Date: Sat, 2 Mar 1996 02:54:48 -0700 (MST)
From: HANS DESPAIN <HANS.DESPAIN-AT-m.cc.utah.edu>
Subject: Re: Gary McClennan on Crisis


Gary brings up some very interesting thoughts and comments of on today's 
crisis.

Following Poulantzas, Gary distingishes between "economic", "political" 
and "state" crisis, and concludes that the current crisis is solely an 
economic crisis in the "weak" sense.

i believe the distinctions to be quite important, but i am not sure about 
the current crisis being merely an economic crisis in the weak sense. 

Gary also points out that the institutional structure is quite different 
today then it was during the 1930s (the previous general crisis).  This 
also, i would agree, is very important to realize.

The welfare system today in place (in the Keynesian form) very much has 
crises appearing or manifesting in different phenomenal forms.  Since the 
1940s economic liberalism has not been the form of institutional 
legitimation, instead there exists an adminstrative control system that 
attempts to steer and manage the capitalist system.

What the Keynesian-type of institutions do not jettison is the potential and 
necessity for crisis re-adjustments within capitalist economies.  Thus, 
what we must understand in light of distingishing between economic, 
political and state crisis is the Keynesian-type steering and managing 
institutions mask the economic origin of crises.

The challenge and job of, and for, the Marxian tradition is to trace
systematically the empirical (or concrete) manifestations of crisis to its 
economic origins.

Moreover, in that the Political body (attempts to) manage or mediate 
between the capitalist structure and individuals, maybe then we should 
expect the State itself (the capitalist structure) not to be immediately 
threatened, although the origin is immanently economic.

Wherefore, perhaps we should expect to see the capitalist economic crisis 
manifest in its phenomenal form in the social or cultural relations.  So 
that the economic crisis emerges in social and political struggles.  
Thus, i would want to place the capitalist State within the core economic 
system which will be the last institution to be challenged.  Whereby, i 
want to reformulate Gary distinctions with "economic", "political" and 
"social-culture" (sometimes expressed as moral) crises.  With all being 
understood to be economic in origin.

This seems to me to be exactly what the Right and neo-liberals are 
attempt to exploit in a political form.  They correctly (but only partial) 
understand that the (Keynesian-type) Adminstrative body has failed to 
manage and steer the capitalist system.  Hence, they demand the reform 
and repeal of the Welfare System in the name (or form) of: (1) the Repulican 
flat tax, a general de-centralization, and an increase in State violence 
toward "crime" (which should also be understood to be economic in origin); 
or (2) Buchanist economic protectionism.  Simply a reactionary return to 
pre-1930 economic legitimation.  Where the system, respectively, 
is understood to: (1) self-manage; or (2) fascist-type of control and 
authority (both economic and moral) is meant to replace the post-War system.

(1) one is merely a faith and hope in once again economic liberalism and 
bourgeois ethics of the 19th century.  (2) is both (a) a desire to return 
to the Mercantilist creed that the economic liberal ideology replaced; 
and (b) fascist commitment to morality and race and ethnic war.  The 
latter emerging in the form of a resurgence (or Nietzschen resurrection) 
of Christianity (and God); more prisons to house the minorities 
that find themselves economically disadvantaged in a racist country; in 
the form of a (Buchanist) "wall" on the South border; and a commitment to 
the English language and intolerence for diversity in any form.

Marxian (Marx's) crisis theory is quite capable of explaining the economic 
origin of crisis.  However, because as Gary points out, the institutional 
structures of legitimation are transformed, the manifestations must be 
re-traced to the ecomomic origin.  This is of the utmost importance so to 
attempt to counter the reactionary Right in their return to idealism, 
misunderstanding and hatred.

hans despain
University of Utah
despain-AT-econ.sbs.utah.edu


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