#WORLD #WORLDWIDE #GERMANY #ANARCHISM #News #Journal #Update - (en) #Germany, #Osnabrück #LIKOS: Our speech at the rally "Solidarity against price increases" on September 17th, 2022: (ca, de, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

 "Laughing dealers, gigantic profits. The giants of the energy industry meet at

the Gastech trade fair in Milan. There is a gold rush mood," wrote Der Spiegel on
September 9th. For example, RWE doubled its profit in the first half of 2022. And
not only the energy industry, but many other companies are also making record
profits this year - as we struggle to pay our bills, as we can no longer afford
many things and some of us may soon have to choose between heating and eating.
---- But the prices do not rise by themselves, they are increased. Of course, the
Russian war of aggression and the pandemic have an impact on price developments,
but they are actually (crisis) accelerators. Because capitalism is always in
crisis. This can also be seen from the development of inflation in recent years.
It is the compulsion to increase profits in capitalism that causes prices to
rise. It is the corporations that make profits from our misery.

The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. This is the normal
state of capitalism. It is the norm around the world that people who cannot pay
for certain goods are excluded from those goods.

It's all socially made. Inflation and skyrocketing prices (and the need to grow)
are NOT a law of nature, but political.

So now we're supposed to back down to allow companies to keep making profits? The
same companies that have been making record profits for the last two years of the
pandemic.

The trade unions should not demand high wages and we should bear the costs -
because the consequence is nothing more if the costs are "passed on" to us
through increased prices for electricity, gas, petrol and food - FORCED ON would
probably be the better expression.

As a rule, such a policy requires ideology - because no one simply allows it to
be done with them. So the rulers call even more than before for the national
"we", for the alleged national community. "Those who save energy strengthen the
country" says Robert Habeck, for example, or there are cynical washing tips from
Winfried Kretschmann. "Now it's time to give up. - A warm woolen blanket will
probably be needed" was the savings tip of the millionaire Lars von Lackum, the
head of LEG Immobilien, the second largest housing group (in Germany). Yes, with
a company that made a profit of €423 million in 2021 and a personal annual
salary of €1.88 million, he probably won't have to do without.

Who should save? Where should you save? For the vast majority of people in this
country, saving energy would mean clammy feet, dark rooms and cold showers! In
fact, all research shows that it is the top 10% (especially the top 1%) and
especially the big companies that squander energy and resources at our expense.

The invocation of a national community of destiny, of the unemployed and workers
on the one hand and companies on the other, has always been a lie - it has always
been just nationalistic ideology. One is inevitably reminded of the babble of
solidarity at the beginning of the pandemic.

But what common interests do a nurse and a company boss have in common, for
example? What are we actually allowed to have a say in here? Do we have a say in
what is produced and how? When and how do we have to work? How scarce resources
can be distributed sensibly? No, in a capitalist society we do not have a say in
that.

Precisely because we are being exploited, because this exploitation makes gains,
profits and growth possible, the ideology of the national community is the
necessary social glue.
And in times of crisis, this national ideology must be mobilized in particular,
because social inequality also becomes clearer with the crisis. The fact of the
matter is that whenever governments blow the horn of the national "we", we can
expect further cuts in the social system.

We say: With the rulers there is no "we"! - Our interests are not those of the
companies (and shareholders)!

We have to fight for what we want from the cake!

That's why it's important that we take to the streets now, unite now and show
solidarity now. The only way we can defend ourselves against the costs of the
crisis being passed on to us is through pressure, protest and refusal. Only
through practical solidarity can we support each other.

You can see, for example, in Spain that movement is possible. There, massive
social protests have resulted in an excess profits tax, free public transport and
a price cap on gas. (The latter also happened in Britain, the birthplace of
capitalism.)

The packages that the federal government has passed so far are intended to keep
us calm. They are similar to hush money for nurses during the pandemic. However,
this only shows that now is the right time to demand significantly more and
assert one's own interests.

Experience also shows us that we cannot leave the social issue to the right.
Practical anti-fascism always means making left-wing positions visible and
contradicting the interpretation of the government and the right-wing.

In several cities in Germany there are already alliances against the price
increases. Now also in Osnabrueck! Join! Come to the next alliance meeting. Connect!
There are many possibilities: organizing rallies, distributing flyers, putting up
posters, educating colleagues, enabling free meals, preventing forced evictions,
etc. We can only do it together.

With this in mind: These prices have to go down!

https://likos.noblogs.org/2022/09/17/solidarisch-gegen-preiserhoehungen-redebeitrag/
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