>.....
>Speaking of political cohesion, what is it with the Japanese ruling class?
>They seem barely able to function as a coherent political force in the
>midst of an endless slump. And that's mainly a domestic affair; even at the
>height of Japan's financial power, there was minimal projection of Japanese
>imperial power abroad. Not so the U.S. ruling class, which, despite the
>fact that it owes big money to the other two metropoles, is very coherent,
>forceful, and confident.
To me this is another confirmation of the importance of (group) psychology, public moods etc. I think that the importance of gaining understanding of such factors, and -- especially -- their dynamics, is very under-estimated among lefties and marxists, and should have higher priority. I also think that large theoretical and political gains are possible if this happens.
Trond Andresen