Assuming that its accomplishments include moving manufacturing back into the US and securing the border, what good could come of a populist movement? The interests of the American labor aristocracy would just be consolidated with Imperialism to an even greater extent, and any conflict against China would see no resistance from organized labor because of the incestuous relation of the MIC and organized labor. Any anti-war movement would have no power at all, there would be no positive argument for stopping the conflict when it keeps everyone employed as contrast to the current state of unemployment and precarious work.
Potential benefits include the cessation of the export of capital, less capacity for the US to project power across the world, and less state repression of anti-imperialist movements. But I can’t help but think that if the US pulled its production out of Asia, South America, Africa, and the Pacific, it would redo Gladio/Bloodstone to prop up fascists to hold down anti-imperialist movements, or create a dozen Israels to keep a way to quickly kill nascent revolutions. Am I wrong?
Depends on whether you view those offshored manufacturing jobs as neocolonialism or not. If they are, then moving them back onshore means there will be less neocolonial exploitation.
Yes absolutely, which if why I consider the cessation of the export of capital a positive. But if it’s done as a strategic goal as part of an effort to preserve American empire, the juice isn’t worth the squeeze right? Although at that point there’s an actual cost-benefit analysis to be made to determine whether it ends up materially aiding the efforts of third world revolutionaries or hurting them more.
IMO USians have overwhelmingly become too decadent to actually want to work those manufacturing jobs (see TSMC struggling to find anyone they can hire here) although it’s possible such a process would reify internal colonies and be staffed by new immigrants, undocumented workers, black workers, and indigenous workers. That could actually create conditions for revolution inside the US.
I don’t even get it. I like factory work. Yeah, it’s hot and physically tiring and dangerous because those fuckers won’t take my safety concerns seriously, but I like being able to zone out for eight hours and not talking to customers. It’s fine?