When our general conception of what is happening in the world is contradicted by the actual facts, then it's time to reconsider our general conception. This is one of those times. Marv Gandall writes: "Trump may try to contest the election, of course, but if anything the odds are less in his favour than on his previous attempt in 2020." He ignores what happened in 2020. He wanted to call out the National Guard on two separate occasions, first during the George Floyd protests and then after he lost the election. On both occasions, top officials in his administration opposed it and made clear that they would not obey. These included top military officials such as Mark Milley and Trump's AG, Bill Barr. Trump learned from that and made sure not to appoint any such types this time. All you have to do is look at his recent cabinet meeting to see that.
Marv then comments on the numerous policies that the capitalist class is unhappy about and says that they won't allow Trump to steal the election because that would set him free to continue those and similar policies. He implies that the capitalist class won't "passively accept a fundamental assault on their sacred icon, the US Constitution." That's exactly the point! Passively or not, what has stopped Trump's assault so far and what force will stop him? The Supreme Court? We should never forget the immense significance of the MAGA majority's ruling that nothing Trump does or did while conducting his duties as president can be considered to be criminal. Think about that ruling. It means he can take a bribe from a foreign power to carry out a policy contrary to the interests of US capitalism and that is not illegal. He can order the murder of domestic opponents and that is not illegal. This unprecedented ruling is based on nothing in the law nor the constitution. The Supreme Court MAGA majority is not under the control of the capitalist class. What other institution can stop Trump? The US military brass? They are now led by a complete MAGA flunkey and the members of the US officer corps is famous for its looking towards their own careers first and foremost. It's possible that a layer of the NCO's could revolt, but not without a mass movement from below. I don't see that happening. All of which indicates what I've been writing about for a few years now: That what we face is a strong tendency towards Bonapartism. That's the general conception that Marv (and others) should consider. Under Bonapartism, the capitalist class loses its control over the Bonapartist. I don't think we are all the way there yet, but if Trump overturns the November election results, that will be a huge step - possibly a decisive one - in that direction. One last point: In general socialists have ignored Trump's attacks on the capitalist democratic institutions. These include the attacks on major capitalist law firms, on major universities and on the capitalist media. Socialists have also tended to ignore Trump's weaponization of the DOJ for his own personal interests. They have tended to ignore Trump's unprecedented corruption - the tens of millions of dollars the capitalist class has been forced to pay Trump - pure extortion. I think most socialists figure that's all within their class so why should we care? This method of thought is also inherent in the insistence that the Republican and Democratic parties are basically the same so we should never do anything to try to keep the Republicans - meaning Trump and his minions - out of office if the only alternative is the Democrats. Behind this super revolutionary view actually lies passivity. Joseph Green is right - it's "complacency to the hilt". It's time to wake up. John Reimann -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#42729): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/42729 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/120549500/21656 -=-=- 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/13617172/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
