George Grosz's "Eclipse of the Sun" - A Reflection on the current American political crisis, Andrew Taylor

A fitting image for the current crisis of the split US ruling-class, -- but in fact it is a 1926 work by Dada artist George Grosz entitled "Eclipse of the Sun". Grosz' depiction of the post WW 1 Slaughterhouse of the Empires, featuring an industrialist, a general, and four headless members of the bourgeoisie, all under a sun that is obscured by a dollar sign. 

Today the ruling classes of Europe and America are reeling, striking wildly like a Blind man swarmed by killer-bees.

Obama, by promising economic and political "hope and change" to the people and giving nothing of substance, prepared the way for the swing to Reaction. Now the interloper who rose to victory by exploiting the superficiality of Obama's promises for change and exposing the rot of the electoral Dynasties is under attack himself. Trump will be domesticated or - destroyed by one means or another.

The ruling-classes feverishly attempt to restore the pretence of "normalcy" (the facade of social harmony and US "World Leadership") by any means necessary.
Will it be a war with Russia? The war is the usual way out for split panicked national owning classes. American leadership must be restored by some means, however drastic.

Or will Trump be politically neutralised by the 'Russian gambit' and forced to get back on track with the aggressive expansionist plan of the Business plus War-party ? These are the birth-pangs of enormous forces beneath the surface which must explode demanding economic democracy.

The ruling-classes can no longer conduct business as usual for the present. They are distracted and tormented. In addition US Networks that merge public officials and business magnates (the food and energy industries, pharmaceuticals, Wall Street) have rewritten American legislation to serve their own profit margins. Institutions that have kept a modicum of independence, like the oversight bodies & courts, have been deliberately disabled — cut off from funds to function and left chronically understaffed.  

Of course revolution requires many ingredients which appear to be absent in the west. In order to have a revolution there needs to be not only a Ruling Class rotting and split at its core, but also turmoil amongst the middle class looking to the Left and the Right; a wavering police and armed forces and workers’ organisation to guide the action from below.

But the systemic economic crisis shown by the Crash of 2008 is now matched in 2016 by a deep political crisis in America and Europe. American leadership is questioned across the capitals. 

Expect anything... fear nothing... hope for everything