Chris Burford
Sun, 13 Feb 2000 05:58:28 -0800
At 10:31 11/02/00 -0500,
>
>CB: One of my slogans is " repudiate the U.S. national "debt" ". That
would be a radical reform. It can be put in popular terms. Why should the
government on behalf of the people owe a bunch of bankers a debt. They
should owe us with all they have been ripping off, and all the money put
into protecting their investments overseas.
Good, stategically that sounds quite right. It is about a society where
living labour has domination over dead labour.
>So what about restriction of the power of rentier capital and landed
>capital, and increased legislation and monitoring to promote social
>production controlled by social foresight? Not red-blooded enough for Hugh,
>but a step on the way? No?
>
>&&&&&&&&&&
>
>CB: Marxists struggle for reforms and for revolution. How would the above
be struggled for in a revolutionary manner ?
>
>Revolutionaries in the U.S. struggled for many reforms such as
legalization of industrial unions, unemployment insurance, welfare for the
poor, Social Security, anti-racist and anti-lynch laws, etc.
How to struggle for the above in a revolutionary manner?
It needs coming at from both sides: side one, opposition in principle to
the domination of finance capital; side two, study of the details of
financial management in order to maximise the campaign against finance
capital, and minimise the proportion of the population opposed. For example
the measures should not look bureaucratic.
Once step is to study the Financial Services Authority that Gordon Brown
has set up in the UK, and discuss the fine print of its aims, remit, and
"mission statement".
Close attention to the popularity of the Financial Services Authority. A
culture of consumer rights at first sounds very individualistic but can tap
into the sense of outrage and vulnerability that even people with "middle
class" aspirations face from unfair judgements about insurance policies,
health care entitlement etc.
We have already said about the importance of reducing the national debt.
Salami tactics against private landownership, with a flexible market in
renting the usage of land in accordance with socially controlled plans.
This will bring a stream of revenue to the state funds that will be higher
in periods of high economic activity and can be used to ease burdens during
the turn down of the business cycle.
Trade union investment fund managers helping progressive forums with
studying how to reform the financial climate to give greater security to
people.
Some ideas.
Chris Burford
London
--- from list [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---