The Politics of Contemporary Capitalism

Abstract

Men of property have always disliked democracy. The gay and the splendid, as Robert Owen aptly called them long ago, have always feared popular participation in politics. There is no instance where, as a class, they have not opposed the coming of universal suffrage. And there are numerous instances of their efforts to destroy representative institutions altogether when those institutions appeared to constitute a real threat to their power, property, and privileges.

This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.

Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.