Gramsci in 2018

The Italian Marxist Gramsci talked about a “crisis of hegemony” Gramsci used the analogy of ‘the modern prince’ to describe the role of the political party. He saw parallels between the tasks that Machiavelli had outlined in his book The Prince, regarding the creation of a new, modern Italian state and the 20th century goal of a socialist revolution. By prince he does not mean a state leader or a dictator, he is referring to the task of leadership within the political sphere, in this sense ‘Prince’ could be translated in modern terms as ‘political party’”. The political party that the working class needs is one that coheres and forms itself as an institution within the class movement, fighting for hegemony and producing potential leaders for state power after the revolution. The party itself is not merely an expression of class interests on an economic level because although; “it is true that parties are only the nomenclature for classes, it is also true that parties are not simply mechanical and passive expression of those classes, but react energetically upon them in order to develop, solidify and universalize them.”

Perhaps we are on the edge of such a crisis..a crisis of hegemony. I am beginning to sense a dead  heat between a conservative and left wing pradigm.heat  Perhaps that is the final tipping point who knows. Marx and Engels writing in the 19th century long thought that the crisis of capitalism would come in the West in America, in Britain in Germany. Perhaps we are at that point. The crisis of late capitalism. Perhaps I am just tired and raving early in the morning. Perhaps I am correct...and there are seven days to go...........what if the Tories fall as Brexit breaks down and Corbyn is in power by September. The effects of unintended consequences continue to fascinate me and I can see Gramsci's smile...