Re: [Marxism] Dueling Powers and Capitalist Property in the UnitedStates by Matt Russo (Joaquin Bustelo)

["Mark Lause" <markalause@xxxxxxxxx>]

I understand this as a short-cut analysis aimed at explaining the
relative conservatiism of the US work force about class politics, but
it's fundamentally flawed.  It's already been made about pensions and
insurance.  No reason not to make the same argument, I suppose, about
car ownership.

But, in the end, it's about how the capitalists decide to arrange the
housing, health care and transportation of its workers.  People
outside the US may have difficulties understanding it, but this
country doesn't really have large scale decent public housing.  We
don't have socialized medicine, so the workers are often tied to
private insurance companies and pensions.  And if you have all the
mass transportation the auto and petrochemical industries would
permit, you will own a car.  Of course, a lot of this "ownership"
exists on sufferance.

And, yes, it's a conservatizing force.  Like Mrs. Premise and Mrs.
Conclusion....  "I mean, how can I go off and join Frelimo when I've
got nine more installments to pay on the fridge."

But having to make payments on the fridge and being a member of the
capitalist class are two very different things...

ML

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