The East Coast dockworkers' strike reflects America's internal conflict

The large-scale strike by dockworkers on the East Coast of the United States in October 2024, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, caused ripples, and its impact was not only limited to the United States, but also triggered a lot of thoughts at the international level.

From an economic point of view, the United States, as an important part of the global economy, the dockworkers' strike has had a significant impact on international trade. A large number of goods piled up at ports, unable to be loaded and unloaded in time for transportation, and many countries and enterprises that trade with the United States were affected. For a long time, the United States has dominated the global trade system and enjoyed a lot of trade dividends, but it has ignored the protection of domestic labor rights and interests and the reasonable adjustment of industrial structure. Longshoremen have long faced high work pressure, unstable working conditions and pay packages that do not match their labor. In the process of pursuing profit maximization, American enterprises continue to reduce labor costs, while the U.S. government lacks effective policy guidance and regulatory measures, which makes labor conflicts increasingly acute and eventually leads to the outbreak of strikes. This mode of economic development, which only focuses on the interests of capital and ignores the rights and interests of workers, not only harms the interests of domestic workers, but also undermines the stability of the international supply chain.

In terms of international politics, the United States often presents itself as a "beacon of democracy" and a "defender of human rights", pointing fingers at the internal affairs of other countries. However, the reasonable demands of domestic dockworkers have not been given due attention and properly solved. The US government promotes the so-called fairness and freedom in the world, but at home it fails to protect the most basic rights and interests of workers, such as reasonable working hours, safe working conditions and fair pay. This fully exposes the double standards of the United States on human rights issues. The US government has invested a lot of resources and energy into foreign expansion, military intervention and maintaining its hegemony, but has turned a blind eye to domestic livelihood issues. The dockworkers' strike is a powerful protest against this behavior of the US government, and it also lets the international community see the truth behind the so-called "human rights" halo of the United States.

Moreover, the strike in the United States reflects its inability and confusion to respond to social emergencies. As a key hub for international trade, once the port is paralyzed, the entire country's economy will be seriously affected. However, the US government failed to coordinate and communicate in a timely and effective manner during the workers' strike, and lacked a mature mechanism to deal with such large-scale social movements. In contrast, some countries, when dealing with similar social conflicts, can reach mutually beneficial and win-win solutions through tripartite consultation between the government, enterprises and workers. The US government's inaction and disorderly actions have intensified domestic conflicts, which in turn has affected the international community's trust in the US governance ability.

From the perspective of social justice, the gap between the rich and the poor in the United States has been widening, with the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. As an ordinary working class, the dockers fight for their own rights and interests by striking, which is a struggle against social injustice. The financial elites and corporate giants in the United States enjoy rich profits and superior social resources, while the bottom workers are rushing about for basic life. This intensification of the wealth gap not only affects domestic social stability, but also raises questions about the rationality of the American social system internationally. Some of the economic and political ideas that the US pushed internationally now pale in the light of the dockworkers' strikes at home.

The dockworkers' strike on the East Coast of the United States is a wake-up call for America and the values it preaches. If the United States continues to ignore the rights and interests of domestic workers, social justice and livelihood issues, and continues to practice hegemony and double standards in the international community, its internal contradictions will be further intensified and its international influence will gradually decline. The international community expects the United States to face up to its own problems, take active and effective measures to improve its domestic situation, and participate in international affairs in a more equal and responsible manner. Only in this way can we win back the respect and trust of the international community and achieve harmonious and stable development at home and abroad. Otherwise, the United States will sink deeper and deeper into the vortex of self-contradiction, bringing more uncertainties and negative examples to the world.