Absurdities of capitalism

[Hyacinth]

Japan's industrial output plunges (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7914040.stm)


Japan's industrial production fell by 10% in January — the biggest monthly drop since records began more than half a century ago...


It is interesting to observe the absurdities of capitalism in crisis. In this particular instance even though there is no decline in the available factors of production, there is a decline in output due to fluctuations in the market—a decline unrelated to the physical economy.

Also, on a related note, when the world's 2nd largest (in nominal terms), 3rd largest (PPP), economy experiences such a significant decline despite the efforts of bourgeois governments to prop up the failing market it seems this crisis is much deeper than many anticipated. Perhaps it is simply a function of the fact that many of us are not old enough to remember what capitalism is really like during a severe recession, but I must admit that this depression is somewhat surreal: reading almost daily about job losses, declines in industrial output, failing banks, etc. etc. etc. I feel ambivanelt. On the one hand I think crises like this are provide a golden political opportunity to advance our cause, as the failures of capitalism become evident to all, but, on the other, I fear that the left is not politically organized enough to take advantage of this crisis and use it for the opportunity that it is. If that doesn't happen I am unsure of what the future holds. Perhaps capitalism will survive this crisis and live to see another day, but unless we are politically prepared to offer a salient and viable alternative the other remaining option is, as Rosa Luxemburg et al. aptly put, barbarism.

[AnthArmo]

As far as Japan goes, I'm pretty hopeful. Sales of Marx and votes towards the communist party have risen. As for the rest of the world.....

I'm not quite too sure. I think it's far more important that we work on agitating the masses, this is true, even before this recession.

[ComradeLands]

Whilst all previous systems of production go into crisis when there is too little, capitalism manages to go into crisis when there is too much!

[cyu]

On the one hand I think crises like this are provide a golden political opportunity to advance our cause, as the failures of capitalism become evident to all, but, on the other, I fear that the left is not politically organized enough to take advantage of this crisis and use it for the opportunity that it is.

The more you fear the economic crisis is going to hurt you personally, the more time and effort you should be spending organizing leftists. If you feel you don't personally have great organizational skills, then try finding someone who you think is doing a decent job, and see if they have anything you can help with.

[Niccolò Rossi]

I feel ambivanelt. On the one hand I think crises like this are provide a golden political opportunity to advance our cause, as the failures of capitalism become evident to all

This is of course true to a great degree. In the face of open attacks from capital and the state the working class is and will be forced to not only defend itself in the immediate but put on an offensive against a mode of production which has proved itself not only superfluous but also, capable of offering nothing more than brutal exploitation and increasingly powerful economic convulsions


I fear that the left is not politically organized enough to take advantage of this crisis and use it for the opportunity that it is.

This depends what one defines as the left. I think it is clear that the left-wing of capital is very organised and is thriving on the back of the crisis. This includes not only the social-democratic and populist parties but also the myriad of workers parties - the communists and socialists et al.

In the face of the current open crisis what is thousand times more important than the number of communist party members is the organisation and response of the working class against the constant attacks of capital, the state, the unions and all bourgeoisie factions. Whilst it is essential that communists intervene in these struggles as an expression and part of the working class we shouldn't fetishise their role and call for organisation and action for its own sake.


If that doesn't happen I am unsure of what the future holds. Perhaps capitalism will survive this crisis and live to see another day, but unless we are politically prepared to offer a salient and viable alternative the other remaining option is, as Rosa Luxemburg et al. aptly put, barbarism.

Well I certainly don't believe this crisis represents the final crisis of capitalism and it's utter and immenent collapse. I do however agree that Rosa Luxemburg was right when in 1918 she declared the only options for humanity in this epoch where and still are: socialism or barbarism (barbarism being not synomous with 'collapse' but with the sympotoms of capitalisms decadence noted above.)

[LOLseph Stalin]

I think it would depend alot on the location. Like I picture places like America as the last to turn to ideologies such as Communism. Despite this crisis most people still somehow manage to have faith in Capitalism. It would also depend alot on how developed the Socialist movement is in various countries. It would be natural for it to be more developed in poor countries as the poverty rates would be much higher.