Capitalism has moved into a stage of open mass culling of the working class—starting with those currently deemed unusable (as workers or consumers). This is a rapidly escalating period of democide—state killing of its own populations—for capital. For purposes—requirements—of accumulation. (From Long Hot Summer edition of the Salish Sea Anarcha Network, August 2025).
Capitalism has moved into a stage of open mass culling of the working class—starting with those currently deemed unusable (as workers or consumers). This is a rapidly escalating period of democide—state killing of its own populations—for capital. For purposes—requirements—of accumulation. It will increasingly expand that category as fewer and fewer workers and consumers are needed to maintain profitability. Tightened conditions of accumulation mean that the ruling class is not simply okay with working-class people dying off—they have determined it is a necessity that must happen, and as quickly as possible. Automation, robotization, AI, put to new and more expansive uses will ensure this culling of the unusable is an ongoing need of capital.
As conditions of accumulation become tighter, more avenues will need to be opened spatially. What has been called accumulation by dispossession, already advancing in cities (street sweeps of unhoused people, encampment evictions, displacement, and gentrification) and the countryside (land grabs, extractives expansion) is switching over to accumulation by democide. And this has moved to the imperial core—its heartland—even as mineral wars, as in Congo, neo-colonialism, the genocide in Gaza, show that this is always readymade capitalist practice against the colonized.
Capital has lost its patience with keeping unneeded working-class people alive. Notably in the very center of advanced capital and so-called liberal democracies (“the West”). Any and all social policies that even minimally address the needs of the unneeded working class—social housing, welfare, shelters, disability benefits, harm reduction, etc.)—are drains on accumulation. They are, from capital’s perspective, wasted resources, unacceptable costs—at a time when capital needs to squeeze out all it can get.
That Canadian politicians, for example, of all stripes, from social democrats to conservatives, jumped immediately to increased border police and security, further militarization of police (Black Hawk helicopters and drones for the RCMP), and actual military deployment to borders—and more military bases—shows clearly that Trump is not an anomaly or even a cause. Trump is a signal. This is what capital has determined is necessary going forward for purposes of accumulation.
Pacification and control of populations abandoned as their jobs are replaced by automation and AI. Populations being prepared for detainment and restriction before eventual elimination (once their usefulness to capital evaporates and their poverty intensifies).
New territories and lands opened for exploitation and extraction. New mining, timber, gas projects. Land grabs against Indigenous people. Dispossession and displacement for accumulation.
Capital and its state servants learned a great deal during COVID. They were able to experiment with some things they viewed as essential for accumulation going forward—they learned lessons and advanced projects—consolidation, automation, workplace restructuring, abandonment of populations, reduction of workforces, social control measures, pacification of populations under situations of outrage and duress, surveillance, monitoring, regimentation. They learned what supports for working-class people could be removed or undercut.
And, crucially, they learned that it needed to go faster. We can understand withdrawal of supports for disabled people and the push for MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying) as principle offering in this light.
The importance of acceleration is that the speed up of mass murder means that all of the assumptions of anti-capitalist organizing have disappeared or are about to disappear. The timeline organizers imagined operating are gone.
The rise of fascist movements is also in part a recognition of this shifted temporal and spatial context. The fascists have realized sooner that the Left what the current conditions are and what is coming—and how soon. They are an expression of the recognition that the kill off is upon us and there is no time to spare.
Theirs is a reaction of survival of the fittest and preparation to survive regardless of what might happen to others. They have determined that they must act in their own self-interest and turn the gun barrels onto others.
We do not have time to organize a general strike. We certainly do not have time to build a “just transition” or a “green new deal.” These are fairy tales in this period. They are little more than lullabies sung to comfort those on the way to the grave.
This should inform our organizing and acting going forward. It should tell us what we are up against—and we are up against it with pace. The requirement for us is to stop it now, not tomorrow.
Sabotage, direct action, offensive self-defense must be put to the forefront. If you know someone is right in front of you, with capacity and intent to kill, how would you act. Now apply that to the state and capital at this very moment. They need you dead, they want you dead. Act accordingly, without hesitation or doubt.
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