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v t e

The proletariat (from Latin proletarius, a citizen of the lowest class) is a term used to identify a lower social class, usually the working class; a member of such a class is proletarian. Originally it was identified as those people who had no wealth other than their children.

Usage in Roman law[link]

As defined in the Constitution of the Roman Republic, the proletarii was a social class of Roman citizens owning little or no property.

The origin of the name is presumably linked with the census, which Roman authorities conducted every five years to produce a register of citizens and their property from which their military duties and voting privileges could be determined. For citizens with property valued 11,000 asses or less, which was below the lowest census for military service, their children—proles (from Latin proli, "offspring")—were listed instead of their property; hence, the name proletarius, "the one who produces offspring". The only contribution of a proletarius to the Roman society was seen in his ability to raise children, the future Roman citizens who can colonize new territories conquered by the Roman Republic and later by the Roman Empire. The citizens who had no property of significance were called capite censi because they were "persons registered not as to their property...but simply as to their existence as living individuals, primarily as heads (caput) of a family."^[1][2]

Although included in one of the five support centuriae of the Comitia Centuriata, proletarii were largely deprived of their voting rights due to their low social status caused by their lack of "even the minimum property required for the lowest class"^[3] and a class-based hierarchy of the Comitia Centuriata. The late Roman historians, such as Livy, not without some uncertainty, understood the Comitia Centuriata to be one of three forms of popular assembly of early Rome composed of centuriae, the voting units whose members represented a class of citizens according to the value of their property. This assembly, which usually met on the Campus Martius to discuss public policy issues, was also used as a means of designating military duties demanded of Roman citizens.^[4] One of reconstructions of the Comitia Centuriata features 18 centuriae of cavalry, and 170 centuriae of infantry divided into five classes by wealth, plus 5 centuriae of support personnel called adsidui. The top infantry class assembled with full arms and armor; the next two classes brought arms and armor, but less and lesser; the fourth class only spears; the fifth slings. In voting, the cavalry and top infantry class were enough to decide an issue; as voting started at the top, an issue might be decided before the lower classes voted.^[5] In the last centuries of the Roman Republic (509-44 B.C.), the Comitia Centuriata became impotent as a political body, which further eroded already minuscule political power the proletarii might have had in the Roman society.

Following a series of wars the Roman Republic engaged since the closing of the Second Punic War (218–201), such as the Jugurthine War and conflicts in Macedonia and Asia, the significant reduction in the number of Roman family farmers had resulted in the shortage of people whose property qualified them to perform the citizenry's military duty to Rome.^[6] As a result of the Marian reforms initiated in 107 B.C. by the Roman general Gaius Marius (157-86), the proletarii became the backbone of the Roman Army.^[7]

Karl Marx, who studied Roman law at the University of Berlin,^[8] used the term proletariat in his socio-political theory of Marxism to describe a working class unalterated by private property and capable of a revolutionary action to topple capitalism in order to create classless society.

Usage in Marxist theory[link]

A 1911 Industrial Worker publication advocating industrial unionism based on a critique of capitalism. The proletariat "work for all" and "feed all"

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v t e

In Marxist theory, the proletariat is the class of a capitalist society that does not have ownership of the means of production and whose only means of subsistence is to sell their labour power^[9] for a wage or salary. Proletarians are wage-workers, while some refer to those who receive salaries as the salariat. For Marx, however, wage labor may involve getting a salary rather than a wage per se. Marxism sees the proletariat and bourgeoisie (capitalist class) as occupying conflicting positions, since workers automatically wish their wages to be as high as possible, while owners and their proxies wish for wages (costs) to be as low as possible.

In Marxist theory, the borders between the proletariat and some layers of the petite bourgeoisie, who rely primarily but not exclusively on self-employment at an income no different from an ordinary wage or below it - and the lumpen proletariat, who are not in legal employment - are not necessarily well defined. Intermediate positions are possible, where some wage-labour for an employer combines with self-employment. While the class to which each individual person belongs is often hard to determine, from the standpoint of society as a whole, taken in its movement (i.e. history), the class divisions are incontestable; the easiest proof of their existence is the class struggle - strikes, for instance. While an employee may be subjectively unsure of his class belonging, when his workmates come out on strike he is objectively forced to follow one class (his workmates, i.e. the proletariat) over the other (management, i.e. the bourgeoisie). Marx makes a clear distinction between proletariat as salaried workers, which he sees a progressive class, and Lumpenproletariat, "rag-proletariat", the poorest and outcasts of the society, such as beggars, tricksters, entertainers, buskers, criminals and prostitutes, which he considers a retrograde class.^[10][11] Socialist parties have often struggled over the question of whether they should seek to organize and represent all the lower classes, or just the wage-earning proletariat.

According to Marxism, capitalism is a system based on the exploitation of the proletariat by the bourgeoisie. This exploitation takes place as follows: the workers, who own no means of production of their own, must use the means of production that are property of others in order to produce, and, consequently, earn their living. Instead of hiring those means of production, they themselves get hired by capitalists and work for them, producing goods or services. These goods or services become the property of the capitalist, who sells them at the market.

One part of the wealth produced is used to pay the workers' wages (variable costs), another part to renew the means of production (constant costs) while the third part, surplus value is split between the capitalist's private takings (profit), and the money used to pay rents, taxes, interests, etc. Surplus value is the difference between the wealth that the proletariat produces through its work, and the wealth it consumes to survive and to provide labor to the capitalist companies.^[12] A part of the surplus value is used to renew or increase the means of production, either in quantity or quality (i.e., it is turned into capital), and is called capitalised surplus value.^[13] What remains is consumed by the capitalist class.

The commodities that proletarians produce and capitalists sell, are valued for the amount of labor embodied in them. The same goes for the workers' labor power itself: it is valued, not for the amount of wealth it produces, but for the amount of labor necessary to produce and reproduce it. Thus the capitalists earn wealth from the labor of their employees, not as a function of their personal contribution to the productive process, which may even be null, but as a function of the juridical relation of property to the means of production. Marxists argue that new wealth is created through labor applied to natural resources.^[14]

Marx argued that it was the goal of the proletariat to displace the capitalist system with the dictatorship of the proletariat, abolishing the social relationships underpinning the class system and then developing into a communist society in which "the free development of each is the condition for the free development of all.".^[15]

See also[link]

Reference notes[link]

Further reading[link]

• Blackledge, Paul (2011). "Why workers can change the world". Socialist Review 364 (London). http://www.socialistreview.org.uk/article.php?articlenumber=11839. 
• Hal Draper, Karl Marx's Theory of Revolution, Vol. 2; The Politics of Social Classes. (New York: Monthly Review Press 1978).

External links[link]

Look up proletariat in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Danko Jones
Danko Jones live at the Maquinária festival in São Paulo, Brazil 2009
Background information
Origin	Canada
Genres	Hard rock
Years active	1996–present
Labels	Aquarius (Canada) Bad Taste (Europe)
Website	http://www.dankojones.com/
Members
Danko Jones - Vocals/Guitar John Calabrese - Bass Atom Willard - Drums
Past members
Damon Richardson - Drums Niko Quintal - Drums Gavin Brown - Drums Michael Cari Cari - Drums Dan Cornelius - Drums

Danko Jones is a Canadian rock band from Toronto, Ontario. The band consists of Danko Jones (vocals/guitar), John 'JC' Calabrese (bass guitar) and Atom Willard (drums).

History[link]

Formation[link]

Formed in 1996,^[1] they played consistently for two years in and around the north-eastern United States and Canada, opening for The New Bomb Turks, Nashville Pussy, Blonde Redhead, The Make-Up, The Dirtbombs, The Chrome Cranks and The Demolition Doll Rods. Originally they did not even want to release an album opting to have the band's live reputation spread via word of mouth.

Eventually, the trio relented and put out a self-titled six song e.p. on Sonic Unyon records in 1998. In 1999 they released the self-produced My Love Is Bold E.P. and achieved national exposure with the single "Bounce".^[2] They were nominated for a Juno Award in 2000 for Best Alternative Album.

In 2001 Bad Taste Records released a compilation of the band's early recordings, demos, and b-sides entitled, I'm Alive and On Fire. A 5 week European tour followed to promote the release including shows at the Roskilde festival in Denmark and Hultsfred festival in Sweden. By the end of the year they had returned 2 more times, most notably as main support for the Backyard Babies.

Danko Jones, vocals/guitar. Live in Rouen, France 2008

[edit] 2002: Born A Lion

In 2002 they released their first full-length album, Born A Lion, produced by Bill Bell, on Bad Taste Records in Europe and on Universal in Canada. The band did several European tours and two Canadian tours to promote the record including an unprecedented repeat performance at Roskilde and the now legendary return to Hultsfred as well as notable stops to Pukkelpop in Belgium and The Lowlands festival in the Netherlands. They also managed to grab the opening slot with The Rolling Stones on their "40 Licks" World tour kick-off show at the Palais Royale in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on August 16, 2002.^[3]

[edit] 2003: We Sweat Blood

2003 saw the release of We Sweat Blood, produced by Matt DeMatteo, and the group taking a heavier approach to their hard-rock sound.^[4] More touring followed that included Europe and Japan. They were also nominated for two Junos: Best Rock Album (Born a Lion) and Best video (Lovercall).

While success was happening abroad, home relations with Universal Canada had soured and the band was dropped mid-album run. Explanations from the label were vague, but speculations point to Jones' February 2004 appearance on CBC Sunday where Jones appeared as a pro-downloader opposite then CRIA president, Brian Robertson.^[5] Getting dropped from Universal Canada did little to stop the group as they continued to tour heavily for the rest of the year well into 2004 with bands like Turbonegro, Sepultura and The Bronx. While touring they managed to pick up another Juno nomination for Best Rock Album (We Sweat Blood) and tour Australia as well as more European dates including Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park in Germany and Download, Leeds and Reading in England.

[edit] 2005-2006: Sleep Is The Enemy

Early 2005 was taken up by recording the follow-up to We Sweat Blood, but not without a series of tours amidst recording that brought the band to the Netherlands, Germany and South Africa. In April, American label, Razor & Tie released We Sweat Blood and the band set out to America in support as well.^[6] Working two releases simultaneously on both sides of the Atlantic proved quite hard and the worldwide release for the upcoming album, Sleep Is The Enemy, produced by Matt DeMatteo, was pushed back to 2006.

Bass player John Calabrese, live 2008.

During the summer and fall of 2005 the band toured America heavily with two of We Sweat Blood's singles being second most added to active rock radio in America ("Lovercall" and "Forget My Name"). Stateside tours with Flogging Molly, Our Lady Peace, The Supersuckers, and The (International) Noise Conspiracy followed. Prior to the release of Sleep Is The Enemy drummer Damon Richardson left the band, citing fatigue as a reason for leaving. He was replaced by Dan Cornelius.^[7]

In January and February 2006, under new Canadian label, Aquarius Records, the band set out to do their first Canadian tour in almost 4 years opening up for Nickelback.^[8] With the release of Sleep Is The Enemy came more touring including America and a headlining European club tour with support from Brant Bjork & The Bros.

The summer saw them perform at Rock Am Ring, Rock Im Park, With Full Force and Wacken Open Air in Germany; Hellfest and Furiafest in France, Metaltown in Sweden, Pinkpop and Lowlands in The Netherlands, Tuska Festival, Ruisrock and Ankkarock in Finland, Gampel in Switzerland and Wireless in the UK among at least a dozen more. In October 2006, a 2 week tour of Norway saw the band play with ex-Kyuss front-man, John Garcia who appeared on the song "Invisible" off Sleep Is The Enemy.

[edit] 2008: Never Too Loud

Their fourth album, Never Too Loud was released on February 27, 2008^[9] and produced by Nick Raskulinecz. The album yielded three singles, "Code Of The Road" followed by "Take Me Home" and "King Of Magazines". A major city tour of Europe in April 2008 was followed by a Canadian tour in May and a three month stint in Europe playing almost 30 dates on the festival circuit that included Rock Am Ring, Rock Im Park and With Full Force in Germany; Bospop and Lowlands in The Netherlands; Sziget Festival in Hungary; Rabarock in Estonia; Provinssi Rock in Finland; and Eurockeennes and Hellfest in France, where Jones got to sing on stage with one of his favorite bands, Death Angel for the song, "Bored". In the fall/winter of 2008 Danko Jones toured England, Germany, France and Benelux opening for Motörhead.

[edit] 2009: B-Sides

On February 3, 2009 B-Sides was released in Europe only - a collection of previously released b-sides from European singles and unreleased tracks that spanned 1996 to 2008. On February 24 they commenced a 7 week tour in support of the release that spanned The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, France and the UK with support coming from The Backyard Babies, Winnebego Deal and The Black Spiders. The CD yielded the singles "Sugar High" and "My Problems (Are Your Problems Now)". A greatest hits compilation titled This Is Danko Jones was released on April 7 the same year in Canada only.^[10]

Drummer Dan Cornelius, live at Drops Dosol, 2009. Cornelius left Danko Jones in June 2011.

In the summer the band managed a few festival appearances, most notably, the Sziget Festival in Hungary on the main stage with Faith No More and The Offspring, as well as Huntenpop in The Netherlands, Wintherthur and Gampel Open Air in Switzerland, Parken Festival in Norway and Jurassic Rock in Finland. In January and February 2010 the band toured across Canada with Guns N' Roses and Sebastian Bach.^[11] In March the same year they toured the United States with Clutch.^[12]

[edit] 2010: Below the Belt

Their fifth album Below the Belt was released on May 11, 2010 and produced by Matt DeMatteo. The album's first single, "Full of Regret", features Elijah Wood, Lemmy Kilmister, Selma Blair and Mike Watt in the accompanying video. It debuted at #36 on Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks in November. It is also featured on EA's NHL 11.^[13] soundtrack. The second single, "Had Enough", has Ralph Macchio appearing in the accompanying video.

On June 8, 2011 Danko Jones announced on the band's website that drummer Dan Cornelius was no longer with the band.^[14]. In the same statement Danko Jones said Atom Willard had joined as a replacement. In a March 2012 question-and-answer session with fans on Twitter Danko Jones said: "Dan's time with the band had run its course but it was completely mutual from both sides. An amicable split." ^[15]

2012: New Album[link]

In early 2012 Danko Jones revealed the band was working on a new album, posting footage of the writing process on the band's YouTube channel ^{[16] [17]}. Jones said the album was likely to be out in the European fall (autumn) ^[18]. He added a book and DVD about the band's history would also be released in 2012 ^[19].

Radio, Spoken Word and Columns[link]

Jones hosts a syndicated radio show called "The Magical World Of Rock"^[20] broadcast out of 95.3 Rocket FM in Stockholm (Sweden) and syndicated to Power 97 in Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada), Pure Rock Radio in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Canada), CT Das Radio in Bochum (Germany) and Radio Tango in Oslo (Norway).

He also released his first spoken word album in 2004 entitled The Magical World Of Rock^[21] and completed two spoken word tours that same year, including a show at the Crossing Borders festival in The Hague, Netherlands where he spoke alongside Nick Hornby, Ian Mackaye, Jim White, Michael Franti and Irvine Welsh.

Danko Jones currently writes four separate bi-monthly columns for Rock Hard (Germany), Guitar For The Practicing Musician (Germany), Rockstar Magazine (Switzerland), Close-Up Magazine (Sweden), RockZone Magazine (Spain) and Lángoló Gitárok (Hungary).^[22]

Jones is also one of the characters in the book Sex Tips from Rock Stars by Paul Miles published by Omnibus Press in July 2010.^[23]

He also records and releases Podcasts which can be obtained from the band's official website and from iTunes for free. These Podcasts mainly consist of Danko reading his written Columns out.

Appearance in Need for Speed: Nitro[link]

In 2009, EA's Need for Speed: Nitro was released for Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DSi. Danko Jones' "Code of the Road" was featured in the game's trailer and soundtrack.

Discography[link]

Albums

• Born a Lion (2002) (Bad Taste Records / Universal Canada)
• We Sweat Blood (2003) (Bad Taste Records / Razor & Tie)
• Sleep Is the Enemy (2006) (Bad Taste Records | Aquarius Records)
• Never Too Loud (2008) (Bad Taste Records / Aquarius Records)
• Below the Belt (2010) (Bad Taste Records / Aquarius Records)

EPs and Others

• Sugar Chocolate 7" (1998) (Sonic Unyon)
• Danko Jones EP (1998) (Sonic Unyon)
• My Love Is Bold (1999) (Sound King / Outside Music)
• I'm Alive and on Fire (2001) (Bad Taste Records)
• Ritual of the Savage 10" (split with Gluecifer & Peter Pan Speedrock) (2003) (Drunken Maria / Suburban)
• B-Sides (2009) (Bad Taste Records)
• This Is Danko Jones (2009) (Canadian-only greatest hits release) (Emd Int'l Records)
• Having Fun on Stage with Danko Jones 7 (2009) (Yeah Right! Records)
• Mouth to Mouth (2011) (digital-only release)

Singles

Compilations[link]

• "The Return of Jackie and Judy", from The Song Ramones the Same (2002) (White Jazz / MNW)
• "Bounce" from How We Rock (2002) (Burning Heart)
• "The Mango Kid", from "The Vinyl Factory, Vol. 1" (1999) (MMS/Brilliant)
• "Dr. Evening" from Now We Are 5 (1998) (Sonic Unyon)
• "Samuel Sin" from Go! 50 Canadian Punk/HC Bands (1996) (Fans of Bad Productions)
• "I Gotta Calm Down" 7"/CD with Prog Punk band Removal

Videography[link]

• "I Think Bad Thoughts" from the album Below the Belt (2010) - by the DiamondBrothers
• "Had Enough" from the album Below the Belt (2010) - by the DiamondBrothers
• "Full of Regret" from the album Below the Belt (2010) - by the DiamondBrothers
• "Sugar High" from the album B-Sides (2009) - Director George Vale
• "King of Magazines" from the album Never Too Loud (2008) - by Nick Cross and Steve Stefanelli w/ Dave Cooper
• "Code of the Road" from the album "Never Too Loud" (2008) - Director George Vale
• "Take Me Home" from the album Never Too Loud (2008) - Director George Vale
• Live in Stockholm DVD (2006) (Live Zone / Bad Taste)
• "Don't Fall in Love" from the album Sleep Is the Enemy (2006) - Director Oskar Gullstrand
• "First Date" from the album Sleep Is The Enemy (2006) - Director Micah Meisner
• "Baby Hates Me" from the album Sleep Is the Enemy (2006) - Director Chris Grismer
• "I Love Living in the City" from the album We Sweat Blood (2004) - Director Hanna Lejonqvist
• "Dance" from the album We Sweat Blood (2003) - Director Kalle Haglund
• "I Want You" from the album We Sweat Blood (2003) - Director Craig Bernard
• "Lovercall" from the album Born a Lion (2002) - Director Craig Bernard
• "Sound of Love" from the album Born a Lion (2002) - Director Craig Bernard
• "Cadillac" from the album I'm Alive and on Fire (2001) - Director Jason Romilly
• "My Love Is Bold" from the E.P. My Love Is Bold (2000) - Director Jason Romilly
• "Bounce" from the E.P. My Love Is Bold (2000) - Director Jason Romilly

Honours[link]

Juno Awards

• 2004 Nominated, Best Rock Album (We Sweat Blood)
• 2003 Nominated, Best Video ("Lovercall")
• 2003 Nominated, Best Rock Album (Born a Lion)
• 2000 Nominated, Best Alternative Album (My Love Is Bold)

See also[link]

• Canadian rock
• List of Canadian musicians
• List of bands from Canada

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Danko Jones

• Official website
• Danko Jones on Myspace
• Danko Jones on Twitter
• Danko Jones at the Internet Movie Database