[lbo-talk] Wisconsin recall results

[c b]

CB: I should add that the ruling class's effective agents do promote
and maintain many social and political phenomenon that keep such a
large proportion of the working class masses from participating in
elections and the conventional political system.  One definite example
of this is the permanent and widespread disdain for the political
class , "politicians" . It is not by accident or passivity of the
ruling class and its agents that "politician" has a negative
connotation in the American dialect.  Nor that politicians _are_
scoundrels so often. They are paid to be scoundrels and turn people
off to voting.  The alienation of masses from the political system is
very much an American custom and institution organized by the ruling
class. It is demagogic in that it takes advantage of a progressive
kernel in the US system , a critical stance toward government, demands
from the People on their government.  This latter democratic project
is distorted and abused by the ruling class.

[WS:] I fundamentally disagree with the premise of this argument. I do
not believe that there is a unified "capitalist class" (other than a
statistical construct) - let alone one that is acting as one and
pulling all the strings, including alienating "the masses".

^^^^ CB: The US ruling class is highly unified where it counts: on
issues* of fundamental or strategic contradiction between the
bourgeoisie and the working class. More specifically, the US ruing
class is very effectively unified against changing away from the
current electoral system. However, the response on this requires very
little action by any ruling class members because there is so little
movement to change the status quo. On most important issues of
conflict between the classes with the ruling class advantage in the
status quo this is the case. Very little active must be done to
maintain the status quo. The US ruling class has the world on a string
, sitting on a rainbow, got the string tied round its finger.