>>The ruling capitalist class need not work and need no exemption.
>
>But if they don't work they cease to become capitalists in the
>strict sense, and become rentiers.
Define "rentiers". Its a word I sometimes hear Americans use, but I don't have a Webster's dictionary handy. I suspect that, like "middle class", it is some kind of sub-set of capitalist class.
Have to go to an important meeting of my co-op soon (ironically, a bit of a problem with rent arrears needs to be dealt with sternly) so I'm rushed getting stuff together. But this seems an important issue. Its not the first time I've heard Americans going on about "rentiers" as if they were a different species to capitalist and I would like to get to the bottom of it.
Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas