IN THE AGE OF MONSTERS… In 1930, the Italian analyst and communist Antonio Gramsci wrote in his "Prison Notebooks": The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum, a great variety of morbid symptoms appear'. This phrase is usually quoted in a simplified form, which renders its intended meaning much more vividly: The old world … [Read more...]
Just 1.6% of all world’s adults own 48.1% of all the world’s personal wealth
by Michael Roberts Every year, I do a post on the inequality of global wealth using the annual data compiled by economists working for the Swiss bank, Credit Suisse. But Credit Suisse is now no more, swept away by scandal and the banking crisis of 2023. The other major Swiss bank, UBS, took over the assets of CS and now produces its own annual Global Wealth report. It’s not so clear and … [Read more...]
The New Plutocracy – A Response from Raymonde Debord
Raymond Debord, of Militant, A Marxist Review for the Twenty-First Century (France) June 2025, comments on Roger Silverman's article dated April 2025. See the Roger's article HERE About the international situation A few remarks on Roger Silverman's analysis Comrade Silverman's contribution is an excellent way of entering into an essential discussion: understanding the new historical … [Read more...]
Rich and powerful versus poor and weak – Trump is globalizing the class struggle!
By Yorgos Mitralias The first 100 days of Trump's second presidency have been enough for Trumpism to upset not only the certainties of the international order established by those from above, but also the dispositions and perception of that international order by those from below! And one of the first, but major, consequences of this upheaval is that the international landscape of those from … [Read more...]
THE NEW PLUTOCRACY
By Roger Silverman, April 2025 See response from Raymond Debord HERE. The world is reeling with shock and disbelief. Its dominant power has abruptly abandoned eight decades of economic orthodoxy, diplomatic consensus, strategic alliances and liberal pretensions. At home this means the shutdown of entire government agencies, mass redundancies, defiance of judicial rulings, incarceration, … [Read more...]
Ukraine endgame: from proxy war to imperialist carve-up
Vladimir Unkovski-Korica 15 February 2025 (Republished from Counterfire) There was never going to be justice for Ukraine, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica On Wednesday 12 February, Donald Trump announced he had spoken to Vladimir Putin and that peace talks to end the Ukraine War would start now. The announcement left the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, and European states blindsided. … [Read more...]
IS THE WORLD ECONOMY ON THE BRINK?
A WIN meeting February 2025. See the recording HERE. This week we once again invited the leading Marxist economist Michael Roberts, publisher of the widely acclaimed blog The Next Recession, to speak to us on prospects for the world economy, including these vital questions… · Hundreds of billions of dollars are currently being invested in … [Read more...]
Michael Roberts – Economic Forecast 2025: Roaring or Tepid
It’s time to make some forecasts on what will happen to the world economy and its major countries in 2025. Many people reckon that it is waste of time making such forecasts as they are never accurate and quite often the opposite happens. Of course, forecasts are wrapped in error, given the many variables involved that drive economies. Weather forecasts are still difficult to make and … [Read more...]
FACTS FOR WORKING PEOPLE Book Review: In The Tracks of Marx’s Capital
Review From Michael Roberts' Blog on Facebook In the Tracks of Marx's Capital - a new book by Sungur Suman and Ahmet Tonak, is out now. This book provides an accessible introduction to Marx’s seminal work Capital and explores the core ideas of Marxian political economy relevant for modern day economies. The first part gives an overview of Capital based on the authors’ original thinking in … [Read more...]
The New Trade War
A WIN discussion, June 2024. Last week, the trade and technology war between the US and its allies and China took another ratchet up when US President Biden imposed another range of tariffs on Chinese imports. What is the purpose of these tariffs and other restrictions on Chinese goods and companies that began under Trump presidency in 2019? What will be the impact on the world economy and where … [Read more...]