>Two simple yes or no questions, and I think it's useful to answer them
>as a framework for this discussion.
>
>Do you, Doug Henwood, believe that a capitalist class exists?
Yes. I'd say it consists of direct owners of the means of production, large stockholders, high-end financiers, and very senior execs of very large firms.
>And if it exists, is it a ruling class?
Good question. I'm tempted to say that not all capitalists are members of the ruling class, and not all members of the r.c. are capitalists. The owner of the proverbial plastics plant in Tennessee is a capitalist, but not a ruler (except maybe on a local scale), and Henry Kissinger is a member of the ruling class, but not a capitalist. To be a member of the r.c., I think you have to have some relation with state and/or ideological power; it's not enough to be rich.
>
>Another question which I would not expect a simple yes/no answer on
>would still be of some interest, and a _relatively_ simple answer to it
>might clarify other topics:
>
>Is the indefinite continuation of a capitalist class consistent with the
>long-run safety and/or well-being of the human species?
Probably not.
Doug