Topic: Economics

Australian capitalism in the neoliberal age

With a wealth of empirical data, Tom Bramble explains how neoliberal policies at the centre of both major parties’ agendas have served the capitalist class well.

Understanding imperialism: a reply to Sam King

Patrick Weiniger replies to Sam King’s article on imperialism in Marxist Left Review 8.

The crisis in neoliberalism and its ramifications

Tom Bramble discusses the multifaceted world crisis that exploded in 2008 following decades of neoliberalism.

Is the world economy on the verge of a new recession?

Tom Bramble draws a snapshot of a stuttering world economy facing multiple constraints on future growth.

Fuelled by coal: Piercing the mirage of a sustainable capitalist Australia

Catarina Da Silva looks at the economic roots of Australia's bipartisan support for the fossil fuels industry, arguing that a timely transition is impossible within capitalism.

‘Conventional capitalism is dying’: COVID-19, recession and the return of the state

Jordan Humphreys argues that the neoliberal model is history, based on the dramatic policies implemented by governments across the world in response to the health and economic crises triggered by the pandemic.

Pandemic politics: 2020 in hindsight, and a perspective on 2021

Omar Hassan analyses the economic, political and social dynamics unleashed by the pandemic.

Economic crises are unavoidable under capitalism

Rick Kuhn explores the debates about crisis theory among Marxist economists, focusing in particular on the work of Henryk Grossman.

Diverging destinies in a global crisis

Omar Hassan assesses the uneven social and political impact of the pandemic, and presents some explanations for the faster than expected economic recovery.

Left populism versus revolutionary Marxism: Debating economic strategy in Australia

Rick Kuhn critically reviews the economic strategies promoted by the left in Australia, in particular the left nationalist ideas popular in the 1970s and ’80s. He argues that such reformist strategies offer no threat to capitalism and no way forward for the working class.

Review: Breaking Things At Work

Alexis Vassiley reviews a book that draws on episodes of working-class resistance to situate technological change and automation in the context of class struggle and capitalist social relations.

Editorial: Toil and trouble

Omar Hassan explores the social and political ramifications of inflation and rising interest rates, growing geopolitical instability and the prospects for working-class resistance.

Review: An insight into inequality in Australia today

Duncan Hart reviews a useful book that exposes the systemic exploitation and shameful wage theft faced by workers in Australia.

The assault on workers in Australia

Eleanor Morley documents the attacks that have produced the biggest fall in working-class living standards in half a century – supported and implemented by Labor and Liberal governments, with only rhetorical resistance from the Greens and the unions – and argues for the urgent need to rebuild a genuine fighting left.