Explaining Working Class Conservatism: The Myth of the 'Labor Aristocracy'.

One of the most influential theories of working class conservatism is the notion of the labor aristocracy-a relatively privileged layer of workers who "buy into" the capitalist system. The higher wages, benefits, and job security of these workers flow from corporate "super profits" earned either through imperialist investment in the global South, or from the monopolistic position of these corporations. Despite its intellectual pedigree and longevity, the labor aristocracy thesis is not a theoretically rigorous or factually realistic explanation of working class reformism or conservatism. The critique that follows begins with an evaluation of the claim that "super profits" pumped out of workers in the global South underwriting a "bribe" in the form of higher wages for a minority of the working class in the global North. We then examine the claim that limits on competition flowing from industrial concentration in key sectors of the economy produces differential profits rates and wages. We will conclude our critique of the theory of the labor aristocracy with an analysis of the actual history of radical and revolutionary working class activism in the 20th century. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]