[lbo-talk] Footnote: Power Elite/Ruling Class Re: A Major Division in the US Power Elite...

[Carrol Cox]

I think, using Yoshie's rough distinction between power elite and ruling
class, that it is the _latter_ that should be subject to this debate.
Power Elite is _normal_ politics (analogous to "normal science") and
disputes within it are disputes over particular issues or policies
_within_ a settled ruling class unity. (Unity is never unanimity.) It is
under conditions of extreme stress to the ruling power of the ruling
class that class unity itself can be threatened (or can lead to a
circling of the wagons). Under such conditions even the Paris Hiltons
become important participants (at least in allocation of their money) in
the debate.

One partial test of this would be to trace sources of political funds
during periods of stress (say 1965-75). Were capitalists (esp. rentier
capitalists) becoming more involved in financing political activity.
Were there changes in the  political spending of those who had
traditionally supported Eisenhower, Stevenson, Rockefeller, etc.?

Control of the mideast has been central to u.s. policy for 60 years, and
the ruling class has rallied around that policy (in both active and
passive ways). A change in that strategy would be prefigured by more
active participation by more members of the capitalist class, including,
as I say, even the Paris Hiltons. ???

Carrol

Plato argued that no ruling class ever lost power as long as it remained
unified. For left political thinking we should assume ruling class unity
unless we are seriously predicting the development of a
pre=revolutionary situation.