<br><br> <div><span class="gmail_quote">On 3/24/06, <b class="gmail_sendername">John Adams</b> <<a href="mailto:jadams01@sprynet.com">jadams01@sprynet.com</a>> wrote:</span> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">On Mar 24, 2006, at 1:54 PM, Scissors MacGillicutty wrote:<br><br>> I don't think that's a vote for giving up; just a reminder that <br>> putting the building blocks in place are a lot easier with a lot of<br>> $$$.<br><br>The claim was that the bucks themselves are a building block. Accepting<br>that is tantamount to giving up unless George Soros shows up to fund <br>the revolution. Lawrence Ferlinghetti wrote a novel about an anarchist<br>banker, so I guess that holds out some hope.</blockquote> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div>I thnk there is a bit of mixing up of conditions here.  It is obvious that "money" (even big money) is a building block of social and political organization in U.S. society.  I don't think anybody can dispute this.  But is it either a necessary or sufficient condition for political organization?  I think "no" on both counts.  One of the conditions that makes a "ruling class" a ruling class is that those in the class have ready made social and political networks.  Such networks get a huge boost by a certain amount of monopolization of wealth in a society.  The ruling elites in any society can maintain extra-governmental institutions to reproduce their world view, and they can do so with the wealth they extract from the exploited classes.  </div> <div> </div> <div>It is not giving up to recognize this.  In fact, in certain circumstances it may lead to a bit of optimism of will.  Many of the political organizations of the rulers are mercenary institutions, people maintain them because they are paid to maintain them.  In the midst of a social movement some people will break away from institutions that maintain social oppression and find themselves in other institutions doing work for less pay.  </div> <div> </div> <div>I think Chip's list is a good list for social organizers to keep in mind......  </div> <div> </div> <div> </div><br> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">___________________________________<br><a href="http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk">http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk </a><br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Jerry Monaco's Philosophy, Politics, Culture Weblog is<br>Shandean Postscripts to Politics, Philosophy, and Culture<br><a href="http://monacojerry.livejournal.com/"> http://monacojerry.livejournal.com/</a> <br><br>His fiction, poetry, weblog is<br>Hopeful Monsters: Fiction, Poetry, Memories<br><a href="http://www.livejournal.com/users/jerrymonaco/">http://www.livejournal.com/users/jerrymonaco/ </a> <br><br>Notes, Quotes, Images - From some of my reading and browsing<br><a href="http://www.livejournal.com/community/jerry_quotes/">http://www.livejournal.com/community/jerry_quotes/</a>