The above figures are not the invention of Class War - they come from the State's own figures and were updated after the 1981 census.

*THE RULING CLASS
In general there are two main factors that give you your place in the class system: wealth and power. The ruling class rule, but they don't actually govern - that is left to the State's politicians and officials. They don't all sit around in smoke filled rooms conspiring to opppress us, they don't need to most of the time. So how do they keep us in our place? By the old trick of divide and rule - setting white against black, men against women and worker against worker. This breaks down any sense of class solidarity, identity and unity - without which a revolution is an impossible dream.

*THE MIDDLE CLASS
Contact between the ruling class and the working class is very rare. Most inter-class contact comes between the working and middle classes. The middle class is made up of many sub-sections and layers, all performing different roles and functions necessary for capitalist society to run. Basically speaking they manage us in the interests of the ruling class.

The most recognisable role for the middle class is the economic management of business and industry. e.g. work/factory managers, and accountants. These are the top dogs, the highest earners in the middle class, because without their services capitalism would rapidly collapse.

By it's very nature capitalism is filled with brutatlity and inequality. If left to it's devices it would end in either barbarism or class revolution. Neither is any good to the ruling class, so this must be prevented by capitalism putting on a "human face" - the caring side of capitalism! A large section of the middle class provide this function. Mopping up the casualties of class society, and providing a "buffer" for class anger, and sometime channelling it into minor tinkering with social conditions. They also provide the vital services we need, but at a cost to us - they have virtual control over whole areas of our lives.

A not so obvious role of the middle class is to provide an intellectual and cultural framework in which ideas that serve the interests of the ruling class become part of our everyday thoughts. The endless repeating of certain ideas, stereotypes and myths try to stifle our class consciousness and turn us into "model citizens". These can be the crude lies like "all blacks are lazy and thick" or the more sophisticated crap about the so-called "classless society".

Examples would be the media and advertising industries, education and religion.

Capitalism must have a constant supply of new ideas to create new markets to sustain its profits. It must also evolve in order to survive. Middle class researchers and intellectuals provide the information necessary to make this possible. This is true right from university professors to the new so-called "green" entrepreneurs.

Because of the varied roles of the middle classes there is often conflict and contradictions within its ranks. When the class struggle comes to a head it would split them, forcing them to take sides. As a general rule those near the top would side with the bosses, having the most to lose. Those who come on our side can only do so on our terms. Which is to join us as equals, and not in their usual role as leaders.

*THE WORKING CLASS
The briefest way of describing our class is to say we are everyone who is not in the middle and ruling class! This is not just a smart arse remark. In general the working class are people who live by their labour, the ownership of property that generates wealth is the dividing line - if you have enough property or money not to work then you are not working class.

The other part of class identity is "social power". The working classes do not have the power, we are the ones who are told what to do. We are the creation of capitalism. We are defined not by what we do, but by what is done to us. But this does not mean that we are powerless - far from it. The state spends vast amounts of money and energy to keep us in our place. Also, because our work is at the very centre of everyday practical economic activity it is fair to say that everything hinges around whether we want to "play the game" or not.

Class is a much disputed topic. The ruling class need to confuse the issue in order to survive. If the majority of people had a clear idea of the workings of a class society, social control would be impossible and the ruling class would be toppled from their positions of wealth, privilege and power.

As captialism developed and class society became a feature of people's lives, the ruling class found it necessary to stifle class consciousness, and even to get working class people to identify with capitalism. Myths like "we're all middle class now" or "we live in a classless society", are laughable and contradictory. These are the rantings of middle class journalists, ad-men and politicians, who want to wish away class conflict, and try to create a false idea of equality.

With the rise of the "Consumer Society" and the easy availablity of credit, more and more working class people can afford things like their own house, car, holidays abroad, etc. But this increase of personal wealth does in no way increase your social power. At the end of the day these extra goods all rely on your abilty to work. The day you lose your job and can't keep up the payments, they all go out the window along with the easy credit that made them available. And at the same time when we can afford a few extra goodies, the wealth of the already rich and powerful rises fantastically. What counts is not token improvements in our life-styles but the gross inequality in the overall distribution of wealth and power.

With the running down of the traditional heavy industries, the old image of the working class has dramatically changed - massively so during the 1980's. In its place are more white-collar workers, and a rise in service industry, high-tech and part-time employment. But it's ridiculous to say that just becuse there is a more diverse labour market the working class has disappered! It hasn't, it's just that to the middle class politicians, media people and journalists if you don't wear overalls, a cloth cap, and get your hands dirty at work you aren't working class. That's how thick they really are!

The end of class society can only come about through working class revolution. This is because the working class is the only social group capable of this massive transformation of society, by virtue of the fact that we are the overwhelming majority and because we have the interest, motivation and ability to do so. History has shown us many examples of the working class's revoutionary ability, there is no good reason for thinking that this will be any different in the future.

CLASS STRUGGLE

As we said earlier, once you are aware of how crap this society is you either:
1)Do nothing about it because you belong to the ruling class or middle class and have a lot to lose through a revolution.
2)Take a cynical "why bother" attitude, believe that this is the way it will always be and go back to sticking your head in the sand.
3)Or you believe that things should change and that we have to organise and fight back to do so.

How you go about doing number three depends on how much 'change' you actually want, and what exactly you are prepared to do. Some people feel they are changing society by voting Labour, joining CND, becoming a vegetarian or joining the Green party. There's nothing wrong with being a Green, vegetarian member of CND, but it is being criminally naive if you think it will really change the overall structure of society. The same goes for those who think that by "dropping out" and living some sort of "alternative lifestyle" they are doing something to change society. They aren't. The State can tolerate millions of it's citizens wandering off and living in teepee's, and would probably prefer them to do so since they would then be not harmless, and no threat to the State.

Others think that by voting Labour they'll achieve change. We don't. Class War doesn't prattle on about "waiting for a Labour Government" or electing Socialist Councils because the Labour Party is about as revolutionary as a pond full of ducks! It's political aims and ideas are just a "soft" version of capitalism. It also has a negative and destructive influence because it pretends to be the political voice of the working class. The reality is that it's run by a motley collection of bloated, corrupt union offficals and trendy-lefty social worker types who are nothing more than a load of parasitical, careerist bureaucrats, easing their "radical consciousness" by naming tower blocks after obscure Latin American freedom fighters and drinking Nicaraguan coffee at their smart parties, in their smart houses in Hampstead and Holland Park.

Some people join Left-wing groups like the Socialist Workers Party, or Militant. They do want to change society and realise (well some do!) that it will only change through a revolution. Class War believes this too, but how these groups see the coming about of a revolution, and what type of society will be formed and by who, is fundamentally different to what we think and want.

Firstly Class War is not another "Party" trying to gain power. We don't want to swap one set of bosses for another, no matter how "radical and progressive" they pretend to be. They talk about "democratic centralism", and how the working class needs "their leadership" - What a joke! We don't need them anymore than we need the Tories or Labour - THEY NEED US! We have no intention of destroying capitalism just so that it can be replaced by a NEW state, and new laws. Quite apart from anything else, the very nature of these tiny bands of "revolutionaries" who seem to form new groups, and splinter groups, at the drop of a hat means they usually have an exclusively middle class membership. The working class members soon leave.

As a result they launch endless new "front organisations" to try to recruit members. Based around issues such as the war in Ireland, anti-racism and sexism and gay-rights etc. The damage that has been done by their guilt-ridden brands of anti-racism and anti-sexism, in particular, is a disgrace to see. In reality though, these obscure left wing groups are little more than a talking shop where their members prattle away to their hearts content about "the political relevance of one-legged tea pickers in Tibet". While the real world passes them by...

Unlike the Left we see the community as of crucial importance to our class. It is obvious now that any major industrial battles will not succeed without massive community support, such as during the Miners Strike. Crime and other anti-social behavior, racism and sexism must be fought from within our communities, we can't sit back waiting for someone to do it for us. This is what the Left want us to do, leave everything to them and they will sort it our for us. But what usually happens is that as soon as something else appears on the horizon they're off like a shot! A good example of this is the Poll Tax - as soon as it was annouced that it was going to be scrapped they dropped it like a hot potato, probably relieved that their would be no more riots in Trafalgar Square that would threaten their cozy lifestyles.

To the Left the working class are there to be ordered about because we are too thick to think for ourselves. The new concerns of the Left in this country relect the political, economic and cultural hopes of the middle class more than ever before. Tragically any decent revolutionaries within these groups usually become burnt out, disillusioned and are wasted.

Class War makes no "revolutionary demands" on behalf of the working class. But we do see the need to play up the revolutionary elements within our struggles, towards an objective of creating a popular "culture of resistance". This is the popularisation of the ideas of class struggle, class pride and identity, and the values of solidarity, self management and internationalism. Fundamentally this is about bringing politics into all areas of peoples lives. At present the capitalists invade all areas of our lives - in turn we will have to retrieve every part of them.

This development will become the foundation and energy behind any possible revolutionary movement. In areas of the world where this has happened, like Spain, Italy and Russia, the traditions have lingered on generations after the orginal movements were crushed - its powerful stuff!