Is Change Possible, was Re: Kalecki's political business cycle]

Doug Henwood dhenwood at panix.com
Sat Mar 18 16:27:30 PST 2000


Carrol Cox wrote:


>Doug Henwood wrote:
>
>> They do believe that, and I think they're wrong. I think their class
>> interest in keeping slack in the labor market outweighs their
>> interest in maximizing sales. Individual capitalists may waver in
>> this conviction, which is why they pay central bankers to maintain
>> the class discipline.
>
>Doug,
>
>This suggests a high degree of class consciousness on the part
>of capitalists. I tend to agree -- and it is one of the reasons for
>feeling that however remote the chances of a successful
>revolution may be they are far less remote than the chances
>of a gradualist shift of class power???? (Or for any substantive
>changes in the condition of workers inside capitalism.)
>
>Do you see this as a contradiction in your political thought?
>If not, why not? If so, how do you resolve it?
>
>I mean -- it seems difficult to go on saying,
>
> 1. Capitalism is ruinous.
> 2. Capitalism is here to stay.
>
>Unless, like me, you operate from a fundamentally pessimistic
>set of premises.

I thought we went through this the other day, but yes I'm a pessimist, but a bit less so now than a year or two ago. Also, while the U.S. capitalist class is strong, that doesn't mean it's eternally strong; 20 years ago, who would have imagined the USSR would be no more?

Doug



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