Brenner on competition

[Charles Brown]

The end of all capitalism is not coming right now, but
it is true that capitalism, not only its latest
phase, has no solution for recurrent
economic crisis. Also, some new socialism
somewhere might come out of the current
crisis. Socialism is the beginning of the
end of the whole capitalist system; and
socialism begins the only end of recurrent
economic crisis and a lot of other 
undesirable stuff of capitalism, like
permanent mass unemployment, mass
poverty, racism, war.

Lou is objecting to reformism as
an end in itself. Reformism that isn't
ultimately linked to revolution undermines
revolutionary struggle by sowing 
illusions that stop that struggle
short of throwing out the whole system.
Keynesianism does not have as a
goal getting rid of the capitalist system.
In that regard it is irreconcilable with
Marxism.

 
Charles Brown

  Detroit

 


>>> Dennis R Redmond <dredmond at OREGON.UOREGON.EDU> 09/16 7:05 PM >>>
On Wed, 16 Sep 1998, Louis Proyect wrote:


> for Marxists is how to come up with an alternative. It must be stated as
> clearly as possible: there is no alternative to socialism. All the
> palliatives that are being discussed in the bourgeois press will fall
> short. No fixes from the IMF or G7 will work. The problem is that there is
> excess capacity. We are witnessing a crisis of overproduction. Capitalism
> has no solution for that.

Oh, nonsense, the US, Europe and Japan could start printing and spending
money like there's no tomorrow, and stabilize things in a hurry. It's
just that the EU is acting like they're broke, which they're not, and
Japan is acting like it's broke, which it's not, while US consumers are
literally going for broke. Neoliberalism has no solution for the crisis;
the crisis is the *end* of neoliberalism. But global neoindustrialism,
neo-Volvoism, and neo-Toyotism are waiting in the wings as we speak. Let's
not confuse the crash and burn of the Wall Street bubble with the end of
the world-system.

-- Dennis