social democracy

["Devine, James" <jdevine@xxxxxxx>]

[was: RE: [PEN-L:21410] Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: RE: Re: Re: Re: Re: the
profit rate & recession]

Michael Perelman wrote:
> >Doug, that I think that the big capitalists do understand their interest.
> >The small ones to whom the Wall Street Journal appeals on their editorial
> >page do not.  We were just discussing yesterday how major businesspeople
> >appreciate Marxist analysis.

Doug writes:
> Yes, because they appreciate class analysis, and they know which side
> of the class divide they're on. But social democracy blurs class
> lines, weakens social discipline, reduces the power of bosses, raises
> wages, etc. - so it's no wonder they don't like it.

that's only looking at social democracy after it passed. When it arose, it
helped defuse grass-roots class struggles, gave trade unions and social
democratic parties the job of disciplining their members, taking some
responsibilities away from bosses, stabilized wages and aggregate demand,
etc.

Social democracy was like a truce: it allowed both sides to avoid painful
conflicts, etc. Of course, the capitalists treated this truce as a time to
prepare for breaking the truce.

Sorry this is so abstract.
JD