On Crisis (was Re:[Marxism] Perfect storm?

[Carlos A. Rivera]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "rrubinelli" <rrubinelli at earthlink.net>


>
> For Marx, "crisis" is exactly that, critical, vital, to the maintenance
> and reproduction of capital.

I agree completely.

In practical terms this is why modern Social-Democracy was born.

When the permanence of the crisis in Capitalism was understood to mean that 
economic crisis were not opportunities for revolution, but rather for 
evolution. In other words, they seem to argue that the road to socialism is 
paved not by *crisis*, but by sucessful crisis *management* of capitalism.

To illustrate my point, refer to section (d) of the second chapter of 
"Evolutionary Socialism" by Bernstein.

http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/bernstein/works/1899/evsoc/ch02-2.htm#d

On the other hand, it also led people like Rosa Luxemburg to believe that 
all crisis of capital was revolutionary, and that only capitalist crisis 
could lead to revolution, and that capitalism (in their time) was in a final 
crisis.

<http://www.marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/1913/accumulation-capital/index.htm>

Lenin debated this tendency in "Left-wing Communism", even if he raised 
millerianist slogans during the Revolution.

So we are talking about a debate that is as old as the marxist socialist 
movement itself, and a debate that has had real political consequences, most 
of them negative, when the question were answered incorrectly.

In my opinion, any theoretical approach to capitalist crisis must be 
connected to actual practical struggles, for example, the defense of social 
security, or the campaings for "living wages", or more strategically, the 
building of revolutionary parties connected to the struggle to survive 
crisis after crisis on the part of the working class.

In this sense, I offer to both the modern-day idle milleranists and "and 
those who ignore crisis as "just part of capitalism" this song:

"Ping Pong" Stereolab

It's alright 'cause the historical pattern has shown
how the economical cycle tends to revolve
in a round of decades three stages stand out in a loop
a slump and war then peel back to square one and back for more

bigger slump and bigger wars and a smaller recovery
huger slump and greater wars and a shallower recovery

you see the recovery always comes 'round again
there's nothing to worry for things will look after themselves
it's alright recovery always comes 'round again
there's nothing to worry if things can only get better

there's only millions that lose their jobs and homes and sometimes accents
there's only millions that die in their bloody wars, it's alright

it's only their lives and the lives of their next of kin that they are 
losing
it's only their lives and the lives of their next of kin that they are 
losing

it's alright 'cause the historical pattern has shown
how the economical cycle tends to revolve
in a round of decades three stages stand out in a loop
a slump and war then peel back to square one and back for more

bigger slump and bigger wars and a smaller recovery
huger slump and greater wars and a shallower recovery

don't worry be happy things will get better naturally
don't worry shut up sit down go with it and be happy

dum, dum, dum, de dum dum, de duh de duh de dum dum dum... ah ah
dum, dum, dum, de dum dum, de duh de duh de dum dum dum... ah ah


sks