[PEN-L:6246] Why Nato needs to destroy Serbia

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

Doug:
>I'm still mystified about the connection between Eurostagnation - which is
>in large part a creation of policymakers, who've imposed tight money and
>tight budgets to make the Euro hard and to break European labor - and
>cruise missiles. And this:

You are describing a Europe that is being forced to be more competitive.
The question is why this happened in the 1980s rather than the 1950s. Isn't
the answer that the post-WWII boom had ended? Isn't that the most
fundamental economic fact that precedes everything else in importance?

>just isn't an accurate description of the U.S. economy in 1999. Just this
>morning, the BEA released their first estimate of first quarter growth -
>4.5%, right in the middle of Sean's golden age range:

This seems much too short-term to me. The general picture over the past ten
to fifteen years has been one of failure to accomplish the growth-rates of
the post-WWII period. In the overall decline, there will be occasional
upticks. Each of these upticks has taken place with substantial costs. For
example, decreases in corporate taxes might have fueled capital spending
but taxation shortfalls exacerbates what O'Connor calls the "second
contradiction" of capital. This means that while there are more
millionaires than ever before, the life expectancy in Harlem is lower than
Bengladesh. What the ruling classes are searching for is a formula that
will keep the working class bought off, while keeping businesses
profitable. In the 1950s, these two needs did not clash. As the 21st
century draws near, the US and Western European ruling classes will by
necessity become more "expansionary" in order to keep these contradictions
from boiling over.

>I buy the political analysis - suppressing recalcitrants in Eastern Europe
>and preparing for a resurgent Russia - but I find the economic rationale
>unconvincing.

I think you are looking for a dotted-line, which almost inevitably can't be
found in these sorts of matters.

Louis Proyect

(http://www.panix.com/~lnp3/marxism.html)