On Wed, 12 Nov 1997, Doug Henwood wrote:
> Different contradictions now from then. Those contradictions gave rise to
> the "neoliberal" retrenchment, a strategy that now may be stumbling. To put
> it crudely, in the late 1970s, the working class and the Third World had
> gotten too powerful and needed to be cracked over the head. They were,
> quite successfully. Whether that "solution" has now run its course is worth
> thinking about.
>
While Labour ran away after suffering a bloody nose I don't think it
can be said that the Union body was dealt any deadly blows, i.e. ones that
it cannot recover from, with the help of a little willpower. There's
lots of action in Latin America, and there is likely to be more in Asia.
To make another comparison, and despite all the moaning and wailing
about globalization, etc., it is not like the way has been cleared for
capital the way that fascism and WW2 did the job. Those fights are still
ahead us, not behind.
I was intrigued when Doug H. quoted Anwar S. suggesting this is the start
of a new long wave. I'm doubtful, but one thing we may be able to
contribute to "what is to be done" discussions is assessing various
notions regarding the 'objective conditions'.
Bill Burgess
