corporate cash dominates the system

An article in the New York Times on Aug. 31st shows the worry that is developing amongst some liberal bourgeois elements about the US political system. The battle over health care has underlined this. These elements see the corporations completely dominating the political process. They see Obama the great president for "change" instead being a complete tool for US capitalism. This liberal commentator wrote: "Turning this country around is going to take years of siege warfare against deeply entrenched interests defending a deeply dysfunctional system."  He went on: "The right wing fringe has taken over one of our two major political parties." And in relation to this right wing fringe he writes: "crazy is a pre existing condition." And more "Corporate cash dominates the system."  And "What it comes down to is money.'" And a "combination of GOP extremism and corporate power." In relation to any health care reform he writes that it has to run the "gauntlet of lobbying and lies." 

What these people are worried about is that these forces who so dominate the political system are absolutely opposed to any concessions or reforms. They worry that this will evoke a spontaneous movement of the working class from below and that this might get out of control. They worry that the present political elite are insufficiently aware of the real class balance of forces that exist below the surface and so will be too inflexible when such a movement eventually expresses itself. 

US capitalism is in a severe economic crisis, it is in a severe military crisis bogged down in Afghanistan and Iraq. To handle these crises it needs a flexible and functioning political system. But its political system is also in severe crisis.  Only the role of the union leaders in keeping the working class from fighting allows US capitalism to have some degree of stability. This will not last forever. The working class will at some stage take action from below to improve their conditions. When this happens the political crisis of US capitalism will become evident and an independent workers movement can be built.    

Sean.