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Just a couple of admittedly superficial observations on this. Capitalism has changed radically over the course of American history--and since the days the first Marxist observers talked about divisions in the ruling class. Most clearly, it has become increasingly more integrated internally. However, divisions are relative. We can't see much daylight between the White House and the Republican officeholders in general. That's a reflection of, among other things, donor dollars and their expectation. And we see this ratified by the corporate media and the "mainstream" of Democratic officeholders who are themselves timid to the point of complicity. Are there institutional changes taking place? Yes, but there always has been. On the generational watch of the Boomers, the presidency has continued to accrue vast new powers. This was done mostly, but not exclusively, by Republicans--Nixon, Reagan, Bushdaddy, Dubya, and Trump. And Democrats accepted it at every step, every seizure of new power. And the liberals accepted it and sanctioned it. And most of the self-identified Left found excuses for the liberals. And those that didn't were preoccupied with sectarian wranglings to no substantive purpose. So, the process forms something of a continuum, in which there are certainly leaps. But we're a far cry from analogies to the disruptions (and opportunities) of the Civil War and the Reconstruction. But, as old Karl suggested, the point is not to solve the world but to change it. People have probably never had less faith in the institutions of capitalist rule. Yet, where are the ongoing mass mobilizations? And what are radicals doing to encourage them? These seem to be more productive avenues to explore. Cheers, Mark L. _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: https://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
