I’ve really appreciated your infrastructure financing series, especially the way it exposes the integral role the state plays in organizing and enabling capital accumulation through public-private partnerships. Your breakdown of P3s and asset management captures a dynamic I’ve also been working to name.
In my own work, I frame the modern capitalist order as a two-headed monster: one head is capital, the other is the state, but both operate together through the fraud of legitimacy. Capital doesn’t exploit through pure force; it needs the state's stamp of consent, legality and narrative to make it all seem neutral, even natural. Your work on “enabling fields” and institutionalization of infrastructure deals fits directly into this pattern.
I think there’s real synergy in our approaches and would love to stay in touch or explore some kind of cross-commentary. Happy to share more about my current writing if it’s of interest.
Nice article, but you really need a copy editor.
Thanks for pointing it out, I put the wrong version and I also had a lot of errors to correct. I fixed it up and also added some missing citations.
I’ve really appreciated your infrastructure financing series, especially the way it exposes the integral role the state plays in organizing and enabling capital accumulation through public-private partnerships. Your breakdown of P3s and asset management captures a dynamic I’ve also been working to name.
In my own work, I frame the modern capitalist order as a two-headed monster: one head is capital, the other is the state, but both operate together through the fraud of legitimacy. Capital doesn’t exploit through pure force; it needs the state's stamp of consent, legality and narrative to make it all seem neutral, even natural. Your work on “enabling fields” and institutionalization of infrastructure deals fits directly into this pattern.
I think there’s real synergy in our approaches and would love to stay in touch or explore some kind of cross-commentary. Happy to share more about my current writing if it’s of interest.
In solidarity,
Ben Eicher
If you are interested and have time, this short essay frames my thesis for both state and capital in a way that may help you and your project or allow you to help me and mine. Very much open to it. https://beneicher.substack.com/p/interlude-explanatory-essay-on-the?r=5j9uex
Read this Preface by Schwartz to see an alternative view of the state. Policy is formulated in the private sector.
Also see the book (Molotch, 2007) Urban Fortunes; The PE of Place 20e
https://substack.com/profile/324157403-peioi/note/c-139042702