> -----Original Message-----
> From Carrol Cox [cbcox at ilstu.edu];
> >
> > Why folks like you and O'Connor want to defend European
> capitalists as some
> > kind of more virtuous form of economic elite is beyond me.
>
> Nathan, can you read? O'Connor says not one word in defense of European
> capitalists. He is merely making a strategic point: the main
> enemy (because
> it is on top and seems likely to stay on top, is U.S. capital.
You mistake an ultimate goal for the strategy in reaching that
> goal. O'Connor suggests a strategy, and you ignore his argument.
And, Carroll, you should try reading, since my point was that US and European capital are so intermingled - Daimler-Chrysler, Ford-Volvo, cross-investments and joint ventures, etc. that making such distinctions is meaningless. Or rather, it's only meaning comes out in sectarian politics that denounces not US capital but various US unions and US activists.
The idea of "US imperialism" as separate from global capitalism, and any idea that Europe or Japan elites are in any way pursuing anything other than a slightly bigger share of the spoils, is not only wrong but an encouragement of economic nationalism. It is merely Pat Buchanan's and other right conservatives' analysis flipped on its head-- where they argue that US interests are at odds with other countries' economic elites, you and O'Connor are arguing the same, just hoping the other side wins.
Global labor solidarity is not abstract; it is an increasing part of most labor struggles. And any argument that encourages leftists to ally with one set of economic elites versus another is just going to undermine that increasing global labor solidarity.
The reason Bill Fletcher did not denounce "US imperialism" was precisely that like most progressive labor leaders, he knows US workers are increasingly fighting battles against capitalists from all over the world, from Bridgestone run by "Japanese capitalists" to Continental AG run by "German capitalists." Leftists who make nice noises about German or Japanese capitalists are sure not going to attract any US workers to the progressive side of the ledger; the wrong-headedness of such arguments are more likely to drive them over to Buchanan, who may have the same wrong analysis but at least pretends to be on their side.
-- Nathan Newman