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A week ago, we had a short debate here on the significance of Trump's defending the Russian presence in Venezuela. That defense came after Pompeo and Bolton had rattled their sabres on that score and it also came an hour or so after Trump had spoken with Putin. My view was that it was yet another example of the degree to which Putin is pulling Trump's strings. Another way of seeing it is that it's an example of how the mainstream of the US capitalist class has largely lost control over its presidency. This, of course, is a description of bonapartism, and while we're not all the way there yet, I believe that's the essence of the issue. This, of course, means a sharp transformation in how capitalism rules in the United States - possibly the biggest political transformation since the US Civil War. I also believe that the great majority of the left - including Marxists - are having a hard time wrapping their heads around this transformation. It's not easy to change our orientation, after all. In this article, I lay out the argument and also the evidence for my view. https://oaklandsocialist.com/2019/05/06/trump-and-the-reluctance-to-reckon-with-something-fundamentally-new/ One detail: I quote an email from Michael Karadjis in the article. I do so with his permission. John Reimann -- *“In politics, abstract terms conceal treachery.” *from "The Black Jacobins" by C. L. R. James Check out:https:http://oaklandsocialist.com also on Facebook _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: https://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
