Society after the Cold War: the peak of Western expansionist capitalism or a period of communist success?

                                       Cold War Propaganda (gabriel-chetcuti.wordpress.com)

With one of the core defining aspects of the aftermath of the Cold War being the significant failures of the US during the Second World War and the Cold War having developed as sense of comparative instability and sociopolitical insecurity, it is clear that they desired change through economic prosperity. This was the core driving force behind their advocacy for globalism through neocolonial and expansionist agenda, so as to achieve this, all the while maintaining mutual symbiotic relations with their core allies, establishing links to resource rich and economically valuable regions that would be crucial in their development, and ultimately avoiding any potential threats with their communist opposition. However, it is only through analysing the tensions remaining between the Eastern and Western Worlds that one can realise this as heavily Western centric perception of these events, and the potential argument that this engagement in globalist agenda was merely a means of substantiating claims of overriding emphasis on the preservation of the US' superpower status to support their own individual ideals.

The US' strong support for capitalism and their own individualist agenda taking centre stage in political and economic decision making after the Cold War is clearly observed when reflecting on the implementation of the Marshall Plan, This was done after the Second World War, and there was seen to be a noticeable rise in support by the US for the principles set about through this agreement during and after the Cold War. This agreement was devised by President Truman on April 3rd 1948 with the key motive that the US provides economic support to assist the redevelopment and rebuilding of economic infrastructure in Europe, leading to the appropriation of $13.3 billion to be directed towards assisting this recovery, through the provision of the required resources and capital to facilitate this to affected European nations. This was also a core turning point in the revival of historic Western colonial globalist agenda in that it in turn reflected the neo-colonial undertones of much of the US' supposed progression in their internationalist agenda.

Equally, similar reasoning and intentions to maintain law and order in a functioning global political system that puts emphasis on peace, stability and security through the preservation of colonialist superpower influence is observed with the establishment of the Bretton Woods agreement and the strong advocacy for this amongst not just the US, but also by many of the recovering European nations. It is important to note the considerable delays in the initiation of this agreement, this having been largely due to there having been significant unexpected economic costs having arisen for these nations when working around the still felt impacts of the Cold War in its aftermath, which led to the expansion and establishment of new forms of polycrises. Equally, the strong economic dominance of the US overall in the management of global financial systems could be argued to have somewhat led to conditions of underdevelopment being further exacerbated and attempts for affected nations struggling to recover and rebuild their infrastructure appearing to have been sabotaged. This is reflected through the US dollar having remained as the dominant global currency and the basis of all international exchange and use of financial action. Greater pressure for these nations to pay reparations to the US in relation to their involvement in the Cold War had also drained a lot of their reserves of income, thus reducing the amount they could invest into this recovery, and that attempts to close the dollar gap having failed had meant that socioeconomic disparities within these regions had been exacerbated. It is through this that one can reflect on the overriding US capitalist influence and its ever present dominance within global political systems, as continues to be the case for much of today's spheres of influence dominated by Western interests.

However, it is also through reflecting on and drawing comparisons with the growth and cultural change observed for Europe during the period of the Soviet union, North Korea and Vietnam, with regard to, not just their presence within the Cold War, but the expansion and redefinition of their spheres of influence and international presence. This appears clear considering the aforementioned failures of the US during the Cold War. The Soviet Union sought to avoid potential invasion by the US and thus preserve independence and individual international presence with the European nations within maintaining their autonomy and sovereignty so as to separate from the US' influence and avoid future neocolonial exploitation. Similar methods of governance and ideals to build society on were adopted by Vietnam, as a means of countering past imperial activity within the region, and liberate all in a struggle against freedom from this form of oppression by the US and Europe. However, it can also be argued that this is not necessarily a truly communist principle as many may have historically referred to it as, but merely a desire for greater stability and security. It could thus be seen that the description of the Vietnamese National Liberation Front (NLF), which facilitated this change, as communist in nature, and that the term communist was perhaps likely a derogatory means of referring to any opposition by the US during this period, if they went against or were a threat to the US' individual aims.

It is through an understanding of the sociopolitical and economic dimension of the ongoing colonial and neocolonial Western superpower influence after the COld war that continued to have a high profile and remain clearly prevalent on much of the international globalist and expansionist agenda of the time, that one can notice the overriding dominance of capitalism in modern society, and its ongoing legacy. It is therefore important that an effective distinction between the core principles of communism and any anti-colonial sentiment (with these not always functioning in a mutual and effective manner alongside each other in society). It can then be clearly concluded that, in spite of the failings of the US in the Cold War, there was arguably no particularly noticeable turning point in the redefinition of communist ideology and its presence in global systems having been observed during this time, and that this merely acted as an opportunity for settler colonial exploitation to only be exacerbated, thus foreshadowing potential future conflict and unlawful abuse and exploitation of international influence.

Overview of Marxism and food: How to eat the rich and why they are tasteless

TRIGGER WARNING: Some mention of disordered eating and mental health appears briefly in this article. If you are likely to be affected by this trigger, feel free to skip the section as appropriate or read no more.

Whether it is in the form of cheap fuel to sustain oneself through a long workday, a nice meal to bond over socially as a family in the evening, or a means of showing off one's decadence and love of luxury through the buying of the finest and most exotic ingredients, food is something we all have the common need of and should act as a given basic right, and so the need for it, the ultimate universal leveller of all classes and groups in society. Its huge variety and the many different forms it takes and cultures it exists in act can help it act as the ultimate visual representation of the unity and diversity of people within society.

Or at least, that's what it should be like and it should be enjoyable for all. Sadly, it has turned into a source of conflict and inequality, an obsession, or a thing that has been turned into a mechanical afterthought and a rigid distraction from one's individual aims in a capitalist society merely to keep the cogs turning and the workplace functioning efficiently, even if potential disregard for one's personal wellbeing and needs is supposedly secondary in importance. As I sit and eat my dinner while typing away at this screen (yet another way of further proving this sentiment), I will further dig into and savour the capitalist undertones of food production. Tuck in dear readers....

According to Max Weber, society is a complex product shaped by humans' social actions (Fuchs, 2020), a sentiment further expanding upon Marx's materialist world view that people would use society and its relative assets to support their own needs and interests, and those of society collectively. This is reflected through the major overriding influence of class in the bourgeois capitalist society of his time, and their ability to exploit and use the resources and material production of the working classes to their advantage. This is not to say, however, that the idealist principles for a true utopian socialist society cannot be considered as having a role in the development of this society, and that social reformation would damage its structural integrity, but that the mutual relations between the different classes within society are merely relations of domination, and thrive off of the collective power of the masses. Structures, in the form they are described here, are built off of repeated organisational behaviours and distinct hierarchy to create an illusion of social and political stability. Indeed, this can appear to in part explain the conflict between the peasant and proletarian agricultural workers and those developing efficient technological means of mechanising agricultural production, with the latter focusing primarily on efficiency and ability to produce a large amount of food to sustain a rapidly growing population, notably with a rising middle class able to consume considerably larger amounts of available food and land. The existence of the mechanised systems of agriculture in question, as well as acting as important industrial ventures to bring in greater wealth to the bourgeois, appear further alienate the proletariat. This is especially true considering their operation relies heavily on maintaining constant capitalist relations within society (Peng, 2020), and assumes that this rising consumption will remain linear so they can continue to provide for it (thus claiming to effectively counter Malthusian economic principles in which society will be unable to function due to there being no suitable means of providing for the surplus population sustainably). This would thus present the implementation of these agroecological advancements in modernised agricultural systems to appear somewhat counterintuitive to the advancement of an evolutionary society ruled in socialist principles, especially seeing as the interests of the peasants which arguably form the foundations of this society are dismissed, and attention is instead diverted to supporting the capitalist interests of the wealthy. Moreover, increased potential for eco-fascism and greenwashing could arise due to the overshadowing of this exploitative ultra-capitalist agenda with comparatively palatable environmentalist principles which these systems also clearly advocate for.

When reflecting on this issue, the clear paradoxical nature of this logic regarding the revolutionising of agricultural production in relation to the principles of agroecology is clearly evident in that, the principles of agroecology are built on the logic that there are always the sufficient land and resources for producing food, but that the rising  consumer demands under capitalism and the mechanisation and use of comparatively less sustainable methods of agriculture (i.e. through deforestation, use of chemical fertilisers, and the creation of monocultures as opposed to polycultures). These are all principles that would clearly be advocated within the socialist schools of thought. This rising consumption can also be very much attributed to globalisation and Westernisation having led to the increased consumption of meat and processed foods, both of which putting a greater strain of land and water available for this, thus leading to comparatively more unethical methods of production being adopted than prior to capitalism. With meat production, for instance, this would not have become the exploitative practise it is today, also featuring unnecessary additions to the final product to assist this if less of it needed to be produced quickly and effectively to provide for rising global demands. Indeed, it was the most natural thing to function on a diet consisting primarily of meat (and many still would do in certain environments by which limited other food is abundant, such as with the Inuits or small scale hunter gatherer societies), usually hunted, and it was purely due to evolution through natural selection allowing for the digestion of dairy and plant matter that humans evolved to adapt to a diet more similar to today's diet. It is for this reason that one should not consider meat consumption and the likes as inherently evil, unnatural and unsustainable, and should instead be diverting their attention to dismantling capitalist systems and revolutionising society, as well as reducing their consumption of these products in general, as opposed to greenwashing and pushing capitalist agenda through an alternative completely plant based diet assisted by the ironically capitalist means of marketing and facilitating this (i.e. through consumerist means of marketing alternative products, these often being comparatively more expensive to use).

Moreover, this extends to the argument that when linking back of the heavy marketing of lifestyle and health, much of this also extending to diet, it can be seen that maintaining good health is a process that involves spending vast amounts of income and supporting capitalist principles. The rise of disordered eating as a byproduct of insecurity around food, lack of control, and pressure to appear in a certain way due to a combination and accumulation of multiple physical and mental health issues further acts as a reminder of this, and something that capitalism fails to help people recover from (especially considering that many underlying factors leading up to these issues do largely stem from capitalism). I for one, as a former eating disorder sufferer, who still struggles somewhat with forming a healthy relationship with food, know this is something rarely easy to treat and something that you can feel you never lose entirely, largely because of these issues and how heavily ingrained they are within current society. 

This attitude fails to make any attempt to recognise the major issues faced by many low income people in poor physical health (namely poverty, poor standard of living, lack of available green spaces and places to exercise, and the knock on consequences of poor physical and mental health) as issues brought about by capitalism, and that this is what is mainly at fault, as opposed to laziness and inability to take responsibility for one's own health through eating healthily (the strategy which many capitalists monetise and thrive off of in expanding potential economic ventures). It is without doubt that the working classes are often put at the most unfair disadvantage in this regard, with what has been coined as the "Glasgow Effect" being an excellent example of this. This principle is based off of observations that comparatively deprived urban areas with a predominantly white British working class population generally have the poorest health and standard of living (Swift, 2023). This is largely caused by the failure of capitalism in achieving economic growth through the outsourcing of previous core industries for areas in the UK such as Glasgow. This has meant that a considerable loss of income and rise in unemployment, therefore leading to inability to invest adequate funds into improving the standard of living for the people, and exacerbating socioeconomic disparities evident between the wealthiest and poorest members of society. In the case of Glasgow, there has been reported to have been a rise in unemployment by 4.7% since 2022 (above the Scottish average of 3.1%), and a rate of economic inactivity (as in neither employed nor seeking work) reaching 25.5% (ONS, 2023). Because of this, it can be clear why many residents of these deprived areas of the UK face significant inequalities regarding their health and quality of life, with life expectancy for those in deprived parts of Glasgow being 54 versus 82 for less deprived parts of Glasgow for these reasons, according to a 2008 report by the World Health Organisation (WHO). While many of these affected families struggle with poor access to high quality and nutritious food, merely putting them to blame and incentivising them to make improved choices is not a solution to the issue, and only serves to act as a rigid distraction from the flaws of an unequal society and the underlying issues posed by the prevalence of capitalism.

It is through an effective analysis of the structural flaws of the current unequal UK society that one can observe the clear need for true socialist change through true revolutionary influence. Food should be seen the way it is, as a basic right and a universal leveller enjoyed and required by all to act as a compulsory means of pleasure and fulfillment which helps bring others forward in enabling positive societal change, as opposed to something exacerbating division and that instils an unjustified sense of fear amongst the people purely down to the way capitalism has had it become viewed.

The importance of strike action, unionisation and workplace mobilisation: the legacy of the 1926 general strike

Happy Workers Day, comrades!

Today on Workers Day upon marching through London on the annual May Day march, exactly a century after the monumental nine day general strike that took place in 1926 in response to unjust working conditions and poor pay, the striking inequalities many workers have to face, along with the rise further major concerns of violence and the physical and emotional stress and vulnerability of workers (which would in turn influence their performance and ability to gain the most success and satisfaction from their work) still remains a pressing issue for today's society, even after its supposed social and economic advancement over the course of this period. In a world governed by image and pressure to function effectively in a material and consumerist led society in which capitalism takes centre stage, the current mental health crisis can prove to act as another means of developing new means of monetising wellbeing and self-fulfilment through creating marketing opportunities for medication, psychotherapy, health and fitness, and lifestyle, making it seem as though maintaining a good physical and mental state to optimise productivity within the workplace is down to the individual themself and their ability to take responsibility for their own health through this. What this mentality neglects to consider is that this is merely the fault of capitalism and the exploitative systems that this creates. It is through this that one can realise the only way of reducing this issue and bringing about change is through the same tried and tested method that has been in practice for as long as capitalism and the need for so-called efficiency within the workplace have. Marx's theory on alienation can appear to remain ever important with this regard. That method is class struggle.

The 1926 strike proves to perfectly substantiate this sentiment. This was when the Trade Union Congress (TUC) called for strikes to take place at the time of conflicts arising amongst mining  regarding the nationalisation that had taken place for these companies, something that caused mass outcry amongst private owners of mines, which advocated the use of methods popular under lucrative capitalist systems. These included a 13% wage cut and 8 hour workdays. Such was the anger at this change that 1.5 million other workers went on strike in solidarity with the miners. This lasted for 9 days with negotiations being made with the government for proposed improvements to society. These, however, were unsuccessful. In spite of this, this movement stands as an important turning point for revolutionary ideas within the workplace, and for encouraging strike action and unionisation as methods of mobilisation within the workforce as ever popular strategies for the present day.