Marxists to the fore

[Starry Messenger]

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/content/view/full/121797?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

It wasn't too long ago that Francis Fukuyama was declaiming "the end of history."

Communism and Marxism had been conclusively defeated. It is now clearly emerging how easily history can so upset the applecart of complacent thinking.

Only a few years since that iconic statement was pronounced global capitalism is in deep crisis, there are mass demonstrations on the streets and corporate bosses are reeling on the back foot.

Marxism is again at the centre of intellectual discussion. New editions of Marx's texts have returned to our bookstores accompanied by new introductions, biographies and interpretations of his thinking.

Not long ago few academics who valued their status and their funding would be willing to admit to being Marxists. Now they seem to be queueing up to do so.

[HiPointDem]

1. "corporate bosses are reeling on the back foot" -- i think the writer is delusional. record profits

and no let-up in the war on workers, with a wave of city & possibly state bankruptcies + further concessions in the offing. we're being structurally adjusted. *We're* on the backfoot and no one on the so-called left seems to have any intention of getting serious about it.

[Starry Messenger]

2. The entire last half of the article is shit too.

I just liked the parts about Marxism being on the upswing.

[HiPointDem]

3. :>)

[BOG PERSON]

4. i sort of suspect there's a little "perception is reality" psyching-up

going on w/ the reports of "record profits". of course i don't have the desire/attention span to prove this.

[PETRUS]

5. FWIW

I came across a piece by (the younger, still living) Galbraith the other day. It opened with a Krugman quote that was talking about how some economists had been sounding warnings early in the decade but were largely ignored. Galbraith goes on to criticize him for leaving these economists nameless, pointing out that since they correctly predicted a rather significant crisis, maybe we should know who they are and pay some attention to their thoughts. Anyway, #1 on Galbraith's list were Marxists (a few in particular). His comments had a somewhat dismissive quality, but Marxists made the list were mentioned first.

[Starry Messenger]

6. I wonder who they were?

If you find a link, can you post it or shoot me a PM? I'd like to read that too!

[PETRUS]

7. found it

http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/HE/TA09EconomistGalbraith.pdf

[Starry Messenger]

8. Thank you Petrus!

Off to read!