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Yup. And Williams too, to whose article I posted a general rebuttal keyed into the "theory", in the comments section, still "awaiting moderation". Wonder if it will be posted, since I basically accuse the article of promoting "neo-stalinism", mainly thru their anti-intellectual approach to theoretical matters. Might as well take Marx out and shoot him. Benefit of the doubt: they do so unconsciously, just as most of the U.S. Left continues to carry out the marching orders of the CPUSA from the 1930's in their robotic support for the Democrats, no longer aware of its origins. As for the state, on the contrary, the fusion of State and Capital, and emphatically not "finance capital", is the hallmark of imperialism, the epoch of capitalist decay, and capitalist parasitism. In the epoch of the rise of capitalism, the bourgeoisie sought to separate accumulation form the State. Since Lenin's time this process has run in reverse, and the present is seeing its qualitative intensification, alas obscured under that grand misnomer, "neo-liberalism". Also Williams failed to note that what the CIA is really complaining about is the lack of protection of private property (Williams forgot the "private" part) for the benefit of *foreign* capital. What else would they possibly complain about? Russian held capital property, state or private, is well-protected, no doubt. State ownership is simply a monopoly form to exclude other capitalists. Chinese and Arab Gulf capital ran into the same sort of state-backed monopoly when it tried to buy into some of the seaport distribution networks in the USA some years back. No can do. What we are seeing in the Ukraine context is the reactivation of the whole neo-stalinist "apparatus". Including the vast gaggle of "fellow travelers" (Don't call me a neo-stalinist! they will complain). Call it Zombie Stalinism. The fact is that we are dealing with 80 years of the mis-education of the world Left. "The Tactic is All, the Strategy, Nothing". -Matt --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is from Roger Annis's latest on Links: "The state happens to own much of the vaunted oil and gas industries; so too in finance and much of manufacturing. The CIA Factbook explains some of the consequences: 'The protection of property rights is still weak and the private sector remains subject to heavy state interference.'? What a mystification! ________________________________________________ Send list submissions to: Marxism@lists.csbs.utah.edu Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
