Date: Sat, 17 Feb 96 1:33:27 EST
From: boddhisatva <kbevans-AT-panix.com>
Subject: Re: State Capitalism is a valid Marxist Category : was Cuba







		Mr. Jaszewski,





	To the contrary, it seems almost inarguably clear that the potential
for violent, military revolution's installing socialism in the west is
utterly out of the question.  Certainly violence of the civil
disobedience/strike hooliganism  type is to be expected, and will be useful,
but you are not going to "overthrow" any G7 government, it's a complete pipe
dream.  Demonstrations and the like are fine, the more massive, the better,
but if you start killing people in any numbers, forget it.  



	The governments and people of capitalist nations will tolerate minor
sectarian terrorists like the IRA, but anything larger than that will be
impossible.  I believe it's a little silly not to have a plan for democratic
transformation, as that is certainly going to be the framework on which the
revolution will hang.  


	
	Someone brought up whether modern capitalist workers have it too good
to be incited to change the system.  They don't but they do have and have had
enough reasonable respect for rights and property (by which I mean that
property that is inarguably personal) that they will not abandon that.  



	The occasional riot, the odd bomb from a fringe group, these things
get people's attention and are all in good fun.  More violence than that and
governments with extraordinarily dangerous militaries will become unstable. 




	The White House and #10 are not the Bastille or the Winter palace. 
They are not guarded by guys with swords and bolt-action rifles.  They are
guarded by militaries trained and prepared to fight battles on the streets of
Germany that would culminate in the end of the world.  




	Fortunately the West has become soft and intolerant of war too close
to home.  These people can be cajoled and bullied, just not conquered.





	peace,




		boddhisatva







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