Economist Clara E. Mattei on the Mechanics of Capitalist Subordination

• Economist Clara E. Mattei argues that capitalism persists primarily through the systematic subordination of the majority.
• The necessity of wage labor strips individuals of their capacity for collective decision-making, which is forfeited the moment one enters the workplace.
• Austerity is not a rational economic policy but a disciplinary tool designed to increase dependency on markets and protect capital accumulation.

The Role of Disciplinary Mechanisms

• Unemployment is not an accidental failure of capitalism but a functional feature required to maintain labor substitutability and keep wages low.
• The system is fundamentally decoupled from human needs, indifferent to the social costs of hunger, stress, or housing insecurity.
• Military spending serves as a primary valve for overproduction, stimulating growth while bypassing the need to empower workers through social public spending.

Strategies for Emancipation

• Mattei emphasizes that academic discourse is often co-opted; real change requires building independent, non-hierarchical institutions that produce knowledge from below.
• True freedom is defined as the collective power to organize society, a stark contrast to the neoliberal individualistic narrative pushed by political leaders.
• The transition to an alternative economy requires the socialization of investment and a shift toward production based on 'use value' rather than profit.