The economy and politics.

[BPSocialist]

How do you think the current economic situation will effect politics, with particular reference to leftist politics?

Don't forget that it was upon the economic disaster in Wiemar that Hitler and the Nazi party rose to power.

[peaccenicked]

The economy is already affecting left politics. Most sharply in Iceland (http://inthesenewtimes.com/2009/01/27/whats-next-for-iceland-ensuring-a-fair-election-in-may/).

[Kassad]

Well, it's kind of difficult to promote our ideology when the bourgeoisie who run the media and control the world's affairs are content on making sure that the capitalist system stays intact. They use militarization, imperialism and bailouts to sustain the system that lines the pockets of the elite.

Now is the time for education. Many people are beginning to see some flaws in the current system and we need to act on that. Working with a party or an activist group is imperative now to begin to organize a mass movement and coalition against racism, war and capitalism. A revolution needs to be supported by a movement. If a small group attempt to launch it, it will undoubtedly fall into the snares of elitism and failure. I, as always, recommend the Party for Socialism and Liberation and the A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop the War and End Racism) Coalition, which links to them can be found in my signature, as the two most powerful activist groups. They are organizing a multitude of things to promote education and activism, which I expect to see many people involved in.

[Rjevan]

I mentioned it in a thread before but is is really fascinating. The last two elections here in Germany (in Bavaria and Hesse) ended with the FDP (free market liberals), our capitalist party, as the big winner who ensured that the CDU/CSU (the conservatives) stays in power. Ok, we are not so much affected by the finacial crisis yet, but why should anyone vote for parties which stand for the free market, while free market is going down and more and more bad things about bankers and managers are revealed?

[BIG BROTHER]

Well during this world rescission, its easier and more likely people will begun to question capitalism. This will open an opportunity for us leftist to let our ideas materialize. But right-wing populism or even fascism can arise during this circumstances.

[cyu]

Well, it's kind of difficult to promote our ideology when the bourgeoisie who run the media and control the world's affairs are content on making sure that the capitalist system stays intact.

Indeed - they use the state in order to protect their control over the communication of ideas.

However, that doesn't mean we're helpless either. In Greece, they occupied TV and radio stations. Just recently in the UK, the BBC was occupied. (...and don't forget that there were similar occupations in Mexico before both Greece and the UK.)

Although these were brief occupations and not the long-term democratic control I'd like to see, I see them as positive steps forward.

[Paradox]

Well during this world rescission, its easier and more likely people will begun to question capitalism. This will open an opportunity for us leftist to let our ideas materialize. But right-wing populism or even fascism can arise during this circumstances.

I don't know that many people have questioned (or are even beginning to, here in the US anyway) capitalism, so much as they've just decided (if the election of Obama is a gauge) that it needs to be gone about differently. Obama's obviously not a leftist, yet he's become the symbol of "change." So it may be tricky (here at least) to talk about "change," especially radical change, when people are caught up on the election of the first non-white president in the country's history and all his pretty sounding (to those who voted for him, anyway) words. It'll be interesting to see how it all pans out though.

[Psy]

Well this crisis has made it official that there is no good time to be born under capitalism (unless you are okay with dying relatively young) as baby boomers are now watching their pensions being devalued. Of course since the 1970's we have seen growing exploitation of workers that for many is coming to a end though massive lay-offs and the capitalist class could be in a world of problems if this fresh army of unemployed uses their new found free time to actually reflect on their lives and more importantly capitalism.

[RebelDog]

How do you think the current economic situation will effect politics, with particular reference to leftist politics?

Don't forget that it was upon the economic disaster in Wiemar that Hitler and the Nazi party rose to power.

In my opinion the current events will have a significant and lasting effect on the prospects for the left. The IMF has just announced its projection that world growth will be a paltry 0.5% for 2009. It predicts UK growth to be -2.8%. This means that the pie has shrunk and is shrinking further but in the midst of falling output and 'wealth creation' the western response is to increase the actual share of the pie the business class receives with increased subsidy and the underwriting of loans. What will suffer in the coming years to balance this? Any state institutions that serve the wider population such as the NHS, state education and local services will surely come under attack to pay for a criminal system and bourgeois decadence. This 'crisis' is a very convenient excuse for governments to feed public money in to private companies but we should not be surprised as that is a function of government. They will wage heightened class war to pay for all this with attacks on the public welfare institutions and working conditions to pay for their 'welfare for the rich' programmes. It is horrifying to contemplate what the current events will mean for the third world. I would expect the economic and social effects to be catastrophic in the long term for the poorest countries. The bigger long-term picture will likely lead to global governments attempting other strategies to grow their economies. We could well see a return of counries attempting the state-capitalist models of the 60's and 70's with national economies being shut to the global capitalists and increased conflict as a result. It is definitely a possibility. I fully expect labour movements to grow significantly with the lasting effects of the current situation and the class conflict that will thus result. We have to fight back, they are going to turn the screw and we must react.