concerning Karl Marx's view of the ideal government, Nancy Breen asks: Jim -- was that small government before or after capitalism had withered away? In my reading of Marx (and of Draper's volumes), Marx favored a small government even before capitalism had been fully abolished. Or rather, he wanted to end the distinction between the state and civil society. His ideal (as usual, based on a real-world case) was the Paris Commune, under which delegates were easily recalled by their electors, were paid salaries very similar to those earned by citizens, and had both legislative and executive functions. (see his CIVIL WAR IN FRANCE) Maybe Marx idealized the Commune, but it does give us some idea of what he favored. It seems to me that this kind of government would be hard to keep going if attacked militarily by capitalist countries (as the Commune was). It also might not work very well if it had to run an entire country rather than simply a (politically mobilized) city. in pen-l solidarity, Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL PROTECTED] Econ. Dept., Loyola Marymount Univ., Los Angeles, CA 90045-2699 USA 310/338-2948 (daytime, during workweek); FAX: 310/338-1950
