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AUT: Re: The state

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A few tentative remarks on the state and capital.

 I am of the view that  capital and the capitalist state
essentially form a (inner) contradictory unity. Capital implies =
violence,
organised violence, the political state. Capital, a social relation of
production, contains violence within it.

It seems to me that there has been a tendency --I believe Yaffe in the
seventies to be a case in point- to view capital and its laws as an
independent phenomenon with the state tacked on to it --almost as an
afterthought. This conception of capital tended to magnify the =
significance
of the laws of capital and present them as a stand alone thing hardly in
need of anything else for their operation and development. Consequently =
they
tended to view the state as a necessary, although important, evil tacked =
on
to capital. In this sense they constitute, perhaps, the left mirror =
image of
neo-liberalism.

Once this perspective is adopted it becomes impossible to adequately =
analyse the character of contemporary capitalist society. It is this =
that helps explain the failure of this form of Marxism to explain  the =
contemporary economic situation. Like the neo-liberals the logic of =
their position would tend them to suggest to them that the solution to =
capital's problems is solvable if the state is subject to  enormously =
strict diet involving  cutting of enormous wallops of surplus value =
--only then capital can surge forward. However to advocate
this course of action is evidence of their misunderstanding of the the
character of the relationship between capital and state in the =
contemporary
world. Capital never has and never can operate essentially independently =
of
the state --the two are inseparable. The character of the state as it =
exists
today, give or take a little, is implied in the way in which capital is
today. This is not to say that the state cannot be reorganised. Indeed =
it
has been, over the recent past, reorganised. However this reflects the
actual changes  in the way capital itself has developed over the recent =
past
too.

This brings me to the class struggle. The character of the class =
struggle is
expressed through the way in which capital develops. The state as it =
exists
today is an expression of the character of the class struggle. In a =
sense
the specific character of the contradictory (internal) unity between =
capital
and state is an expression of the specific character of the class =
struggle.
Since capitalism implies violence and is grounded in violence --exists =
in
the context of violence-it cannot simply operate according to the law of
capital in some kind of objective way, that to all intents and purposes, =
is
entirely independent of  people.

For individuals, such as Yaffe, Marx's Capital is essentially merely a
theory that exists to straighten out bourgeois political economy. =
Political
economy is viewed by them as, in effect, a rather neutral category that =
is
the site of  ideological struggle over the meaning of political economy. =
For
me, on the other hand, political economy is a bourgeois category, a
fetishised category if you like, in need of elimination. It is a =
category
that implies violence, violent conflict, the class struggle and thereby =
the
state. Marx's Capital constitutes part an ongoing critique of the =
category
political economy. It formed part of the struggle to eliminate it and
thereby establishing communism.

Warm regards
George







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<DIV>
<DIV>A few tentative remarks on the state and capital.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;I am of the view that&nbsp; capital and the capitalist=20
state<BR>essentially form a (inner) contradictory unity. Capital implies =

violence,<BR>organised violence, the political state. Capital, a social =
relation=20
of<BR>production, contains violence within it.<BR><BR>It seems to me =
that <FONT=20
color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>there </FONT>has been a tendency =
--I believe=20
Yaffe in the<BR>seventies to be a case in point- to view capital and its =
laws as=20
an<BR>independent phenomenon with the state tacked on to it --almost as=20
an<BR>afterthought. This conception of capital tended to magnify the=20
significance<BR>of the laws of capital and present them as a stand alone =
thing=20
hardly in<BR>need of anything else for their operation and development.=20
Consequently they<BR>tended to view the state as a necessary, although=20
important, evil tacked on<BR>to capital. In this sense they constitute, =
perhaps,=20
the left mirror image of<BR>neo-liberalism.<BR><BR>Once this perspective =
is=20
adopted it becomes impossible to adequately analyse the character of=20
contemporary capitalist society. It is this that helps explain the =
failure of=20
this form of Marxism to explain&nbsp; the contemporary economic =
situation. Like=20
the neo-liberals the logic of their position would tend them to suggest =
to them=20
that the solution to capital's problems is solvable if the state is =
subject=20
to&nbsp; enormously strict diet involving&nbsp; cutting of enormous =
wallops of=20
surplus value --only then capital can surge forward. However to =
advocate<BR>this=20
course of action is evidence of their misunderstanding of the =
the<BR>character=20
of the relationship between capital and state in the =
contemporary<BR>world.=20
Capital never has and never can operate essentially independently =
of<BR>the=20
state --the two are inseparable. The character of the state as it=20
exists<BR>today, give or take a little, is implied in the way in which =
capital=20
is<BR>today. This is not to say that the state cannot be reorganised. =
Indeed=20
it<BR>has been, over the recent past, reorganised. However this reflects =

the<BR>actual changes&nbsp; in the way capital itself has developed over =
the=20
recent past<BR>too.<BR><BR>This brings me to the class struggle. The =
character=20
of the class struggle is<BR>expressed through the way in which capital =
develops.=20
The state as it exists<BR>today is an expression of the character of the =
class=20
struggle. In a sense<BR>the specific character of the contradictory =
(internal)=20
unity between capital<BR>and state is an expression of the specific =
character of=20
the class struggle.<BR>Since capitalism implies violence and is grounded =
in=20
violence --exists in<BR>the context of violence-it cannot simply operate =

according to the law of<BR>capital in some kind of objective way, that =
to all=20
intents and purposes, is<BR>entirely independent of&nbsp; =
people.<BR><BR>For=20
individuals, such as Yaffe, Marx's Capital is essentially merely =
a<BR>theory=20
that exists to straighten out bourgeois political economy. =
Political<BR>economy=20
is viewed by them as, in effect, a rather neutral category that =
is<BR>the site=20
of&nbsp; ideological struggle over the meaning of political economy. =
For<BR>me,=20
on the other hand, political economy is a bourgeois category, =
a<BR>fetishised=20
category if you like, in need of elimination. It is a category<BR>that =
implies=20
violence, violent conflict, the class struggle and thereby the<BR>state. =
Marx's=20
Capital constitutes part an ongoing critique of the =
category<BR>political=20
economy. It formed part of the struggle to eliminate it and<BR>thereby=20
establishing communism.<BR><BR>Warm=20
regards<BR>George<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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