Repression and the Ruling Class

How can the working class ensure that there basic needs are met? Althusser claims that the basic needs are consumables and not monetary. What he does not stress is that our basic needs are consumables, monetary and education. They are all connected. If the working class basic needs are not met, production of any material will decline. The working class cannot be productive if they are in constant worry were their families” next meal will come from, or how they can provide clothing and shelter. In our society, labor laws enforce a minimum standard of pay, working conditions, and maximum number of work hours a day. Labor unions are also in place in some industries as a watch dog for the working class. However, to be a member of a union, we must pay the piper or sheriff so to speak, with union dues and required meetings. The union has control over the worker. Regardless if union members can afford to strike, there is tremendous pressure to strike from other union members. This is sometimes enforced by intimidation and violence. In essence, the ruling ideology has trickled down to the union members who have acted as an ISA inciting violence to gain conformity. There have been stories told about Boeing workers crossing the picket lines in order to continue providing for their families just to find angry strikers have burned down their homes. What have they accomplished by destroying someone’s property and endangering people’s lives? I would have to say they have accomplished nothing that would gain conformity.

I served in the Marine Corps for eight years. Although they commanded immediate obedience to orders, they were not entitled to impose immoral behavioral thoughts and ideas. The only reason the Marines and Army soldiers who tortured those prisoners followed those orders was that the superiors told them to. There ideology would have been different if they paid attention to what they were taught in boot camp. We were taught only executable orders that do not impose immoral behavior are the only ones’ to follow. A further example of the military not imposing immoral thoughts and behaviors is the non existence of a draft and the conscious objector application. Today’s military operates in a voluntary enlistment system. When recruits arrive at the processing station, they are asked again if they are there on their own free will or if they would like to go home. When recruits arrive at recruit training, they are asked this same question again. People usually don’t leave unless they see that they are not the only one to quit. So here we are back to conformity, but in this case, repression (peer pressure or any other label that can be applied) is self imposed. You might say that Althusser is correct in stating that education does not always overcome repression. I contend that the educated, informed recruit would know were his ideological viewpoints stood.