On the post keynesian list, Gary M correctly spoke of the new US bankruptcy law in terms of class power. Drawing on analogy offered by the great anthropologist Edmund Leach (Social Anthropology, p. 157), we could think of this state sanctioned relationship of permanent debt bondage as akin to a metal connector between two poles in an electrical battery. If two poles in ,say, an electrical battery are separated, there is no relationship between them. But as soon as the two poles are put into relationship by a power conductor the relative potential at the two ends of the connector generates a power flow. The greater the difference in potential the greater flow of power and the greater the danger to the interface/power conductor. If the metal in the connector is too thin to accept the load, it will burn up. It would seem that since the creditor to debtor relationship has been made by the new law to carry too great a flow of power from the dominant to the subordinate position, the connection between the two parties may be likely to burn up--that is break into violence; however, the metal connector in this case is the capitalist state itself which unlike a piece of fuse wire will not easily burn up. Yours, Rakesh
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