A wage-earner selling labor-power wishes to sell, say, eight hours labor-power for $6.
The capitalist employer buying labor-power wishes to buy, say, nine hours labor-power for $2.50—in order to get the surplus value—that fascinating surplus.
Thus there is a fundamental conflict between the industrial interests of this buyer of labor power and the industrial interests of this seller of labor-power.
And it is just so with the two industrial classes.
There is a fundamental conflict of industrial interests between the employer class buying labor-power and the working class selling labor-power.
Between these two industrial classes there is a struggle, a class struggle—to defend their conflicting industrial interests.
This class struggle takes on many different forms—but it is always the same thing down at the bottom—a class struggle in industry.
The three propositions explained above are most important. A clear understanding of these three propositions always—always—revolutionizes the political thinking of the working class man, or woman, who has not, before, understood them. These three truths destroy old political prejudices and customs, cut the reins by which the political tricksters misguide the workers, clear the air of “hot air,” reveal the blind alleys of old party politics, point the road to power and freedom for the working class, and make a rock-bottom foundation for a working class political philosophy and policy and tactics.
The capitalist class (who rule and ruin the toilers) regard these three truths as more dangerous than any other, or all other, teachings that ever reach the working class mind. It is to the capitalists’ interest that the workers should not learn these three truths. But it is to the interest of the working class that the working class should learn these three truths.