Corruption as a Symptom: Hegemony and Class Building in 21st Century Brazil and South Africa

This text discusses Brazil and South Africa from a comparative perspective. The comparison is framed by the hypothesis that both countries face a hegemonic crisis and an interregnum is taking place. It is argued that these legitimation crises stem from frustrated expectations of social integration and nation building in a context of structural crises of capital. The hegemony challenge is discussed from the standpoint of the class formation drive behind black economic empowerment under the African National Congress and the neodevelopmental blueprint spurred by the Partido dos Trabalhadores. Although very different in kind and scope, both ended up mired in corruption, which is read as a symptom of the narrow possibilities of expanded capital accumulation and class building on the margins of 21st century global capital. Despite their differences, these project’s shortcomings explain the daunting and perhaps insurmountable tasks faced by capitalist development in these countries in the 21st century.