> >Why do you think we don't have what "all the capitalist countries"
>>have? What's the difference? How did the "shadow welfare state"
>>come about here, rather than social democracy, and how do we
>>overcome it? What answers do you give to good questions asked by
>>those who want health care?
>
>I'm guessing your answer involves something about the empire. I
>thought that one of the standard Marxist lines about empire was that
>it allowed a ruling class to buy off its workers - e.g. Engels' sneer
>about the bourgeoisified British proletariat. Do you disagree with
>that line?
>
>Doug
I do, as I've said before. The British and American "welfare states" -- two hegemons which successively became responsible for the maintenance of the capitalist order -- suck compared to continental European social democracy, and the British "welfare state" got somewhat better mainly _after_ it passed the imperial torch to USA. American workers are now left holding the heavy bag.
Yoshie