21. The politics of division
Current
politics are about division. They pitch Catalans against Spaniards, British
against Europeans, Americans against all comers. This is no coincidence, it is a ploy of
capital. Capital, as a concept, is united in its aims. Unity of aims and
purpose, and even of method, is a competitive advantage if your enemy is
divided. The unity of the people, whether it is trade unions, across borders
cooperation or financial and tax regulation, weakens capital, reduces its
power. Capital can jump fences, and those who try to control it cannot, so capital
builds fences. This is not a new concept. Julius Caesar is credited with the
maxim ‘Divide et conquere’. It was a less subtle World, where conflict was more
obvious and a lot more bloodied, but strategies remain fundamentally the same. Foster
division and, if there isn’t any, seed it first, then foster it. One more
episode of the capital versus the people. Passion and sentiment, so easily manipulated
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