[DEBATE] : A Time between Ashes and Roses

[Doug Henwood]

I don't recall saying this at all, and the interview was only a week  
ago. I do think we need a program of public works, though I'm not  
sure it's the "only solution." I certainly don't recall saying that  
"plenty of profits for capital" would be a positive. I think U.S.  
capital would rather forego those profits for political reasons if it  
meant an expansion and legitimation of the public sector.

Doug

On Nov 6, 2007, at 11:18 AM, Yoshie Furuhashi wrote:

> <http://montages.blogspot.com/2007/11/time-between-ashes-and- 
> roses.html>
> A Time between Ashes and Roses
>
> Observing that a majority of capitalists have abandoned the Republican
> Party for the Democratic Party (58% of campaign contributions have
> gone to Democrats and 42% to Republicans so far), Doug Henwood, the
> editor of the Left Business Observer, notes in his interview with Il
> Manifesto (Marco d'Eramo, "Primarie Usa: Pioggia d'oro sui candidati
> democratici," Trans. Yoshie Furuhashi, 4 November 2007, p. 3):
>
>     «L'unica soluzione -- conclude Henwood -- sarebbe per i
>      democratici un grande piano di opere pubbliche, visto che
>      le nostre infrastrutture -- ponti, strade, ferrovie, reti  
> elettriche,
>      aeroporti - stanno letteralmente andando in rovina. Questo
>      piano consentirebbe aumento dell'occupazione, la ripresa
>      economica e anche succosi profitti per il capitale. Ma nessun
>      democratico si sogna di proporlo perché per finanziare
>      queste opere pubbliche bisognerebbe reintrodurre una
>      parziale progressività fiscale e questo, nei tempi che corrono,
>      è una tabù, un'eresia che ti può mandare al rogo
>      (politicamente parlando)».
>
>      The only solution -- concludes Henwood -- for the Democrats
>      would be a grand plan of public works, inasmuch as our
>      infrastructures -- bridges, roads, railroads, electrical grids,
>      airports -- are literally falling apart. This plan would allow  
> job
>      growth, economic recovery, and also plenty of profits for  
> capital.
>      But no Democrat dreams of proposing it because, in order to
>      finance these public works, it would have to introduce a little
>      fiscal progressivity, and this, for the time being, is a taboo, a
>      heresy that can condemn you to be burned at the stake
>      (politically speaking).