STEVE BELL'S cartoon characters, lying among the rub bish-strewn filth of carboara city in the downtown area of any US ity, had a perfect analysis o the result (Guardian November): the bourgeoisie won again.
Given that the US workers have not conquered class inde pendence and created their own labour party, the victory of the bourgeoisie was not exactly difficult to predict.
Every principled socialist in the US rejects any support for the Democratic Party, which is like the Republicans a party of big business led by multi-millionaires. Indeed the view that the two big US parties are basically factions of one party is not far off the mark.
Simplistic
But there are good reasons for thinking that it is simplistic to say that Bill Clinton's victory will make 'no difference'.
In the first place, the defeat of George Bush was a defeat of some or tne most swister Togat wing forces in US politics.
aris years Repubacan convention wasa showpieceforthe majority, 'family values, anti-abortion extreme right wing. It is clear that the issue rebounded on Bush; and it is likely that the Supreme Court will not now have the power to permit furher state anti-abortion laws.
But the main reason for Bush's defeat was of course the economy. More than anything. Clinton's pledge to 'get America moving' won him the election. But can Clinton deliver?
Excesses
There will be some tax increases for the super, super rich. Probably there will be ome attempt to alleviate th rorst homic excesses of tr health insurance nightmare, where by tens of millions o Americans have to pay out thousands of dollars if they get sick and 40 million have no medical insurance cover at all. Defence spending will be cut back, and troop withdrawals from overseas speeded up.
But these things are playing around on the margins of the crisis. To do anything to help the tens of millions of unemployed, homeless and poverty-stricken a huge liberal economics towards would have to be taken: and Clinton will not do He will not do it because US big business, which he represents, is overwhelmingly against such a project.
They are against it for class reasons: the resources tor boosting state welfare and Not much to laugh about now for Bush- or US workers regenerating industry could only come from big taxes on the rich. The only alternative vould be massive borrowing vhich would collapse the US economy into a new and horrific debt crisis.
Continuity
In the wake of his election Clinton immediately nounced continuity of Us foreign policy. If anything. he will be tougher in pursuing an "America first' position, which means economic war Japan and Europe could be sCinton and running-mate Al Gore made much of the fact th the wenatic Party, and into the nainstream' of US politic Since by any British standards the Democrats have always been a right-wing party, this shows the scope of what they were doing. Given the unpopularity of Bush, they felt no need to make significant wel fare promises, and felt no need No. 32 to make a gesture towards black voters by bringing a very willing Jesse Jackson into the campaign.
Much of urban America is dying on its feet. The US dream of the 1950s and '60s has turned into a nightmare of collapsing industries, big dity squalor and grinding poverty. More than anything, reflected a thirst for change Clinton and bore will attempt a first 100 days of dramatic announcements and important-sounding legislation. But in the end nothing fundamental will change.
US politics are stuck in a logjam because throughout this century America's rulers have, through extreme violence and repression, succeeded defeating labour upsurges and channelling trade union aspirations into the Democratic Party.
Amencan workers are about to get another demonstration of the tact that for labour to take giant steps forward, an independent class needs to be built.
21 Nov, 1992