Max, in his response to my request for references in Marx to war ---> public debt ---> exploitation of workers ---> primitive accumulation implies disagreement with Marx and the relationship of war to public debt and defends public debt contracted to finance social services. I should point out my interest is not in the current situation (which is hardly one of primitive accumulation in any case.) In Canada today the military budget is miniscule and, thanks to the invaluable help the Canadian forces were in fighting our recent floods, I would hardly want to cut them any further. Furthermore, as a strong supporter of keynesian demand management, I would hardly want to cut spending on social programs at a time when unemployment is running at almost 10 per cent. My question was in reference to a research project I have under way about the impact of the 1st World War, in particular on how it was financed and the effect it had in consolidating industrial capitalism and creating a rentier class and promoting class conflict which broke out at the end of the war (Winnipeg General Strike in particular but also the farmers' revolt through the Progressive Party.) The Royal Commission on Dominion-Provincial Relations (1939) explictly blames the financing of the war for the emergence of class and regional conflicts but without any theoretical understanding or interpretation. What I am attempting to do is a reinterpretation of the accepted 'conservative' view of the importance of the war. Paul Phillips, Economics, University of Manitoba ps. Max, thanks for the reference to epn.org -- a very useful site for progressive and liberal web pages. For the rest of pen-l-ers, note that I have receive only 3 responses on suggestions of progressive web sites. No one else have any recommendations?
