Blog archive - December 2011

This is a free blogging space for LRC members. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the LRC.

From Regimes, to Production of Human Relations

Marie Lynam
28th December 2011 at 12:46
0 comments
I note that the left in general has retaken the notion of ‘regime’ as used by capitalism. But a regime is characterised by the particular relationship of a given ruling class with production - depending on the development of the productive forces. Libya and Irak were not Gaddafi’s or Saddam’s regimes. They were capitalist states in a process where capitalism - as a regime - had become historically incapable of building a new capitalist class. For a viable capitalist class to be born today, it needs to compete with the likes of the USA, or the EU. But the world has been carved out, already, precisely by the likes of the US and the EU. For development purposes, there was nowhere for the State of Iraq or Libya to go, but towards a transitional State no longer strictly capitalist and not yet a Workers State. J. Posadas characterised this as the Revolutionary State. The Revolutionary State highlights the total agony of capitalism, and its impotence. It must abandon corners of the world, because it can no longer reproduce itself overall, as a regime. It has only its military power to keep it on the scene. The corners and niches that it can no longer control are taken over by revolutionary humanity, in response to the need of the populations to continue to progress. These niches are utterly temporarily, as proven precisely by the fate of Iraq and Libya. But their fate under capitalist occupation itself is temporary. It depends on the military ability of world imperialism to maintain itself. One thing often forgotten is that military ability is dependent upon economic, social and cultural ability. Pure military ability is doomed, if it does not have a superior regime to offer. [continue/comment...]
Tags: for schools of politics and culture in the lrc

This is a free blogging space for LRC members. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the LRC.

Why Iraqis won’t be celebrating

Mike Phipps
15th December 2011 at 16:49
0 comments
President Obama has announced that the war in Iraq is over. Unfortunately, Iraqis may be living with the consequences for some time. I’ll focus here on just two aspects: the public health crisis in cities like Fallujah and the broader cultural damage done by the Occupation.  [continue/comment...]