====================================================================== Rule #1: YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. ======================================================================
> > > Now if by "capital-ISM" there is meant a reference to ideology, then > especially in the epoch of "real subsumption" an economic crisis almost > immediately generates a crisis in the political and ideological structures > of capitalism, as we are seeing in the financial media wailing about the > future of "neo-liberal" doctrine, since so much of it has been contradicted > in the present crisis. I fail to see the crisis in the political and ideological structures of capitalism that you speak of. I, in fact, have seen little wailing about he future of the 'neo-liberal' doctrine but its redefinition as involving a type of counter-cyclical bank spending by the state as not contradictory but part of neoliberalism. Part of the problem is that too many on the left accept the ideology that neoliberalism was about the retreat of the state, when in fact, it involved a very active state. There is basically an ongoing and deepening individualization with this crisis on the part of the working class and an re-organization of the ruling class (ie: neoliberalism). All of this is why we must not simply conflate economic crises with crises of capitalism. A society operating within neoliberal ideology- with the state actively working to organize capital and put out the fires caused by the contradictions of the system, and with the worker class individualizing the continued immizeration into a atomized competitive drive- crises appear to be functional to capitalism (not only in that they destroy capital but also in that they increase the effectiveness of the capitalist class offensive). > By this same token capitalist economic instability > will also produce crises in the structures of the working class and > oppressed. Under the pressure of the "downturn" phase of the cycle, old > formations will be broken up and out of these new ones will begin > formation. During this period the class struggle will appear muted. As > recovery sets is - because capitalism isn't going to be abolished by muted > class struggle - the struggle reemerges in its new formations and overt > class battles make their appearance. > This happens automatically? > > Finally, its no accident that the demise of the New Left corresponds to the > outbreak of the generalized capitalist overproduction crisis of the 1970's. > > Wait, I thought you said that crises lead to crises of capitalism, not an improved position for capital to mount its offensive. Brad ________________________________________________ Send list submissions to: [email protected] Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
