A B C of modern socialism
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What is political action?
Political action is the action of the proletariat, mainly by means of their unions, operating on their employers through the instrumentality of Parliament and other public bodies.
Besides being a movement of resistance to the pressure of the wage system, what other end is sought by these two means?
The common object of both economic and political action is to raise wages.
What effect have economic and political action respectively in raising wages?
Neither economic nor political action has any, or more than an apparent, effect in raising wages.
Why is this?
Wages being fixed by the supply and demand, and capitalists determining demand and nature determining supply, it follows that neither demand nor supply is under the control of the workmen. How do capitalists control the demand for labour?
Capitalists control the demand for labour by various means; in general by reducing its necessity in production—as by its more economic (that is, sparing) use, by increasing its efficiency, and by substituting machinery for it.
Cannot trade unions determine the supply of labour?
Trade unions cannot determine the total or general supply of labour; they can only determine a particular supply.
Cannot wages be raised then by this means?
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