Re: Let.s Go Hillary

[Jim Devine <jdevine03@xxxxxxxxx>]

me:
> > It's true that a lot of the emptiness of the DP is fake populism or
> > reflects the shortcomings of true populism.  (Much of what Edwards
> > said fits in either or both categories.) But amazingly, the real
> > primaries run by the donors filters theses populisms out too.

Carrol Cox writes:
> I would take that as evidence that no substantial sector of the
> capitalist class is particularly worried about politi cal danger
> stemming from current economic turmoil. No one seems to be saying, as
> Papa Kennedy did back in the '30s, "I would be willing to give up half
> my money if left to enjoy the other half in peace."

I don't know if I said this before or not, but this is a good answer
to Schumpeter's critique of Keynes and FDR back in the 1930s. His
argument is that Keynesian policy (if implemented) and the New Deal
hurt business confidence and thus (what we would call) capital
accumulation, thus prolonging the Depression. But the alternative to
FDR or Keynesian policy was the rise of a militant working class (or
fascism, which is unpleasant for capitalists, even if it's sometimes
necessary). So FDR or Keynesian policy could be seen as raising
capitalist confidence. Or, more correctly, the two stories cancel out:
the fear of Keynesianism or FDR had little or no effect on capitalist
confidence.

They did hate FDR (and some actually launched an abortive coup). My
rich grandparents' generation made anti-semitic remarks against him
("Rosenveldt"), etc. This hatred of the New Deal is one of the
historical origins of modern W. Bushism (though it hardly explains why
W rose to power at the time he did).

> If a real threat were perceived, there would be ruling-class support for
> (relatively) radical politics (as well as some support for radical
> right-- extra-legal-- politics). Both occurred in the '30s.

yes, the key problem with Edwards is that populist politics is totally
disorganized and decentralized, so that his program was largely (or
almost completely) coming from above. Populism from above! Now there's
a contradiction in terms.
--
Jim Devine / "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own
way and let people talk.) --  Karl, paraphrasing Dante.