose social inadequacies, which can also be uncovered by events like war and recessions. Working-class problems are only complicated by racial prejudices. A little effort would reveal that the cause of the problems, and the prejudice, lies in capitalism. The appetite of racism grows by what it feeds on. Poverty breeds its own problems, not least of which is racism. When workers are being squeezed extra-hard so that the rich can get richer they soon turn on one another. And, as usual, the people who face up to the problems and deficiencies of capitalism are the working class; not the politicians whipping up the fear.
Each tightening of immigration control in this country has come after a political panic. There exists a hypocrisy of politicians who demand free trade and the relaxation of market restrictions while at the same time calling for strict rules on immigration. Consistency would require a "free" market in the movement of labour just as in investment and exporting. But immigrant workers are a convenient scapegoat, and can be blamed for everything from unemployment to crime. Politicians therefore find it all too easy to play the immigrant (usually, race) card and claim to defend the national way of life.
But there is a tension in such politicking, for the simple fact is that developed capitalism needs immigrant workers. As the labour force in western capitalist countries ages, and is not replaced adequately because of low birth-rates, immigrants offer an invaluable source of new, young labour power. They may also have fewer qualms about doing unpleasant work or working anti-social hours than "indigenous" workers have. Migrant workers are often "over-qualified" for the work they do, and usually have to endure appalling wages and conditions. Thus capitalism relies on immigrant labour, despite all the anti-immigrant noises its political representatives make. Migration is part and parcel of the global economic order.
This misguided suspicion (even hatred) of fellow human beings who happen not to have been born (or who have not been officially recognised as 'citizens') in certain parts of this world is found everywhere in the world. But this state of affairs could not be otherwise in a world whose only concern is profits. The unfortunate aspect of this hatred towards the 'foreigner' or 'alien' is that the champions of nationalism use the working class of their countries against the working class of other countries. The truth however, is that the loyalty felt by many members of the working class to their country is a misplaced loyalty. Their so-called leaders actually hold them in the same measure of contempt as the 'foreign' members of the working class. In real terms there is no difference whatsoever between these 'citizens' who gleefully inflict the pain and the 'foreigner' on whom the pain is inflicted. The two groups are both exploited by the ruling class. Those trying to migrate are actually forced to flee and abandon their birthplaces by the actions of the ruling class of this world. No one in this world is unaware of the poverty and misery that is the lot of many in Eastern Europe or Africa. And the capitalists cause this.
The real lesson to draw is not that politicians are two-faced but that, while capitalists wish to divide workers from each other, working people, whether migrants or not, face a common enemy, the world capitalist class and their system. One of the strongest holds the capitalists have over the minds of the workers is given by the workers' ready acceptance of the dogmas of patriotism and nationalism. They top of the list of political illusions used to blind capitalism's victims: the workers of the world.
We all expect Tories and Ukip to be flag-waving jingoistic fools but the Labour Party has more than its share of nationalist confusionists.
The problem of nationalism cannot be wished away. To do away with its poison will mean to end the system that fosters it. This system ensures that a minority owns and controls the means with which wealth is produced and distributed whilst the vast majority who actually does the production owns nothing. The resources and wealth of the world must be owned and controlled by all humanity. Under such an arrangement, no one will care who goes where or who belongs where. Then nationalism and its present brutalities would have been buried. But this type of system - call it socialism - can only be possible when people make efforts to understand the workings of not just that system but also this capitalist system. Socialists are internationalists. We belong to the international working class. Our grievance is international; our only hope is international, and our enemy is international also. Hence we are interested in every activity that hurts, hinders, or helps our fellow workers anywhere and everywhere.
Each tightening of immigration control in this country has come after a political panic. There exists a hypocrisy of politicians who demand free trade and the relaxation of market restrictions while at the same time calling for strict rules on immigration. Consistency would require a "free" market in the movement of labour just as in investment and exporting. But immigrant workers are a convenient scapegoat, and can be blamed for everything from unemployment to crime. Politicians therefore find it all too easy to play the immigrant (usually, race) card and claim to defend the national way of life.
But there is a tension in such politicking, for the simple fact is that developed capitalism needs immigrant workers. As the labour force in western capitalist countries ages, and is not replaced adequately because of low birth-rates, immigrants offer an invaluable source of new, young labour power. They may also have fewer qualms about doing unpleasant work or working anti-social hours than "indigenous" workers have. Migrant workers are often "over-qualified" for the work they do, and usually have to endure appalling wages and conditions. Thus capitalism relies on immigrant labour, despite all the anti-immigrant noises its political representatives make. Migration is part and parcel of the global economic order.
This misguided suspicion (even hatred) of fellow human beings who happen not to have been born (or who have not been officially recognised as 'citizens') in certain parts of this world is found everywhere in the world. But this state of affairs could not be otherwise in a world whose only concern is profits. The unfortunate aspect of this hatred towards the 'foreigner' or 'alien' is that the champions of nationalism use the working class of their countries against the working class of other countries. The truth however, is that the loyalty felt by many members of the working class to their country is a misplaced loyalty. Their so-called leaders actually hold them in the same measure of contempt as the 'foreign' members of the working class. In real terms there is no difference whatsoever between these 'citizens' who gleefully inflict the pain and the 'foreigner' on whom the pain is inflicted. The two groups are both exploited by the ruling class. Those trying to migrate are actually forced to flee and abandon their birthplaces by the actions of the ruling class of this world. No one in this world is unaware of the poverty and misery that is the lot of many in Eastern Europe or Africa. And the capitalists cause this.
The real lesson to draw is not that politicians are two-faced but that, while capitalists wish to divide workers from each other, working people, whether migrants or not, face a common enemy, the world capitalist class and their system. One of the strongest holds the capitalists have over the minds of the workers is given by the workers' ready acceptance of the dogmas of patriotism and nationalism. They top of the list of political illusions used to blind capitalism's victims: the workers of the world.
We all expect Tories and Ukip to be flag-waving jingoistic fools but the Labour Party has more than its share of nationalist confusionists.
The problem of nationalism cannot be wished away. To do away with its poison will mean to end the system that fosters it. This system ensures that a minority owns and controls the means with which wealth is produced and distributed whilst the vast majority who actually does the production owns nothing. The resources and wealth of the world must be owned and controlled by all humanity. Under such an arrangement, no one will care who goes where or who belongs where. Then nationalism and its present brutalities would have been buried. But this type of system - call it socialism - can only be possible when people make efforts to understand the workings of not just that system but also this capitalist system. Socialists are internationalists. We belong to the international working class. Our grievance is international; our only hope is international, and our enemy is international also. Hence we are interested in every activity that hurts, hinders, or helps our fellow workers anywhere and everywhere.
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