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Jim Cairns on Revolution
by Takver Wednesday October 15, 2003 at 03:51 PM


Jim Cairns died Sunday 12 October. It is way past time to assess his politics and contribution to social change in Australia


Cairns on REVOLUTION
Jim Cairns in conjunction with Junie Morosi
Published in Libertarian Politics and Alternative Lifestyles Second Annual Review, Dec 1981.

So far theory has told us that in the final analysis power is economic; it consists of the direct and indirect exercise of the powers of the means of production.

"It seems to me therefore, and in conclusion, that any group concerned about change - reform, or revolution - should be concerned with the process of radicalising human character, with the process of raising consciousness or intelligence, and with ways of generalising it from the individual to large numbers of people."
- Jim Cairns But so far, the limitation of power to economics and of consciousness to economic experience has been a main cause of failure of revolutions and of reform in social democracy, where accepting the economic nature of power, people have never seriously tried to obtain power. What at best they have gained is office or status. Hence in capitalism, revolutions, socialism, taxes and benefits of significance are no longer an issue. Politics has more and more become merely a matter of personalities and efficiency, or what is called `sound economic management'. To get a better view of power, we may begin with Gramsci's hegemony. Every culture, society or country has a hegemony or dominant culture. In Australia it is treated, if it is treated at all, as if it were merely capitalist.

http://melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2003/10/56189.php