The fall of the US stock markets has forced Trump to put his all-out trade war on pause. Taxes imposed on European companies will only rise by 10%, for now. European leaders are relieved. But tariff escalation has begun.
Imports to the US of steel, aluminum and cars are still taxed at 25%. The confrontation between the US and China continues to rage and European leaders are worried that, due to a lack of markets, Chinese goods will flood the European market. The EU already taxes Chinese cars at 35% so numerous governments are calling for an increase of other import taxes.
Nearly all the political parties in France are promoting protectionism and promising re-industrialization and sovereignty. This includes the National rally (RN), Unsubmissive France (LFI) and the French Communist Party (PCF) despite them being at opposite ends of the political spectrum.
And who are they counting on to “protect” the country? On the capitalists! On Michelin, Sanofi, Stellantis who all cut jobs and close down factories as easily they throw away a used Kleenex! Obviously, it’s not in the RN’s program to take economic power out of the bourgeoisie’s hands. And it’s not in that of LFI or the PCF either.
As the trade war intensifies, politicians are suggesting that workers put their fate in the hands of those who are exploiting them and spreading misery across the country. And trade union confederations are doing the same. It’s pretty obvious that this policy will lead to new attacks against the workers.
The word ‘protectionism’ doesn’t have the same meaning for workers and capitalists. Workers want to protect their jobs and their wages. Capitalists want to protect their markets, their profits, their sinecures and their privileges, all of which come from exploiting the workers.
Quite a few bosses are sheltered from international competition. This is true for retail and construction. But are the workers at Carrefour, Auchan and Bouygues less exploited? Are they less likely to be fired, have insecure jobs, low wages? Are the population’s housing needs met? The answer to all those questions is a resounding no.
As for the major capitalists who face international competitors, it’s pretty hypocritical when they ask for more protectionism! It always has to be a one-way street for them – it only goes in the direction of their interests.
They criticize Trump’s protectionism but want their own for Europe. They want the state to protect their national market but, as the former head of Stellantis once said, they also want to have the right “to take the food off their neighbor’s plate”.
Protectionism doesn’t put an end to trade war, it strengthens it. For workers, it means higher prices and ever greater pressure to be competitive. For big business, it means more tax cuts and more government funding on the pretext of giving aid to French companies.
The trade war is nothing to do with us because the system does nothing for us. In a capitalist context, all economic policies are oriented towards the interests of the bourgeoisie, which are the complete opposite of those of workers.
It would be ridiculous for us to believe that French capitalists might care about collective interests and the future of the planet. They’ll do as they’ve always done – invest where the profits are highest. The only patriotism they believe in is holding on to their own money, which they prefer to put in tax havens.
We’re having sovereignty and nationalism shoved in our faces to make us believe that, if we barricade ourselves behind borders, workers will have a say in the future of society. This is deceitful. As long as capital, i.e. economic and political power, is concentrated in the hands of the capitalist class, the only sovereigns will be people like Mulliez (Auchan, Pimkie, etc.), Arnault (LVMH), Bolloré (communication and media), Saadé (CMA CGM).
In order to reorganize the economy on a rational basis and ensure that it meets the needs of humanity and looks after the planet, we need to dethrone these modern monarchs. And by that we mean expropriate them and take away their political power.
The revolution can only happen through workers’ struggles spreading on an international scale. Contrary to nationalism and the bosses’ divisive methods, contrary to all the leaders who are capable of leading us into another world war, let’s make Karl Marx’s call our own: “workers of the world, unite!”.
Nathalie Arthaud