David Harvey- The Crises of Capitalism

Marxist geographer David Harvey asks: is it time to look beyond capitalism towards a new social order that would allow us to live within a system that really could be responsible, just, and humane?

[KbcBerlin]

I really wish U Tube would show a date. When things were said can be very important.

[kennytheclown]

It's hard not to take this guy seriously.

[greglorious]

I love how any intellectual who takes an opposing view of the neo-liberal capitalist model, no matter how elequent or factual, is branded a radical.

[BeefT-Sq]

" Wealth, it is necessary to remember, is not a static, limited quantity that can only be divided or looted ;wealth is produced ; its potential quantity is virtually unlimited. "
-Nathaniel Branden-

[rhYT]

Hi! thanks. One way to improve vocabulary & style is to read English translations of 18th & 19th century German philosophers. Those German thinkers wrote in perfect high German & the translations were undertaken by authors fluent in both languages which enabled them to accurately copy the style & essence - the result being very high English. I recommend Kant. Improvement can also be had by reading at the Friesian School (online).

[thebigone]

Read that and Jean Jacques-Rousseau "Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men"

[rhYT]

Oops! I meant 7 billion, and more. However some experts (on TED, for instance) say that human population growth is slowing and will level off at about 12 billion, when a certain level of prosperity reaches into the currently less prosperous areas, which it will only do via capitalism expanding into those areas.

[MascisJ]

I have so far in this conversation only looked at the pure economical mechanics of capitalism. To expand it to a certain extent, and involve the real human relations, I will just briefly mention the fact that we live on a globe where 1 billion people are starving everyday, and there are enormous gaps between the rich and poor. We have about 1% of the people on the planet owning 40% of all it's wealth. This is neither necessary nor just. I think we really ought to reconsider our economic system..

[rhYT]

When money is printed to allow for added value, the present value of money does not go down, as the added value is usually an increase in productivity, so the cost of things go down. With increases of productivity more people have more money to spend, and then demand drives prices up, as does increasing population. The dollar price of something goes up, but the value in higher also, so while a car has usually been an expensive item, today's car is a miracle compared to the Model T...more..

[pipenissen]

Yeah, if u look back in time people had to rent. It's just this latest generation everyone loan and buy their own. Its like its become human rights to own your house. Ofc the bank owns most of it. Most working class folks had to rent. Even the shipyards and factories put up apartments for their workers to rent. Social building of housing was also common, so if your employer didnt, some government owned housing project could rent to you often cheaply, with simple standards. But people had a roof.

[darkprose]

@mariusvanc, Harvey's free online course, "Reading Marx's Capital, " is the answer to your question. The first volume of Capital is also available online, again for free, in several places, to read along with his course. Enjoy.

[EeeScape]

Manufacturing was one of the life blood of the middle class. It's always been that way. Since NAFTA and CAFTA...that's changed things. You seem to think that everyone in the US are business owners and that gov getting in the way (taxes) is the reason that US people wont accept China pay rates. Absent the manufacturing sector will always cause a country to struggle to hire, no matter what economic liberties the gov allows.

[rhYT]

Innovation is the essential part of increased efficiency, the employee is trained after the fact to do something new, often not more difficult, and the training is imparted by the engineer class as the employee generally can't think very well. Society can only make work for the talentless if the idea/tech class comes up with new ideas. If you washed clothes in the river you would not think a powered washer & dryer to be "crap". If you only made pasta you would love machines that mix the dough.

[rafalpotasz]

Well. I agree. I'm in my 20's, currently fascinated with the world, especially economics/corporate/business based. I must say it is mindblowing.

And regarding the majority... I think the problem we see is that people set on these biases and stereotypes and just stick to them like glue. Not willing to accept someone elses views, mainly because of being big headed.

Glad you didn't take my comment offensive! One of the few. Heh..

Keep it up, but give other people some space to be right.. :p

[dentonotho]

Even Lenin hinted that there would NOT be total equality under Communism since different people had different talents and skills and the rule was to be "Each according to his needs".
Read Lenin's "The State and Revolution" at the end.

[FloydManFloyd]

Anyone interested in moving beyond the capitalist system please look into The Zeitgeist Movement and The Venus Project

[Tethloach]

I am neither a capitalist nor a socialist, I don't need ideologies to think for me I can think for myself, we should use science as a method for arriving at decisions rather than peoples opinions for running society.

[bapyou]

@MikeJGallagherJr "I simply can not advocate for a system that, seeks to make me equal, with others, man is defines his own destiny."


"Each according to his need; each according to his ability." - Karl Marx

[chesghost]

@warriorprince1010 socialisim is all about the dismantaling of the state, but its also the realisation that in order to do that we must take control of the state and rebuild it to work in the interests of the working class, that includes public and private sector workers. in a capitalist state both public and private sector workers are exploited for the gain of a small elite, this small elite than try and pit worker against worker in an attempt to confuse both as to the true source of their pain

[freedomthrough]

@ireland2day Marxism is best used as a tool to identify the problems with free-market capitalism. Also, you have to distinguish between different schools of marxism as there are quite a few.