New animation by KNE: What does your wage have to do with war? (VIDEO)

Where exactly does exploitation lie when a worker goes to work every day, does their job and gets paid regularly at the end of the month? This seemingly simple question is at the heart of KNE’s new animation, screened as part of the central discussion of the 52nd KNE–“Odigitis” Festival, entitled “How much is capitalism costing us? From high prices, war and barbarity to the socialist way out.”

The animation is also available with English subtitles, which can be enabled in the video settings.

In just a few minutes, the animation seeks to shed light on one of the most “hidden” aspects of how capitalism operates: the mechanism of exploitation. The animation shows that exploitation does not depend on whether an employer is “good” or “bad”, nor does it occur only when labour legislation is violated. It identifies its basis in the relationship between the owner of the means of production and the worker who sells their labour power.

From there, the picture widens. From competition between businesses, it moves to competition between business groups for markets, energy, raw materials, trade routes and technological supremacy. And from there, to competition between states and alliances of states.

Thus, the journey that begins with an ordinary working day leads all the way to the war economy and war itself: to the billions spent on armaments, the adaptation of production to the needs of war and the sacrifices demanded of workers.

The very same worker who is told that “there is no money” for wages, schools or hospitals is ultimately called upon to foot the bill for war preparations as well.

From the working day to the world market, and from competition between businesses to war, the scale may change, but the questions remain the same: Who produces? Who profits? And who pays the bill?