----- Original Message ----- From: "Shane Taylor" <s-t-t at juno.com>
> >So, my question is, why is someone who lives off investments in
> >corporations a capitalist, but a worker who does not live off
> >her/his small investments (but still, in some sense, appropriates
> >surplus value) is not?
>
> Is that the dividing line? If not, what is?
>
> -- Shane
I feel it is much more useful to define what capitalism is and how it functions, then focus on what it will take to end it rather than trying to class-ify individuals.
Individuals often more back and forth across 'class lines', but when speaking of individuals it is more important to look at who's side they are on. After all Engels wasn't proletarian and neither was Marx, but this did not keep them from taking sides with the proletariat and thus putting their lives at stake. On the other side of that, someone can be very proletarian and side whole heartedly with this system and defend it to the last breath.
However, what side someone is on isn't written in stone. We change with every new experience and people's views can change rapidly. People can be won over - and sometimes the people you would least expect - to support a revolutionary line.
So, to me, the most important dividing line when talking about individuals is 'what side of the barricades will you be on come the revolution?'
Rosa --------------
The debate is on at http://2changetheworld.info