Who rules in Liberal Capitalist State

The Liberal Capitalist State By Dr. Javed Akbar Ansari Structure of Liberal Capitalist State Who rules? How they rule? The state Governance process Those committed to capitalist rationality Through universalizing capitalist rationality Legitimizes obedience to capitalist rationality either through (a) Democratic or (b) Authoritarian governance structure Technology of organization—state society relationship Tasks (a) continuing accumulation in market (b) capitalist socialization (c) legitimizing (a) and (b) Governance Personnel (a) Intellectuals (b) Cultural heroes (c) Technocrats and bureaucrats (d) Armed forces (e) Imperialists oversights agents Governance Institutes (a) The corporation (b) Banks and financial institutes (c) Financial regulations (d) Unions (sometimes) (e) Administration (national and local) (f) The media (g) The courts (h) The police (i) Armed forces (j) Legislatures (k) International surveillance agencies (including private rating raters) (l) Education system (universities, school regulations) Democratic state (b), (c), (a), (e), (f), (g), (k), (j), (h), (l), (d) The Liberal Capitalist State Page 1 of 3

governance priority Authoritarian (h), (i), (e), (g), (f), (a), (b), (c), (k), (l) state governance priority State power used (a) Representation through for (i) Interest groups (ii) Heroes (iii) Political parties (iv) Administration and courts (v) Movements (b) Mediation through (i) Police and army (ii) Courts and judiciary (iii) Co-option (iv) Exclusion and ??? (v) Social welfare (vi) Industrial Relations Emphasis on (a) Representation both state ▪ Democratic (i), (iii), (ii), (iv) systems differ ▪ Authoritarian (v), (ii), (iv), (i) under democratic (b) Mediation and authoritarian ▪ Democratic (ii), (iii), (v), (iv), (i) regimes ▪ Authoritarian (ii), (i), (iv), (iii), (v) Questions for Islamic Revolutionaries 1) What sort of a state is Pakistan? ▪ Nationalist capitalist state, a comprador capitalist state or something of both? 2) What are the dominant and what are the subordinate groups seeking to universalize capitalist rationality in Pakistan? 3) Is there conflict (actual or potential) between dominant and subordinate groups, and if so what is the nature of their conflict in e.g. society, economy etc.? 4) Is Pakistan a democratic or authoritarian liberal state (or something of both) in terms of prioritization of governance process and representation of the rule of capital? 5) What are the crucial decisions for sustaining capital accumulation either for itself (if it is a nation state) or for its imperialist hegemony (if it is comprador state)? The Liberal Capitalist State Page 2 of 3

6) What governance institutions and regulations and mediation process are most important for taking and implementing these important decisions? 7) Which personnel take these decisions in key institutions and at what level? 8) Which personnel are responsible for the implementation of these decisions in the key institutions and at what level? 9) In deconstructing capitalist rationality revolutionaries should focus on reducing the functionality of which key governance institutions and how? 10) Which representational and mediation processes legitimating the role of capital can and should be targeted to create space the Islamic state governance in Pakistan? The Liberal Capitalist State Page 3 of 3