John Clarke, former major organizer for the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP), posted the following on Facebook recently:
The problem with ideas like this is that they fail to acknowledge the realities of a capitalist society or the balance of class forces within it. The contradictions and crises of this society and the struggles that flow from them can’t be overcome by proclamations or constitutional provisions.
Although I agree with Clarke that the author of the article does indeed “fail to acknowledge the realities of a capitalist society or the balance of class forces within it,” there is room for proposing reforms that point beyond capitalism–if that is indeed what is aimed for and not just further reforms. I have argued that the struggle for a robust basic income could serve just such an end–in opposition to Clarke. Of course, the aim of a robust basic income could also serve to simply reproduce class relations contradictorily (since it is unlikely that such an aim could be realized within the confines of a society characterized by the class power of employers; there must exist mechanisms, whether economic, political or social or a combination of them that ensure a ready supply of compliant workers if the class power of employers is to remain intact.
In any case, Clarke is right to point out the limitations of the point of view of the writer of the article.
The Abolitionary 