From: "commie00" <commie00-AT-yahoo.com>
Subject: AUT: Re: Strategy for an international movement.
Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 05:21:43 -0400


> Unlike the silliness I've heard about Hardt -Negri (and I will
> read this silliness myself for the nuggets that might be contained
within), I do
> see the US as the major Imperialist State

i think part of the reasons that the theoretical refutations of this idea
are weak is because there is very little concrete evidence to refute them.
no doubt, more concrete work needs to be done to support them, but the basic
framework to such work exists:

*that local (esp. third world) ruling classes desire to take part in the
"supra-national" organizations is obvious.

*that local (esp. third world) ruling classes are critical of the
functioning of the "supra-national" organizations is also obvious, but the
content of their critiques are also telling: they don't want these
organizations out of their countries, they want a bigger role within the
organizations... and they want to make more money from them. this was the
heart of the criticism coming from most of those countries who were contrary
during the wto round in seattle. (keep in mind that local ruling classes of
"third world" countries are well invested in multi-national corporations,
esp those corporations exploited the working class in a given country --
i.e. the nigerian ruling class is well invested in shell, etc.)

*that the internal structure of the "supra-national" organizations are
hierarchical should be suprising to no-one who has noticed that hierarchy is
a social relation of class society, but it is obvious that the
"supra-national" organizations are striving for a democracy within the
ruling class much like how "democracies" function in individual countries.

i have yet to see any concrete information that places the u.s. ruling class
at the top of the food chain. the closest thing would be the tendency of the
u.s. military to lead the "police actions", but this is only logical given
the strength of the u.s. military, and does not necessarily mean that the
u.s. ruling class is on top. in fact, given the increasing tendency for new,
supra-national military organizations to be formed, i would not be suprised
if even this tendency disappeared in a few years.



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