--- Jim Devine <jdevine03 at gmail.com> wrote:
> If you don't know what the "bourgeoisie" is, you
> should read a few books.
I know "what" bourgeoisie is, I'm just not sure "who" they are. It was much easier to tell in the 19th century.
As to the "throwing insults" - it was not my intention. I just find it difficult to believe that knowledgeable people hold such simplistic views of the state. It is one thing to use hyperboles - like "Somalia" or "executive committee" in jurnalistic polemics - but do you, or Marvin, or Yoshie or others really belive that the people who call themselves "bourgeoisie" speak in one voice, always agree on a course of action, communicate that to the government, and then the government executes that? If that was the case, how do you explain the new deal, civil rights, war on povery, th efailure of social security "reform" etc, etc.
It is one thing to say that business interest have more influence on government than other interest groups - which is certainly true of the US - but the position that government does not act independently from business interests has been refuted long time in literature cf. Barrington Moore, _Social origins of dictatoriship and democracy_, Theda Skocpol, _States and Social Revolutions_, Charles Tilly, _From mobilization to revolution_, Rueschemeyer, Stephens, ans Stephens, _Capitalisst development and democracy_ - to name just a few from "our" side.
Wojtek
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