Some discussions on the cause of the war center either on the principal contradiction in the US economy; that which links American hegemony to the US economy, in other words the US needs the war for a whole set of economic gains underpinning capital accumulation including that of instilling dollar seignorage and to continue to be the world's consumer of last resort to others, and another which overstates the dependence on oil and the linkages between gulf oil and the dollar. Both views are true but only partially true, the former because it over abstracts from an initial but seminal social contradiction, the latter because it reduces the contradiction to a single relationship ( economic dependence on oil). Viewed in its totality, however, the oil dollar nexus of modern accumulation is a second order mediation of the initial social contradiction (really one emerges from the other). What is overlooked in this deba!
te is the nature of the crisis under monopoly capitalism, one in which the severity of the crisis minimizes the role of realization in the process of capital accumulation and boosts the role of aggressive ventures of capital (war) so that it becomes the principal driving force that resolves the mounting contradictions arising from the increasing predicament of realization on the distribution side under monopoly capital. The latter point ties the state in a central role to capital, this once more remains but a reflection of mounting crisis under monopoly capitalism and the ensuing cohesion between the state and the bourgeoisie, without which, capital would have been long doomed.
But in all that I think that the above theoretical discussion is misplaced because each of the discussants are arguing on different levels of abstraction where however, the oil dollar connection is but one of the concrete manifestations of capital's crisis under capitalism, one in which the state, albeit loosely, acts as the henchman of capital.
On a more adequate conceptual level, the state/bourgeoisie collision may not be aware of the seminal social contradiction that places them in a position to conduct war, but they are aware of the long term consequences of oil shortages and the link of an economy chronically in deficit to the position of the dollar/oil cycle. they are also aware of the relevance of oil control vis-a vis partners in crime. that is the noose tying around global capital’s neck, recently all the bourgeoisie is pushing for a quick end of the war fearing major collapse. Some also may go as far as saying that “protecting our way of life” literally the capacity to enslave others is sufficient cause for war, also argued on ethical grounds in some quarters.
but no matter how this war plays out militarily, the US lost. they have also unwittingly, brought a whole people- the Arabs, into a course of world history that they previously dominated. the transition now is determined by the struggle of Arab and third world people and the inter-imperialist strife. this will play out slowly at least so that the decrepit system of international finance will not bring the collapse of all at once. it will be played out with blood and fire. the very discipline that installed capitalism will root it out. but I am certain that people united always win and against all odds.
If my message appears cryptic because my mind has become somewhat esoteric, here’s the latest joke: the US wants to divide Iraq into three provinces: regular, super and unleaded.
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