[lbo-talk] Tea Party: less than meets the eye

[Carrol Cox]

Someone once claimed that war was the health of the state. Analogously,
"class struggle" as Marv understands it (straight from the introductory
texts as it were) should be regarded as the health of  capitalism. There is
probably a connection between the present international economic crisis and
the lower level of class struggle in Marv's sense.

Such struggle, far from representing a reaction against the growing
barbarism (another name for capitalism) is wholly consistent, even
contributes to, the hegemony of capital.

Carrol

-----Original Message-----
From: lbo-talk-bounces at lbo-talk.org [mailto:lbo-talk-bounces at lbo-talk.org]
On Behalf Of Marv Gandall
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2010 7:45 PM
To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] Tea Party: less than meets the eye

On 2010-11-09, at 1:45 PM, Carrol Cox wrote:


> Marvin: But you're right, there has been over the past three decades a
> qualitative decline in class struggle in the West...
> 
> =======
> 
> This has been normal for 200 years. Periods of "class struggle" (or, more
> accurately, challenges to capitalist hegemony) are the rare exception. But
> they always come.

Different forms of class conflict, notably strikes and demonstrations, have
been a normal feature of the system for 200 years. What's been exceptional
are episodes of intense and often violent class conflict, typically
accompanied by the growing appeal of revolutionary ideas. The last such
period was in the 30s. The level of class consciousness and combativity in
the West is now at its lowest ebb, although the downturn has lately sparked
some resistance in Europe. I can't tell from your comment above whether you
share this understanding or not.
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