[lbo-talk] Re: Nader and his detractors

Marvin Gandall marvgandall at rogers.com
Mon Oct 11 09:58:35 PDT 2004


Carrol writes:


> John Gulick wrote:
> >
> > [clip] at the very least isn't it fucking
> > shameful how far to the right the Dumbocrats are willing to push public
> > discourse in order to get into office? And won't there be immense
pressure
> > on a Dumbocrat-controlled foreign policy apparatus, if elected, to make
good
> > on its preventive war _promises_?
>
> Yes. And if Kerry wins there will be a serious threat to social
> security. We can't depend on Monica any longer to save it.
---------------------------------------- The point about the Democrats pushing public discourse to the right is a damn good one, no matter what they do if elected.

As for the threat to social security, whether Kerry or Bush wins, it will be on the agenda. The difference will be in the mix of tax increases and spending cuts each uses to try and work down the deficit, and here is where their respective constituencies will become important, as the history of right and left testifies -- not only in the US, but in Europe, Japan, and other capitalist democracies.

The really interesting question is what would Nader and Camejo do if they won the election on November 2nd? We'll assume for a moment that they do so without the help of a working class insurrection or having to trim their program as they get closer to power, either of which would be required.

They too will be faced with a half trillion dollar and growing budget deficit, with nervous US and international investors about to declare a capital strike unless they announce spending cuts palatable to the bond markets. Will President Nader and Vice President Camejo capitulate and turn towards austerity as, say, Mitterand did in France and Bob Rae in Ontario in the early 80s? What will it be possible for them to do in this context, where, in the absence of a thorough-going social crisis and an aroused population ready and wiilling to take on the economic blackmail of the capitalists? Will they raise taxes more and cut spending less than the Democrats who would raise taxes more and cut spending less than the Republicans? If they could get away with it -- and that would be a very big if, again drawing on the French and Ontario experience -- it would satisfy me. But will it satisfy those who expect to see structural change, an attack on capitalist power and property, and a change in social relations emerging from a left wing alternative to the Democrats -- and who seem to believe this is possible under present conditions?

MG



More information about the lbo-talk mailing list