[lbo-talk] Fwd: Has the Left given up on Economics? « The Disorder Of Things

[Wojtek S]

[WS:] He has a point.  The success of socialism in the beginning of
the 20th century did not come from the theoretical critique of
capitalism, but from implementing an alternative economic system (the
USSR) that appeared to do remarkably well (in terms of growth rates at
least) than the depression ridden Western capitalism.  I may also add
that the failure of the Soviet system came not from a theoretical
critique but from empirical observations that Western style
Keynesianism does visibly better than the Soviet central planning.

The left today is focused mainly on critique of capitalism and
piecemeal political demands, but it does not have to a clearly
understandable blueprint for the future like the Soviet communist did.

 It is not that elements of that blueprints do not exist, but they
have not been packaged together into a coherent and easily
identifiable whole - which I believe is the author's main point.

While we are at this, it appears to me that the concept of
international central planning through public ownership and control of
all financial institutions can offer an alternative to the status quo.

Wojtek

On Tue, Oct 4, 2011 at 7:15 AM, Charles Turner <vze26m98 at optonline.net> wrote:
> Courtesy Kpunk:
>
> <http://thedisorderofthings.com/2011/10/03/has-the-left-given-up-on-economics/>
>
>
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