They'll never walk alone

Viac o knihe

The Gastarbeiter, a symbol of migrant workers in late industrial modernity, was created to address temporary gaps in Western European capitalism while also reflecting its early economic and political fractures. Emerging from the disparities between the "developed" North and the "underdeveloped" South, this figure occupied a regulated space within European democracies. Today, the Gastarbeiter represents an avant-garde presence at the intersection of capitalism and socialism. This early messenger of global transformation underscores not only the collapse of socialism but also the rise of global neoliberal capitalism, revealing the inherent contradictions that have led to a significant crisis in recent years. This crisis is dramatically expressed in the current challenges faced by refugees and migrants. The Gastarbeiter's legacy is central to understanding today's so-called "crisis," necessitating an exploration of its hidden genealogy across ideological divides and political interests. By reconnecting our present with the past, we can better comprehend the current situation and envision a transformed future.