[lbo-talk] Capitalism and Collapse

Doug Henwood dhenwood at panix.com
Fri Aug 10 12:39:56 PDT 2007


On Aug 10, 2007, at 1:49 PM, Angelus Novus wrote:


> ...and If I may be permitted to once more promote the
> work of Michael Heinrich, readers may wish to consult
> the following article on MRZine, on why capitalism is
> not going away anytime soon:
>
> http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/heinrich280707.html
>
> "...the period of the economic miracle also dominates
> the perceptions of the more radical left, as the
> development of capitalism since the miracle is
> perceived as a plunge towards a final crisis, or at
> least as a period of decline for capitalism -- as if
> it were ever the purpose of capitalism to spread full
> employment and welfare among the people. Crisis and
> unemployment are in no way a sign of capitalist
> decline; they are capitalist normality."

Yes yes yes. This is part of the argument I've had many times with Patrick Bond over the last decade. I'd only argue with the word "crisis" in this context - a crisis is a moment when the reproduction of a system is in doubt. Mere quotidian turbulence doesn't qualify.

Doug



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