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struct the ideologies. The result is what counts, and the result is
already apparent: a society in which the class of managers, together
with a group of political allies with whom the managers largely
fuse in the apparatus of the new unlimited state, are the ruling
class.
5.
The achievement and consolidation of the managerial revolu–
tion faces a triple problem: ( 1) the reduction to impotence of
capitalist institutions (and thus of the capitalists) at home, and in
the end also abroad; (2) the curbing of the masses in such a
manner that the masses accept the new order of managerial society;
(3) competition amongvarious sections of the managers for domi–
nant positions in the new world order. The second step, it should
be remarked, though it requires at certain intervals the use of
force, above all demands a change of ideological and institutional
allegiance. The masses must be led to accept one or another vari–
ant of the managerial institutions and the ideologies built upon
the basis of mal}agerial concepts and slogans; they must, we might
say, come to see the (social) world in managerial terms. When
that happens, the general structure of managerial society is reason–
ably assured; conflicts remain possible and likely, but they take
place within the framework of managerial society, do not endanger
its foundations, do not threaten to move toward the restoration of
the capitalist structure or toward the overthrow of all forms of
class structure--that is, toward socialism.
There is no pre-arranged temporal order in which these three
parts of the managerial problem must be solved. Many different
patterns or combinations are possible, and several are already
being witnessed. Local social, political, cultural circumstances
and even the specific influence of local leaders and organized
political groups may rightly be expected to affect the pattern which
we discover in any given instance. For example:
The Russian Revolution we must understand not as a socialist
but as a managerial revolution. As soon as we make this shift, the
general course of Russian events becomes intelligible. Instead of
being forced to spend all our time "explaining" why Russia has
"deviated" from the socialist course, has failed to develop as
expected, has constantly done the opposite of what theory de·
