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Capitalism
Capitalism
Confronting crisis: Next steps for the left - video
Danièle Obono, Eddie Dempsey, John Rees and Jeremy Corbyn on the interlocking crises we face and strategy for the left at Counterfire's Revolution! Festival
The Critique of Commodification: Contours of a Post-Capitalist Society - book review
An analysis of commodification in
The Critique of Commodification
provides useful insights, but the exploitation of labour remains key to the system, argues Dominic Alexander
The worst of both worlds: stagflation explained
Dominic Alexander explains the unfolding economic turmoil and how socialists should respond
Interest rates, class war and ‘creative destruction’
John Clarke on capitalism’s unfolding crisis and the attempts to rescue it
Stuck Nation - book review
Robert Hennelly’s
Stuck Nation
is a vigorous and well-researched analysis of the exploitative and racist nature of US capitalism, but falls short of a convincing way to be rid of it, argues John Clarke
Capitalism in crisis: World Bank report paints grim picture
The World Bank's latest report gives an insight into the intensifying crises within capitalism internationally, writes John Clarke.
Poverty and the law: How the state regulates the poor
John Clarke on the devlopment of the working class and the law and how the latter is a tool of the capitalist state to control the former
Airport chaos: How the airline industry's greed is wrecking the holidays
In the pursuit of maximising profit, airlines sacked thousands of workers and holidaymakers are now paying the price for their greed, writes Terina Hine
The bubble pops: Why cryptocurrencies are crashing
David Bush explains how the rise of cryptocurrencies is rooted in the capitalist class' response to the financial crisis and the pandemic and why it's now in freefall
Global predators: Canada’s brutal mining companies
The destructive greed and predatory role of Canada’s mining companies has led to horrific events in the Perkoa Mine, writes John Clarke.
Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism: a short introduction
Ahead of Counterfire's discussion on
Lenin on Imperialism
, we repost Morgan Daniels' introduction to Lenin's 1917 pamphlet,
Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism
Capitalism’s questionable conscience
The notion of a more ethical and socially responsible version of capitalism is a cosmetic illusion which does not alter the fundamental nature of the system, argues John Clarke
Global capitalism and the disaster facing poor countries
After decades of neoliberalism and a devastating pandemic, conditions of acute global crisis are emerging and poor countries will be hit hardest, writes John Clarke
Michael Roberts: Capitalism, cost of living and the coming slump - video
Counterfire's Yonas Makoni spoke to Marxist economist Michael Roberts about the real drivers of the cost of living crisis, the failures of the capitalist system and the alternatives we must fight for
Sedated: How Modern Capitalism Created Our Mental Health Crisis - book review
In
Sedated
, James Davies makes a powerful case that the marketisation of mental health ignores the social causes of distress, harming us while serving capitalism, finds Lucette Davies
Capitalism and Slavery - book review
Over seventy years since publication, the first British edition of Eric Williams’ classic
Capitalism and Slavery
remains vital, despite establishment critics, argues John Westmoreland
The many crises of capitalism and how we can overcome them
Understanding the nature of the contradictions and crises of capitalism is central to the question of building a socialist alternative, writes John Clarke
Nationalise P&O now! Hull shows solidarity with sacked workers
Protesters in Hull hit the streets against P&O's sacking of 800 workers, reports John Westmoreland
Solidarity with P&O workers: this is a fight for us all
The sacking of ferry workers in British ports is an attack on workers’ rights, argues Richard Allday, and we must unite to defeat the employers
Socialist Register 2022: New Polarisations, Old Contradictions, The Crisis of Centrism - book review
Socialist Register 2022
discusses the impasse in the neoliberal consensus, the rise of authoritarian politics, and the prospects for the left, finds Dominic Alexander
Why do we still have a gender pay gap?
On International Women's Day, Terina Hine looks at why the gender pay gap is still as wide as it was 25 years ago
Climate change and war: The whole social structure needs to be overturned
The latest IPCC report points to the structural change needed to avert disaster. Our leaders driving war at this time is further proof that they don't have the solutions, writes Feyzi Ismail
Sexual Revolution: Modern Fascism and the Feminist Fightback - book review
Laurie Penny’s
Sexual Revolution
offers an eclectic argument full of inconsistencies, while omitting any understanding of how class underpins oppression, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
Living with the virus: The worst instincts of capitalism
The reworked herd immunity strategy of governments telling us to live with the virus is once again driven by their need to protect profits, writes John Clarke
Climate change and the cost of living: why we must nationalise energy
Don’t blame green policies for market failure, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
Will racism always be with us? - explainer
Yonas Makoni explains the socialist perspective on where racism comes from and how we can eradicate it
Why is the labour theory of value so important? - explainer
Dominic Alexander explains the Marxist theory of where value comes from and why it's central to understanding how capitalism functions
What freedom means under capitalism
John Clarke dismantles the myths around ‘freedom’ in capitalist society and traces the role of state violence in upholding a system based on exploitation
Why is housing so expensive? - explainer
As house prices continue to rise amid a wider cost-of-living crisis, Reuben Bard-Rosenberg and Dominic Alexander explain how the housing crisis is rooted in the logic of the capitalist system
Comets, climate and capitalism: what we can take from Don’t Look Up
Adam McKay's
Don't Look Up
highlights how the capitalist class’s relentless pursuit of profit is leading us to disaster, argues Lucy Nichols
Is capitalism in decline? - explainer
Dominic Alexander examines the state of capitalism and the ever-deepening multi-faceted crises it finds itself in
The roots of violence against children
Following the shocking murders of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson, Michael Lavalette explains how the system lets down vulnerable children
The Darker Angels of our Nature: Refuting the Pinker Theory of History and Violence - book review
Historians in
Darker Angels of our Nature
deliver a devastating debunking to Steven Pinker’s liberal imperialist theory of violence in history, finds Dominic Alexander
Amazon: time the bosses reaped the whirlwind
The death of Amazon workers in tornadoes underlines the need for workers to organise and confront the bosses’ disregard for human life, argues Shabbir Lakha
Vaccine imperialism: A global threat
Leaving a vast section of the world’s population unvaccinated can only create the basis for the virus to spread and mutate, argues John Clarke
Bubbling over: Canada's housing market on the edge
Canada’s inflated housing market is a testimony to the greed and irrationality of capitalism, argues John Clarke
The Last Witches of England. A Tragedy of Sorcery and Superstition - book review
A study of the last witchcraft executions in England is very revealing about the roots of witch-panics in conflicts fuelled by capitalism and the state, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
Philosophers with No Clothes: A Review of The War Against Marxism
Tony McKenna’s new book is an important defence of Marxism, against thinkers who have confused and obscured its revolutionary core, argues Chris Nineham
Capitalism will cost us the earth - Counterfire Freesheet November 2021
Climate briefing for activists, more Tory Covid failure, Clarks strikers fight fire-and-rehire, Scotland's wider crisis, socialism explained and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet
Climate and growth: Why driving down living standards won’t stop climate chaos
Averting climate catastrophe demands reorganising production, not ‘de-growth’, argues Dominic Alexander.
It's not Brexit, it's a broken system: The inside story of the supply chain meltdown
Supply-chain worker Chris Neville gives us his view on shortages, supply chains and a changing balance of power
Socialist Explainers: Short Answers to Big Questions
In this collection of socialist explainers, we’re giving quick responses to the questions that loom largest for us today
Can we avert climate chaos and meet people’s needs? - explainer
As Cop26 approaches, Feyzi Ismail explains why it looks unlikely to deliver and outlines a socialist approach to averting climate catastrophe
How do we put out the flames? Bad science and good sense on the climate crisis
Elaine Graham Leigh weighs up the solutions and non-solutions on offer to deal with the climate emergency.
Race, class, and the limits of identity
Neither liberal-conservative ideas of equal opportunity, nor identity politics, understand the interrelationships of race, class and capitalism, argues Yonas Makoni
Who sleeps in the unmade bed: A response to John Molyneux on the nature of conceptual art
While some laud conceptual art as radical, its tendency is to reproduce in culture the extremities of a finance dominated capitalism, argues Tony McKenna
The Robbery of Nature. Capitalism and the Ecological Rift - book review
The Robbery of Nature
raises important questions about means and strategy for solving the ecological crisis, and the role of work in society, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
Climate and Class Struggle
Climate chaos will hit the poor and the working class the hardest. A fighting movement is needed to demand climate justice, argues John Clarke
The Marxist theory of alienation - video
John Westmoreland explains the Marxist concept of alienation
Wages, prices and profits: the labour theory of value - video
Elaine Graham-Leigh explains Marx's labour theory of value
Canada's role as a global exploiter
John Clarke assesses Canada's destructive role in the world
Demand the impossible: Extinction Rebellion take the streets
As the climate emergency deepens, Extinction Rebellion have once again occupied the streets of London to demand action, reports Jamal Elaheebocus
Socialist Register 2021. Beyond Digital Capitalism. New Ways of Living - book review
Contributors to
Socialist Register 2021
, on digital capitalism, show that the system hasn’t changed its essential nature, and scepticism is needed, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
Capitalism vs life: Alberta’s ‘just give up’ approach to the pandemic
Alberta’s provincial government abandoning all mitigating policies while infections soar is criminally reckless, argues John Clarke
Code red for the climate: how should the left respond?
The left must force the government into taking the climate crisis seriously, argues Feyzi Ismail
Greece is on fire: capitalism, crisis and climate chaos
As fires rage and anger intensifies, swingeing cuts amid climate chaos have put the government on dangerous ground, reports Kevin Ovenden
Value and Crisis: Essays on Marxian Economics in Japan - book review
Makoto Itoh’s
Value and Crisis
provides a valuable exposition of a school of Japanese interpretation of Marxist economics, finds Phil Armstrong
Will extreme weather be a wake-up call?
The extreme weather experienced across the globe recently is a direct result of a climate crisis caused by the capitalist mode of production and activists must pressure world leaders to act, writes Nathan Street
The East End is drowning and capitalism doesn't care
Lucy Nichols reflects on the recent flooding in East London, arguing that it is working people who suffer the consequences of extreme weather events, while the wealthy and property developers adapt
Tokyo Olympics: Lighting the flame of a Covid disaster – CounterBlast
Faster, higher and stronger infections are imminent in Japan due to profit-driven officials and politicians, argues Sean Ledwith
Capitalism and the climate emergency
Elaine Graham-Leigh discusses the damage capitalism is doing to the planet and the social transformation needed as part of Counterfire's Revolution! Festival
Covid, crisis and the fight for a new normal - video
The opening rally of Counterfire's Revolution! Festival of Marxist Ideas featuring Tariq Ali, Danièle Obono and Lindsey German
Capitalism’s Benign Conscience or a Witting Guardian of Power?
Capitalism’s Conscience
gives a range of critiques of
The Guardian
and its liberal world view, outlining and explaining why it so often betrays the left, finds Michael Bailey
Bezos, Branson and Musk: Invasion of the Space Parasites - CounterBlast
In space, no one can hear you scream with rage at the hubris of self-indulgent billionaires, writes Sean Ledwith
The ruling class isn't going to solve the climate crisis, we need radical change - video
As the movement prepares to mobilise for the Cop26 Summit, Jamal Elaheebocus speaks to author and activist Elaine Graham-Leigh on the role of the left
Killer capitalism: climate change and the North American heat wave
The record-breaking heatwave in the US and Canada is the latest example of the deadly consequences of climate change and the urgent need for systemic change, argues John Clarke
Fight the Fire: Green New Deals and Global Climate Jobs - book review
Jonathan Neale’s
Fight the Fire
shows that solving climate change requires a movement based in the working class to succeed, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
The war on woke: how socialists should respond to the culture wars
The Tories are trying to further divide the working class by fuelling culture wars, socialists must fight back on our own terms, argues John Westmoreland
The crisis isn't going away and the G7 have no solutions
The G7 fantasy of returning to the pre-pandemic 'normal' isn't going to solve the economic crisis or the breakdown of the climate, argues Michael Roberts
The Cornish clearances are under way – weekly briefing
Lindsey German on the G7, the old normal and anti-racism today
The Railway: An Adventure in Construction - book review
The post-war experiences of the young E.P. Thompson working on a railway in Tito’s Yugoslavia cannot be taken at face value, finds Dragan Plavšić
Migration Beyond Capitalism - book review
Hannah Cross’s analysis of the role of migration in capitalism is a guide for the left on how to set an agenda for the global emancipation of all workers, argues Yonas Makoni
Vaccine imperialism: an indictment of global capitalism
The ongoing debate on waiving vaccine patents so poorer countries can have access tells you everything about capitalism putting profit ahead of lives, argues John Clarke
Culture under capitalism: Why art is alienated – The Dialectics of Art review
Art is not a reflection of society but is shaped by social production and cannot escape the alienation of capitalist conditions, argues Chris Nineham
Biden’s 100 days: US capitalism might be getting a facelift but it’s still rotten
All that glitters is not gold on closer analysis of the new President’s economic and political agenda, argues Sean Ledwith
European Super League: is capitalism killing football?
The proposed ESL is an attempt to funnel the most profits to the fewest at the expense of the many, argues Martin Hall
Jazz and Justice: Racism and the Political Economy of the Music - book review
Gerald Horne’s
Jazz and Justice
is an illuminating history of the material conditions of African-American Jazz musicians in its classic decades, finds Martin Hall
Capitalist greed got us into this mess, it won’t get us out
The success of the vaccine rollout has been despite capitalism, not because of it, argues Shabbir Lakha
How do we end violence against women? - video
Lindsey German looks at the proposition that more police, longer sentences and new laws are the solution to ending violence against women
CLR James on the Paris Commune: They showed the way to labour emancipation
On the 150
th
anniversary of the Paris Commune, we repost this article by renowned Marxist CLR James from 1946 on Marx and the Commune
The strange reinvention of spreader Sunak – CounterBlast
The Chancellor would like us to forget he is personally responsible for some terrible decisions made during the pandemic, writes Sean Ledwith
The Sickness is the System: When Capitalism Fails to Save Us from Pandemics or Itself - book review
Richard D. Wolff in
The Sickness i
s
the System
exposes the flaws and failures in the capitalist economic system, and argues for workplace democracy, finds Phil Armstrong
Imperialism under Biden - video
Shabbir Lakha explains what we can expect from Biden's foreign policy using a Marxist understanding of imperialism
CPTPP: More freedom for capitalists, more exploitation for workers
Behind the rhetoric of ‘liberalisation’, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is nothing more than vehicle for exploitation and global inequality, writes John Clarke
Monopsony Capitalism: Power and Production in the Twilight of the Sweatshop Age - book review
Monopsony Capitalism
brings competition into the centre of industrial organisation theory and shows how labour is an agent in the power struggle, finds Orlando Hill
Vaccine nationalism: a plague on all our houses
The progress of producing good vaccines in record time is at risk from systemic capitalist and nationalist rivalries, writes Kevin Ovenden
False hopes: the crisis will not be solved by slightly nicer capitalism
Promises of enlightened policies by the likes of Trudeau and Biden fly in the face of the harsh reality of a system in deep crisis, argues John Clarke
Dead Epidemiologists. On the origins of COVID-19 - book review
Rob Wallace in
Dead Epidemiologists
shows that the Covid pandemic is not random, but a product of recent change in industrialised agribusiness, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
Covid crisis: 10 demands unions should be making now
As the Covid death toll crosses 100,000, these are some of the urgent demands the labour movement should be making on the government:
Marxism, the family and women's oppression - video
Lindsey German discusses where women's oppression comes from in capitalist society
The Dawning of the Apocalypse: The Roots of Slavery, White Supremacy, Settler Colonialism, and Capitalism in the Long Sixteenth Century - book review
Horne’s history of early colonialism in the Americas reveals how structures of racism were constructed to support the development of capitalism, finds Jamal Elaheebocus
Where does sexism come from? - Marxism and Women's Liberation excerpt
Elaine Graham-Leigh traces the roots of women's oppression in this excerpt from
Marxism and Women's Liberation
2020: the year the mask fell off
Shabbir Lakha reflects on a tumultuous year and what we must remember for the fight ahead
The perfect storm: Covid and Brexit merge in Kent - CounterBlast
Terina Hine looks at the growing crisis around sky-rocketing Covid transmissions and the miles of backed up lorries on the M20 ahead of the Brexit deadline
When Liz Truss speaks a truth, beware
Mike Wayne unpicks Liz Truss’s recent speech on inequality and finds that it scores some hits against parts of the left
Workers fighting back: the new mood continues unabated - News from the Frontline
Counterfire's fortnightly digest rounding up the stories of working people getting organised and fighting back
The spy who never came in from the cold
John Rees looks back at the literary achievement of John Le Carré, who died at the weekend
India: Insurrection at the gates of Delhi
As India’s farmers continue their fight against Modi government ‘reforms’, Susan Ram analyses the issues behind their epic uprising
Philip Green: greed and profit personified - CounterBlast
As Arcadia collapses, Phillip Green will continue to live the high life while the burden falls on the workers who put him there, argues Lucy Nichols
The problem with the Shock Doctrine: Socialists and Crisis - video
Crises are inherently moments of weakness for the ruling class and an organised left can play a role in shaping the outcome, argues Chris Nineham
The China question
Dragan Plavšić replies to criticisms of his recent article ‘
China: a socialist force for good or an imperial superpower in the making? An historical evaluation
’
Rosa Luxemburg: an interview with Dana Mills
Katherine Connelly interviews Dana Mills, author of a new biography on Rosa Luxemburg, on her crucial contribution to revolutionary thought
Why does the Labour Party fail? - explainer
Alex Snowdon dissects the root of Labour's failures as a party that's meant to represent working people
Covid disparities: race is a factor but so is class
Structural racism is why ethnic minorities are more vulnerable to the virus, and it's a feature of class society not separate from it, argues Yonas Makoni
How Amazon workers are taking on billionaire Bezos - video
Speaking at a recent Counterfire meeting, Chris Smalls describes the conditions at Amazon and how he's a part of organising workers against a rigged system
No country for old men? – weekly briefing
Lindsey German on systemic inequality and Labour’s identity problem
Whose crisis is it anyway? The problem with the shock doctrine
The ruling class is ruthless in trying to exploit crises, but we shouldn’t underestimate the turmoil it's in and the opportunities to advance the struggle, argues Chris Nineham
Capitalism costs lives: the Boeing disasters
The coronavirus pandemic has shone a blinding light on how capitalism measures and values our social priorities, argues Tony Dowling
8 Reasons to reject Sunak’s scheme and keep fighting for the furlough - Counterblast
Sunak’s scheme will mean millions are made jobless and the movement should reject it, argue Susan Newman and Chris Nineham
'Greatness' In A Time Of Covid
A poem by Tayo Aluko
China: a socialist force for good or an imperial superpower in the making? An historical evaluation - long read
Dragan Plavšić considers what China’s modern history tells us about the nature of the Chinese state today
No to the exam factory: what kind of education do we want? - video
Lindsey German discusses the state of education and what the alternatives could look like
The London Dream: Migration and the Mythology of the City - book review
Chris McMillan knows the London Dream all too well, and his book shows how the city exploits labour whatever the form of capitalism it has hosted, finds Morgan Daniels
What is imperialism? - explainer
Dragan Plavšić examines the roots of imperialism and how to oppose it
Where does racism come from? - video
As part of a series on Marxism in the Modern World, Shabbir Lakha looks at the roots of racism and what that means for the struggle against it
Is revolution possible in the twenty-first century? – explainer
Katherine Connelly looks at the continuing possibility of revolution for transforming society today
Why does capitalism go into crisis? - video
As part of a series on Marxism in the Modern World, Susan Newman explains the regular crises faced by capitalism
The beautiful game?
The vicarious passion for football highlights the contradictions of life under capitalism, argues Roy Wilkes
What went wrong in Russia? - explainer
Vladimir Unkovski-Korica analyses what went wrong in post-revolution Russia
What is the working class today? - video
As part of a series on Marxism in the Modern World, Lindsey German discusses what the working class is today and what that means for socialists
Sunak’s ‘hard times’ – choice not necessity
The chancellor’s plans work for his class, not ours, writes Chris Nineham
Stop blaming individuals for Coronavirus spikes
The drive to get people back to work is responsible for a rise in infections, not individual behaviour, argues Kevin Potter
The pandemic profit bonanza
Big pharma profits from disaster, as capitalism shows its inability to act in the public interest, argues John Clarke
Why class matters - explainer
David McAllister explains what the working class is and why it's central to transforming society
BLM and the labour movement come together - Chris Smalls interview
Shabbir Lakha speaks to Chris Smalls in the US about the Strike for Black Lives, his organisation The Congress of Essential Workers and the possibilities for fundamental change
'It will be over by Christmas' is a dangerous delusion - CounterBlast
The prime minister has recklessly heralded a renewed push back to the workplace for millions of people, writes Alex Snowdon
The great stay at home and why it is entirely rational - CounterBlast
Michael Gove and Boris Johnson are desperate to get us back to work. 'Work from home if you can' has morphed into 'get to work unless you really can't', says Chris Nineham
England's dreaming: under Sunak there's no hope of a v-shape recovery
The chancellor's plan for recovery is doomed to fail, argues Michael Roberts
Can economic planning work? - explainer
Dominic Alexander takes on the idea that a planned economy cannot work
The global picture: Covid cases and deaths continue to rise sharply
World leaders like Trump and Johnson trying to get back to business as usual while the virus continues to spread are deliberately sacrificing public health, writes John Clarke
Ten reasons Roosevelt’s New Deal was more myth than reality
FDR’s reputation as a workers’ President should be rejected along with Boris Johnson’s attempt to channel his legacy, argues Sean Ledwith
It’s official: there’s no science behind lifting the lockdown - CounterBlast
Focused on boosting profits for their mates, health is just not on the Tories’ agenda, argues Penny Hicks
Sunak's 'Green Homes Grant' only scratches the surface
Neither the government nor Starmer's Labour party are taking the climate crisis seriously - real action must be led from outside parliament, argues Jamal Elaheebocus
The coming jobs slaughter
The government will pass the blame anywhere they can but now, more than ever, we must fight for an economy that works for us, argues Richard Allday
Does human nature make socialism impossible? - explainer
Lucy Nichols dissects the idea that humans are inherently selfish
The NHS is 72: why we must fight to defend it
As the NHS turns 72, it is under threat from the free-market dogma that has been underfunding and privatising it, writes John Westmoreland
Far-right nationalism in Poland: persecution and resistance
Poland's right-wing populists owe their success to liberal capitalism's failure, writes Reece Goscinski
Garment workers in South India rise up against Covid-linked retrenchment
Hundreds of unionised women workers are combating efforts by the fashion industry to pass the costs of Covid-19 onto the world’s most vulnerable, reports Susan Ram
The South Sea Bubble: England's first stock market crisis 300 years ago
The South Sea Bubble was not an exceptional event but the first of many crises produced by the inescapable tendencies of capitalism, argues Dominic Alexander
What is socialism? - explainer
In the first of a series of socialist explainers, Chris Nineham looks at the concept of socialism itself
Essential workers today; garbage tomorrow.
As the economic turmoil starts to bite, Goldstar Transport workers show how to organise to fight back, reports Richard Allday
Five films on the black struggle
As Black Lives Matter continues to make gains, Counterfire writers discuss a personal selection of films concerning race and class in the US and UK
Liberalism At Large: The World According to the Economist - book review
Zevin’s history of the
Economist
magazine opens up a rich angle from which to observe the nature and development of liberalism across 180 years, finds Dominic Alexander
Racism is systemic, so why are we still talking about privilege?
Locating racism as rooted in capitalism is key to building the kind of movement that can end it, argues Shabbir Lakha
Black history you can’t be without: Nine books on the struggle
A reading list of nine essential books on black history and the struggle against racism
Limits: Why Malthus Was Wrong and Why Environmentalists Should Care - book review
Giorgos Kallis criticises Malthus’ ideas and their modern influence, but sustainability requires structural change to move beyond capitalism, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
How Bolsonaro can be beaten - a Brazilian socialist speaks out
Thousands have taken to the streets in Brazil against Bolsonaro's misgovernment. Orlando Hill introduces an assessment from Leonardo Pericles of Unidade Populare
'Are there no food banks?' The Poor Laws and Charles Dickens at 150
Dickens’s acute observations of social inequality illuminate the cruelty of our government 150 years after his death, says Katherine Connelly
Invisible Leviathan: Marx’s Law of Value in the Twilight of Capitalism - book review
Marx’s labour theory of value and the analysis of the falling rate of profit receive a robust defence in Murray Smith’s
Invisible Leviathan
, finds Dominic Alexander
Coronavirus: death rate higher if you’re poor and BAME
The report into disproportionate BAME deaths from Covid-19 confirms that structural racism is at the heart of the problem, writes Lucy Nichols
Brazil: crises, crises and more crises
Covid-19 is yet another crisis to haunt Bolsonaro argues Orlando Hill (in London) and Lilian Hill (in Rio de Janeiro)
It’s a big deal that the outrage expressed over George Floyd’s death was massive and multiracial
Class struggle doesn’t go away in a pandemic, writes August Nimtz
The Equal Pay Act at 50: a bittersweet celebration
That women workers’ pay in the UK continues to lag significantly behind that of men underlines the limits of legal change under capitalism, argues Susan Ram
The Monster Enters: Covid-19, Avian Flu and the Plagues of Capitalism - book review
Mike Davis’
The Monster Enters
updates his earlier book on capitalism and pandemic disease to reflect on the current failure of the neoliberal state, finds Elaine Graham-Leigh
The China syndrome: why Trump’s obsession could lead to war – long read
The US policy to counter the growing economic and political strengths of China have taken a dangerous turn, says Chris Nineham
Neither a rigged market nor Vera Lynn will pick the crops
The crop picking crisis is revealing the fundamental failures of free-market capitalism and invoking national spirit won't fix it, argues Kevin Ovenden
Capitalism as a dynamic system: Marx and the Climate Crisis - extract
In the second of two extracts from her new book
Marx and the Climate Crisis
, Elaine Graham-Leigh explains why climate destruction is a structural feature of capitalism
Lives before profit: learning from the struggle for health and safety in the 1970s
John Westmoreland conducted a series of interviews with workers on the front line struggling for health and safety in the 1970s
The Unknowers: How Strategic Ignorance Rules the World - book review
The Unknowers
is a fascinating exploration of the many ways in which our societies are built on strategic lack of knowledge, writes Joshua Newman
Laura Smith: why we should listen to our teaching unions
Teaching unions are right to set tests for the government to meet to protect their members, children, and families, says Laura Smith
A failed government in a failed system – weekly briefing
Lindsey German on capitalism committing to its priorities and how we can fight back
Crisis capitalism: why state intervention is not socialism
Capitalism hasn't been suspended. Change that benefits ordinary people can only come by pressure from below, argues Dominic Alexander
Engels was right, class society and women's oppression aren't inevitable or irreversible
As part of our series on the revolutionary Frederick Engels, on the 200th anniversary of his birth, Elaine Graham-Leigh looks at Engels'
The Origins of the Family, Private Property and the State
Austerity reloaded: Tories want us to pay for crisis
The Tories are talking about more austerity and we need to shut it down, argues Kevin Potter
Why are the police racist?
Racism is an indispensable tool in the police’s mission to protect a deliberately exploitative system, argues Lucy Nichols
Marx and the Climate Crisis
Elaine Graham-Leigh shows how Marx's analysis of capitalism explains the climate breakdown and how we fight for system change to protect people and the planet
The Lie of Global Prosperity - book review
Donnelly’s
The Lie of Global Prosperity
shows how global institutions use bad data to promote the idea that poverty has declined due to neoliberal globalisation, finds Orlando Hill
Why are key workers so low paid?
The work of key workers is immensely valuable for a community but not so to a surplus-driven capitalist economy, says Dominic Alexander
The imperialism pandemic
Imperialism is part and parcel of global capitalism and it can be seen very clearly in the coronavirus crisis, writes David Bush in this
repost from Spring Magazine
To the slaughter: back to work in a pandemic
The reopening of workplaces with no regard for the safety of workers shows the deadly determination of capitalism to protect profits, argues John Clarke
Reading the Labour Party: book recommendations by and for socialists
How can we explain what has happened in the Labour Party? We asked eight Counterfire authors to tell us about the books that have helped them to understand what the Labour Party is and how socialists should engage with it
No return to pre-lockdown air pollution
The lockdown is confirming just how damaging air pollution has been, we must demand a Green New Deal to make sure we don't go back, argues Jamal Elaheebocus
Government failures laid bare by highest death toll in Europe - CounterBlast 5 May
News that the UK has the worst death rate in Europe is a grimly unsurprising indictment of Government inadequacy, argues Mona Kamal
Corona and the food crisis: how the markets failed us
Corona crisis has exposed how market forces cannot be trusted with our food production, says Kevin Potter
Workers across the US strike on May Day for their lives
Workers from Amazon and other retail companies walked out on May day to demand protective equipment and hazard pay, reports Alyssa Cassata
After failing to meet 100,000 tests target, Hancock must resign
After a campaign of deceit and blame dodging to cover up brutal incompetence and disregard for lives, Matt Hancock must walk or be pushed, argues Shabbir Lakha
Who pays? Socialists and state intervention part 2 – long read
In the second part of his article, Chris Nineham examines the recent development of the state and how the Coronavirus will impact on government policy and the left
Rebel Minds: Class War, Mass Suffering, and the Urgent Need for Socialism - book review
A Marxist critique of psychiatry puts mental-health issues in the context of the social crises created by capitalism, and argues for socialist solutions, finds Adrian Cooley
Who pays? Socialists and state intervention part 1 – long read
State intervention is back. In part one of a two-part article, Chris Nineham looks at the myths and politics behind state involvement in the economy
The hidden history of American radicalism: the campaign for the Workers' Unemployment Insurance Bill
The little-known story of working class organising for a Communist-led initiative in 1930s America challenges assumptions about US workers’ conservatism, argues Chris Wright
Lenin and revolutionary organisation
On the 150th anniversary of Lenin's birth, John Westmoreland, in the first of a three-part series, takes on the myths and distortions to reveal the politics at the heart of the Bolshevik party up to 1917
We are not expendable: interview with Chris Smalls
Counterfire's Alyssa Cassata interviews Chris Smalls, who led a walkout at an Amazon warehouse in New York to demand protective gear and hazard pay, for which he was fired
When capitalism turns caring for the vulnerable into a burden
The resurgence of DNACPR should be challenged, the idea that one life is more worthy than another could lead to dangerous consequences, argues Elly Badcock
Value Chains: The New Economic Imperialism - book review
Capitalism remains interlocked with imperialism, and Suwandi’s
Value Chains
demonstrates a core aspect of international mechanisms of exploitation, argues Dominic Alexander
Coronavirus is exposing the gaping class divide in Britain
Working class people are the worst affected by the health crisis and the government's response is geared toward protecting the rich, writes Richard Allday
New horizons during Covid-19: beyond the limits of capitalist realism
Through the Covid-19 crisis we glimpse the need for change and the possibility of change, argues Mike Wayne
Engels on nature and humanity
In the third of our series on the revolutionary Frederick Engels, on the 200th anniversary of his birth, we repost this excerpt from an upcoming short book on Engels' contribution to Marxian political economy by Michael Roberts
Null and void: sport in a time of Covid-19
The Coronavirus crisis has revealed so much about sport-as-business that is bad, argues Mark Perryman of Philosophy Football
Lockdown crisis in India: a people's perspective of Covid-19
With no access to state support, healthcare or testing, India's working and poor people have been completely abandoned by the government during the lockdown
The government is prioritising protecting profits - CounterBriefing 28 March
The government should be reorienting production to the urgent needs during this crisis, but instead they’re interested in saving profits, argues Penny Hicks
Dominic Cummings vs the people - podcast
Following his article
Coronavirus: the politics of Cummings' cull
, Sean Ledwith speaks to Parallax Views
Supply chains: a neoliberal crisis
Alastair Cartwright explains how the current economic system is prone to failure and what needs to be done to change it
The sociopathic calculus of capitalism in a crisis
The ruling class is debating whether or not it's worth saving the lives of those it can no longer exploit; this is barbarism, writes Kevin Ovenden
Pandemic basic income is not the solution
UBI lets the bosses off the hook and does nothing to challenge a system in crisis, argues John Clarke
Coronavirus, the market and the state
The state and the market are opposite sides of the same capitalist coin, writes Dragan Plavšić
Engels' Marxism
In the second of our series on the revolutionary Frederick Engels, on the 200th anniversary of his birth, we are republishing this piece by John Rees which first appeared in the International Socialism Journal in 1994
No more gambles, put people first - CounterBriefing 20 March
Our pressure on the government is working and we must push harder, argues Shabbir Lakha
Put people before profit to fight Coronavirus
The government's response to the Coronavirus puts big business first, but we need real solutions that benefit the public instead, argues Richard Allday
Teachers in New York forced schools to close; we need to do the same
Don't play dice with people's lives. Close schools now, argues Shabbir Lakha
Laugh through the lockdown
Five of the best novels to keep you laughing while you sharpen your critical faculties from John Rees
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