The China Syndrome - meltdown in the movement (fwd)

Rakesh Bhandari bhandari at phoenix.Princeton.EDU
Tue Apr 4 11:03:11 PDT 2000


Nathan, James O'Connor actually takes up the challenge I think is pressing--to develop an agenda independent of the pro WTO business lobby; the pro WTO Chinese leadership; the social protectionist, anti WTO AFL-CIO (for reasons I have stated, I think social protection can only be abused to win in the name only of labor pro US business reform, and I am more liberal towards tech transfer), the US national security state fighting export of dual use tech.

This may leave me not only with no one to stand with, it may simply leave nowhere to stand at all. It is possible that my comments are contradictory, but the reality is quite complicated. And we have no more than scratched the surface.

Individual businessmen may salivate at the concessions the US has been able to win and want them etched in stone. But it is up to the US capitalist state to make sure these concessions are enforceable and that individual deals don't violate the collective interests of the capitalist class and the national security, i.e., the US' standing as the lone superpower. Just as Doug argued that the Fed must look after the long term interests of the US capitalist class even if they are clamoring for interest rate cuts, the US capitalist state must play a similar role with China. I don't make much of the conflict between Congress and the President, business lobbies and anti China activists. They are just looking after different parts of US imperialism, and trying to forge the best way forward.

Yours, Rakesh



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