–Lectures on Capital by Karl Marx. Watch, listen, learn.

–It is good to remind ourselves (and those not aware around us) that Marx rejected the idea that there would be a natural “final collapse” of capitalism. Heinrich points this out very clearly in this article. It is not the fact that capitalism might collapse that we continue to argue (and organise) against it, it is the fact that the nature of capitalism is immoral, contradictory, biased, exploitative, and oppressive that we do — that, and the understanding that there’s a better alternative (TABA). Have a read.

–This is great stuff. Have a read of the analysis that Lebowitz brings to the table to help us understand the process going on in Venezuela.

A comment from this thread which is in response to this article on CBC.

By:JA Penn

I am not sure of the exact figures offhand, but about half the working population makes < $5 + min wage.

The tremendous irony is that a flat tax does nothing to make people work harder or make more money. Everyone in NB knows that if you have a good job, then you probably work for the government! That means your salary is paid by people’s taxes. If your taxes go down, the government is giving you a raise, meaning it has to pay you more. Where is the tax money to do that going to come from?

If you work in the private sector, and make a good salary, then chances are you do business with the gov’t as a chief client, or with some gov’t-sponsored entity. That means it is still tax money that finds its way into your pocket.

If you do business entirely with the private sector, then it has nothing to do with the public of NB, and is therefore of no benefit — except by the taxes it pays to the public purse. If someone does business on your turf, they should pay a rent, no?

And finally, if you work in the private sector, then chances are you work for barely a living wage (if you call that living). It is true that these people get screwed over by gov’t taxation and deserve better. We should reduce taxes on annual incomes of <$36,000, and increase the 0% bracket to half that amount.

Our income tax regime is progressive at low and medium incomes - the marginal tax rate above $100k is flat. So the poor and middle class get screwed, the rich do quite well.

As for value-added and sales taxes, they are regressive. They suck more of your income the less you have. Indeed, they plain suck.

The Liberals can’t be serious about these measures. They simply won’t work in New Brunswick. The public is in general disadvantaged economically; only government intervention gives us a good standard of living. The measures the Libs propose would impoverish the public coffers and make the people leave the province in greater numbers, setting up a vicious circle.

We can reduce taxes progressively AND have greater expenditure on public goods and services (education, health care, elder care, child care, etc.) - i.e. have our cake and eat it too. But we will need to elect a government that establishes publicly-owned enterprises that make money for us the way capitalists make money for themselves: Earning profits from producing and selling things, charging rents on land and resources, and receiving interest from finances. These would funnel economic surpluses back into democratic hands.

Socialism or barbarism, in short. There you have it.

–Solutions only come from correct analysis and the identification of the root problems. Have a read and send it to the CBC Radio news department so their reporters start to understand the issues (ha).

British officers and armed bluejackets boarded the Christianiafjord and in the name of the officer commanding the port called upon me, my wife, my two boys and five other passengers to leave the steamer. The reasons, they told me, would be given to me at Halifax. We answered that the demand was illegal and that we would refuse to comply. Thereupon the armed sailors, amid shouts of “shame” from a considerable number of passengers, bodily carried us aboard a naval cutter, which took us to Halifax under escort of a cruiser. A dozen of the sailors were busy with my struggling person when my elder boy ran to my assistance and planted his tiny fist in the officer’s face, crying, “Shall I hit him again, father?”

He was eleven years old: it was his first contact with British democracy

Pat Devine is a renowned British Marxist and socialist economist. His is noted for publishing the book Democracy and Economic Planning. This book goes beyond a mere critique of capitalism and command economies, and delves into the theoretical organization and institutional architecture of a socialist democracy without being Utopian. It was very influential on Parecon, even though Devine is quite critical of Michael Albert’s work. Devine’s work is a must-read for anyone interested in a viable post-capitalist economy and society.

–Straight from the source. Have a read of the direction and position of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) on the future of their country.

–Chavez said it, Ian Angus explains what he meant.

–Lebowitz writes on the significance of May Day and the reason to fight for a shorter work-day. The struggle is as significant today as it was back then.

–JBF tells us why the current system is not working. Worth a read.

–There is a lot to be learned from the outcome and implementation of The New Deal especially given the ongoing debate over the nature of the current downturn.

See also this report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

–Being an avid reader of Lenin’s Tomb but having no direct affiliation with the IS Tendency, I feel completely safe from being called a shill by suggesting that people buy and read this book. If you are in the peace movement then you need the analysis to attack the liberal apologists of imperialist war. If you are not in the peace movement that opposes imperialist war then you need to read this book as a kick to your head. Consider this an official Leftnews.org endorsement.

–The wildly inefficient markets.

–An analysis of the current crisis is global capital with a focus on the effects here in Canada.

“Statement of Solidarity with Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim Women Facing War and Occupation”

“Those interested in presenting papers should submit their abstracts prior to the 20th of March 2008.”

–It all comes back to class in the end. Michael Yates explains to us why.

An excellent piece outlining the mechanisms and consequences of “neo-liberal education reforms” within the public post-secondary education system.

–Recession is part of the cyclical movement of the capitalist system. It is also one of the reasons that we should throw it out and replace it with a different system. This article examines the limits of the liberal economic “analysis” of just describing what is going on and pretending that this leads to understanding. We, of-course, know better. Have a read.

–Always a good read. There is something to be said about the analysis of the so-called `free-market’ and the realities of today’s capitalist system.

–Chavez talks about Lebowitz and Harnecker’s theoretical contribution to the revolution in Venezuela. There are certainly many people that are contributing at the theoretical level but I would say that these two are contributing to the implementation of theory into practice at the ground level. Have a read of what Chavez is saying here.

–There is little need to `remake’ unions. Workers must demand that their interests be defended by democratically elected committees of workers from their own ranks. It is the only way that unions can be effective in fighting for the interests of the workers. This is a tried and true model and there is no reason to change it just because Buzz is worried about his salary. Workers must stand together to fight for their rights, not give the struggle over to undemocratically appointed management hacks. The CAW/Magna deal is not the direction organized labour should be going. It is good to see that the heads of the Labour Movement in Canada is against this backwards project. The CAW has basically re-named itself CLAC through passing this resolution.

–For those that think that Marxists just talk about industrialization at the expense of the environment. JBF is on the forefront of explaining socialist environmental theory. Have a read.

–A rather interesting article about the centre and the Left in Venezuela. As the government continues to do what the majority want and deepen the democratic nature of the government in Venezuela, those that purport to be `moderates’ continue to push for militaristic `solutions’. Notice how the US style democracy always comes at the end of a gun but the peoples’ democracy comes through the ballot box in Venezuela.

–You better believe it. Support the workers.

–Dual power in Venezuela… this is an extremely important concept to understand if one is to understand transition theory. Without transition theory there is no way to navigate a change from this system to one that is more equitable and controlled by the people.

–Talks with a revolutionary.

–A good listserv for those that are interested in keeping up with some left-wing news. Have a read of the latests article from Fidel Castro.

–This is an interesting article everyone interested in neo-liberalism should read.

–I certainly didn’t. Have a read.

–A deep look at the history of the indigenous movement and its connections with the Left in South America.

–A must read for anyone interested in the current process of 21st Century Socialism in Venezuela and the rest of South America.

–Bolivia, like Venezuela, is engaging in some democratic reforms that are helping the people of that country find some independence from US imperialism. Have a read of how they are doing it.