Newbe introduction into economics

[Q]

The Story of Stuff is a short movie on what's wrong with the economy, from an ecological point of view. It's not the most deep analysis available and it almost completely leaves out a class analysis which is essential to understanding Marxist or anarchist critiques of capitalism, but it is a nice introduction.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLBE5QAYXp8

They also have a website (http://www.storyofstuff.org/).

Enjoy.

[The Idler]

Its not an introduction to economics, its an introduction to industry.

[ContrarianLemming]

Always with the class anaysis, this is why we practically kicked Bookchin out of anarchism, cause we thought he didn't prattle on about workers enough :lol:

[Os Cangaceiros]

Always with the class anaysis, this is why we practically kicked Bookchin out of anarchism, cause we thought he didn't prattle on about workers enough :lol:

Well, that and the fact that he became an ex-anarchist Libertarian Party tool towards the end of his life.

[ContrarianLemming]

Well, that and the fact that he became an ex-anarchist Libertarian Party tool towards the end of his life.

How so?

[NecroCommie]

There indeed should be class analysis when critisizing capitalist economies. It would be like teaching the functions of atoms without ever mentioning chemistry.

[Os Cangaceiros]

How so?

Near the end of his life he said that he wasn't an anarchist any longer, and he also spoke at/did work for some LP events, from my understanding.

For example, watch the documentary Anarchism in America.

[ContrarianLemming]

Near the end of his life he said that he wasn't an anarchist any longer, and he also spoke at/did work for some LP events, from my understanding.

For example, watch the documentary Anarchism in America.

I don't think him speaking at an LP event says much, he spoje where people istened, and he was very much a revolutionary socialist, his break with anarchism seems to have had something to do with lifestylists

" In the late 1950s, when anarchism in the United States was a barely discernible presence, it seemed like a sufficiently clear field in which I could develop social ecology, as well as the … political ideas that would eventually become … libertarian municipalism. I well knew that these views were not consistent with traditional anarchist ideas … Today I find that anarchism remains the very simplistic individualistic and antirationalist society it has always been. My attempt to retain anarchism under the name of “social anarchism” has largely been a failure, and I now find that the term I have used to denote my views must be replaced with Communalism, which coherently integrate and goes beyond the most viable features of the anarchist and Marxist traditions. " bookcin

[Os Cangaceiros]

I don't think him speaking at an LP event says much, he spoje where people istened, and he was very much a revolutionary socialist, his break with anarchism seems to have had something to do with lifestylists


Eh...lifestylism more often than not is just a pejorative term...I don't place much stock in it as an accurate label, most of the time.

Besides, he also spoke against syndicalism/syndicalists, saying something to the effect that organized anarcho-syndicalism was one of anarchism's major historical embarrasments.

That's not to say that he didn't say some good things, though.

[ContrarianLemming]

Eh...lifestylism more often than not is just a pejorative term...I don't place much stock in it as an accurate label, most of the time.

Besides, he also spoke against syndicalism/syndicalists, saying something to the effect that organized anarcho-syndicalism was one of anarchism's major historical embarrasments.

That's not to say that he didn't say some good things, though.

He said syndicalism was anarchronistic
I think almost everything he said was good. And lifestylism, if used property, simply means modern american individualist anarchism based around not changing society, but changing yourself.

[Zanthorus]

Near the end of his life he said that he wasn't an anarchist any longer, and he also spoke at/did work for some LP events, from my understanding.

You've got the timeline all mixed up. He did the LP work in the 70's when Rothbard was going through his left phase. He even defended Rothbard and claimed that anarcho-capitalism was a preferrable social system to "authoritarian" socialism.

He broke with anarchism after the LP phase, in the mid-90's in fact, because of what he percieved to be a widespread acceptance of extreme individualism in the anarchist milieu leading to things like the rejection of majoritarian democracy and primitivism. He originally argued that this was antithetical to the original spirit of social anarchism but he wore down and eventually concluded that indvidiualism was the only real anarchism. So he broke with it and started on the whole libertarian municipalism thing.

[Os Cangaceiros]

Oh. I see.

[mykittyhasaboner]

It's a cool little video, unfortunately its drenched in a liberal perspective. The beginning part about the US government almost made me turn it off the first time I saw this, but I watched it all and I thought it wasn't half bad as an intro.

Though if I were to give someone a video for an introduction to economics it would be something from Kapitalism 101. (http://kapitalism101.wordpress.com/)

He makes terrific videos.

[Universal Struggle]

Great post, now let me have some dumb down time:lol:

[ContrarianLemming]

He originally argued that this was antithetical to the original spirit of social anarchism but he wore down and eventually concluded that indvidiualism was the only real anarchism. So he broke with it and started on the whole libertarian municipalism thing.


very untrue, he became a commited social anarchist in the 50's, he stopped calling imself as an anarchist because he felt it was taken over by individualists
so it's the reverse of your claim, these are his words, not mine
He came up with libertarian municipalism when he still called himself a social anarchist
stop spouting this verbal bs :)

[Zanthorus]

very untrue, he became a commited social anarchist in the 50's, he stopped calling imself as an anarchist because he felt it was taken over by individualists

That's exactly what I said...