adminWhile Das Kapital primarily analyzes the dynamics of capitalism within individual nations, its underlying principles inherently point towards the necessity of proletarian internationalism – the solidarity and unity of the working class across national borders.
Marx’s analysis reveals that capitalism is a global system. The drive for profit compels capitalists to seek new markets, cheaper labor, and raw materials worldwide, creating an interconnected web of exploitation that transcends national boundaries.
Das Kapital highlights how workers in different countries often face similar forms of exploitation and oppression at the hands of capital. Their shared class interests in overcoming this exploitation form a powerful basis for international solidarity.
The concept of surplus value, central to Das Kapital, demonstrates that capitalist profit in one nation can be directly linked to the exploitation of workers in another, fostering a shared struggle against a global system of capital accumulation.
Marx and Engels famously declared in the Communist Manifesto, which predates Das Kapital but shares its core ideas, “Workers of all countries, unite!” This call underscores the understanding that the proletarian revolution is not a national but an international endeavor.
From a Das Kapital perspective, national divisions are often seen as artificial constructs that can divide the working class and hinder their collective power. Capitalists may exploit nationalistic sentiments to undermine worker solidarity and maintain their dominance.
Proletarian internationalism, therefore, advocates for the overcoming of national divisions and the forging of alliances between workers across the globe in their common struggle against capitalism and for a more just and equitable world.
While the practical realization of proletarian internationalism has faced numerous historical challenges, the underlying analysis in Das Kapital regarding the global nature of capitalism and the shared interests of the working class continues to provide a theoretical foundation for international worker solidarity and cooperation in the pursuit of social change.