Modernity

Regarding this review of Marx which I thought was too critical and kind of lacking, there's also this from Krugman about Modernity:

Horse Soldiers Blogging by Krugman

And now that we’re at the 150th anniversary of the raid, I’m going to have a chance to start indulging my U.S. Grant obsession. I’ve always had a thing for Grant — the stubby, unprepossessing guy who failed at most things until he turned out to have a unique understanding of modern war. The scene at Appomattox — aristocratic Lee in his dress uniform surrendering to disheveled, unimpressive-looking Grant — represents for me the coming of the modern world.

Marx was very much in favor of the bourgeoisie winning over the artistocratic feudal class and modernity triumphing over feudalism. As a journalist he wrote in favor of Lincoln over the South. And he campaigned against Britain's support of the South.

But part of what I like about Game of Thones and its setting are the notions of honor and solidarity. With capitalism you get the "cash nexus" - as Marx put it - which dissolves everthing - religion, nationalities, solidarities - into air. Everything has a price but no value. The global elite becomes detached from its home fellow nationals. The social convention of exchange value trumps everything else like use value. Virtues and morality is devalued.

The financial sector becomes a giant parasite on the "real" economy.