File spoon-archives/marxism-international.archive/marxism-international_1997/marxism-international.9710, message 586


From: "Rebecca Peoples" <wellsfargo-AT-tinet.ie>
Subject: Re: M-I: CAP
Date: Wed, 29 Oct 1997 10:30:28 -0800


Your informative message was much appreciated James.

Can you elaborate a little on the comment of yours below. It does not
make sense to me: the charge that capitalism =famine. Are you saying
theat the law of value does not operate in relation to food in that
period.

James
All of the developed nations subsidised agriculture after the Second
World War, in part because of their sensitivity to the charge that
capitalism = famine (as had been the case in Bangladesh, where some 3.5
million died under British rule). 
-------------------------------------------
I dont get the gist of the comments below. Could you elaborate a little
again.

James
Resting on the suppression of working
class consumption, individual capitalists usually need some official
persuading to get into markets that rely on it, like housing or food. 
--------------
In what way:

James:
In the post-war world, food became a weapon in the struggle against
Stalin.
-------------------------
Again in what way:

James
Truman's inauguration of food aid was entirely framed in terms of
defending the West, and promoting US values. As Michael Maren explains
in The Road To Hell, food aid is a gigantic boondoggle for US farmers,
who are paid massively over the odds by the govt. to dump food in
fragile African economies.

Clearly it did not take long for British, French and German farmers to
realise that this was a gravy-train and agricultural production rapidly
outstripped domestic needs. Eventually the surplus product was being
stored in 'beef mountains' and 'wine lakes'. A few years ago I was out
of work and was entitled to receive, on top of the cash benefits, a
whole tin of preserved European beef mountain a fortnight. It was never
that tempting, but I often wish that I had, so that I could put it on
the mantle-piece next to the fragment of Berlin wall.
------------------
But are the comments below not off the mark. Surely then the political
parties in question would equally pander to the working class to win
their support especially as a means of buying them off. I mean the
working class was a massive voter too.

Linked with this how come there has been so little criticism by both
the working class movement and sections of the industrial capitalist
class over this massive farming welfare. We hear capitalist politicians
going on about the need to curtian the welfare state but they dont mean
farming welfare which has been massive massive.

I find it hard to believe that the massive farming dole has been simply
basied on the narrow political considerations you allude to. Surely
industrial capital would have gotten a pain in the face with this
situation given it was eating into the their total surplus value etc.
You seem to be suggesting that their is a chasm between politics and
class interests.

James
The real reason that the beef mountain was sustained as long as it was
was political, not economic. An unexpected side-effect of the
agricultural subsidies was that the parties of the right in Europe were
supported by rural districts. Less populated than urban areas,
electoral
boundaries tend to give greater weight to rural voters, who proved to
be
a useful counter-weight to urban voters, who tended to the left.

Bleow are you suggesting that politics virtually exists at the centre
and that there are no ends worth talking about.

James
Only recently has the left-right divide in European politics begun to
break down. Working class support for parties of the left is less
active
than it was, and the middle classes have largely taken them over as
electoral machines. The traditional parties of the right are much less
important to the ruling classes today because they do not feel the need
to mobilise popular support against the left. Everywhere, the case for
subsidising rural districts by subsidising agriculture has fallen away.

I dont get the point your are making here. Are you claiming that BSE is
a political device by which to cut back on farming dole going to to the
farming community.

James
The current campaign against Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) is
a
part of the process of downsizing European agriculture. This disease
which has been in cattle for years and sheep (where it's called
Scrapie)
for two hundred years is alleged to be the source of a similar human
condition (Creutzfeld Jakob Disease, CJD). No evidence exists of any
cross-infection and CJD is still thankfully rare (except where the
Health Service infected everybody who gets pituitary gland treatment
with CJD). The compulsory herd culling and the restrictions on exports
have led to a considerable shake-out not just in British agriculture,
but throughout Europe, where bef-sales have plummeted.
---------
I would appreciate answers to the above as I have already learned a
good bit from your last message James. Please excuse the messy state of
my posting.

Rebecca





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