Thanks for this post Marv Gandall. I think it is always a mistake to conflate two things: countries, which are complex, concrete existing historical entities in constant development and evolution- primarily due to class struggle internal and external- and systems, which are abstract concepts intended to enable us to understand the underlying tendencies and dynamics at work in a given historical context, and which may or may not actually win out depending on the outcomes of the real social struggles.
This is how I read Marx as having dealt with "agency and structure." And I explained my own approach in greater depth in my book, "Looking Over the Abyss. " Is there Capitalism in China? Certainly. Is there Socialism in China? Yes. Also other forces embodied in various social classes or groups or present in China but globally based. Whst China, or the US, or Russia or the EU are at any given moment, is the outcome of the struggles going on, mainly between classes, globally and locally. So China, the US, Russia, etc. are NOT Capitalist or any other system per se The real question for Marxists is to show the relationships between classes and systems and the forces in struggle, and how the dynamics of any given system, usually Capitalism, are at work and what forces are thwarting, slowing, or at times defeating those tendencies. This is how I read Marx's "Capital. " He shows what Capitalism needs to do, then shows real historical struggles that don't let it do that. Thus, absolute surplus value, followed by chapter 10 on the struggle over the working day, then relative surplus value and so on. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#29667): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/29667 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/105142448/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/8674936/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
