Doug Henwood wrote: > Right now, the Reps represent a provincial petty bourgeoisie, largely > confined to the South. Obama comes into office with high approval ratings, a > big Congressional majority, and high expectations. If he played it right - > and he could, given his political skills - he could roll over the Reps. He > could portray them as the obstructionist great-grandchildren of Herbert > Hoover. But unlike the Reps, he wants to be post-partisan and doesn't really > believe in much of anything.
it's as if Obama decided to simulate the current California situation where the GOP is small, pitiful, and sectarian but has a veto preventing raising taxes (which is sorely needed). In CA's case, it's a result of (stupid) laws, but for the USA as a whole, that's hardly true. (Of course, the required policies are different, too.) if PK's analysis is right, then Obama's first (and only?) administration will be a lot like the early Great Depression (including a lot of the early FDR period), with "too little, too late" being the watchword. Then, if and when mass opposition to the corporate agenda kicks in, we'll see a more Keynesian-stimuluative regime. This is merely a gut feeling, but I've been leaning toward dropping my usual deep skepticism about "inter-imperialist rivalry" being a major characteristic describing the current era. But in this case, it would be the US vs. China (not the US vs. Europe story of some Leninist types). Sustained depression, if it happens, would cause serious social problems in both countries which might overcome the effects of economic interdependence between the two. In both, the "social problems" might involve a more fascistic tilt. But who knows? -- Jim Devine / "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own way and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing Dante. _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list pen-l@lists.csuchico.edu https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
