PinnedCapitalism in terminal decline: the compelling empirical data trendsHeadline points: ➤ The aggregate ‘world’ rate of profit has trended towards zero, from an estimated average of 43% in the 1870s to 11% in the 2010s. ➤ Interest rates (a form of profit) over (at least) the past seven centuries have trended towards zero, where short-term central bank rates…Capitalism17 min readCapitalism17 min read
Jan 21Singular, planned, fluid and highly versatile: Arsenal Football Club’s presocialist vibesSitting at the top of the Premier League with the youngest team in the division, the fluidity of Arsenal’s attractive playing style reflects the increasing integration of society’s economic-technical basis — as the binary mechanisms of mechanisation are replaced by (non-binary) automation — while the club’s international presence and efforts…Arsenal10 min readArsenal10 min read
May 10, 2022The End of Capitalism: The Thought of Henryk Grossman — out 27 MayWith capitalism entering its worst ever and possibly final crisis, Henryk Grossman, the neglected 20th century Marxist who explained the inevitability of such a ‘final breakdown’ most convincingly, is more relevant than ever — and must be rehabilitated. …Marx2 min readMarx2 min read
Jan 27, 2022Socialism or extinction? Decaying capitalism driving humanity towards (potentially nuclear) third world warBecause capitalism is inevitably abolishing itself through the evolutionary replacement of exploitable (commodity-producing) labour — the source of profit — with automated production, competition over assets and dwindling profits between major capitalist (imperialist) nations is intensifying, threatening cataclysmic global conflict. “Have we entered the period of decisive revolutionary struggles? Has…Capitalism26 min readCapitalism26 min read
Sep 24, 2021Karl Marx: Anti-lockdowner“The human body is mortal by nature. Hence illnesses are inevitable. Why does a man only go to the doctor when he is ill, and not when he is well? Because not only the illness, but even the doctor is an evil. Under constant medical tutelage, life would be regarded…Marxism2 min readMarxism2 min read
Jul 29, 2021Declining sperm counts, polluted breast milk, autoimmune disorders — the diabolical legacy of capital’s exploitation of labourSperm counts have reportedly fallen by 60% since the 1970s as a result of the microplastics and toxic chemicals sourced from fossil fuels and metal mines that are used in the production of the everyday commodities we consume. The root cause of this potentially existential abomination is the capitalist mode…Capitalism75 min readCapitalism75 min read
Apr 19, 2021The European Super League is symptomatic of capitalism’s final crisis. Socialism will put football fans in charge of the clubs and the sportThe announcement made on 18 April 2021 by an initial 12 professional clubs, including six from England, that they had signed up to a new closed shop European Super League was met with widespread outrage.[1] …Football11 min readFootball11 min read
Apr 7, 2021Automation represents the second — not ‘fourth’ — industrial revolution. Just as the first necessitated capitalism, the second necessitates socialism“If each of the instruments were able to perform its functions on command or by anticipation … so that the shuttles would weave themselves and picks play the lyre, master craftsmen would no longer have a need for subordinates, or masters for slaves.”[1] Aristotle Humans have longed to be free…Automation52 min readAutomation52 min read
Sep 2, 2020‘Socialism or extinction’ is a scientific fact, not just a sloganOn 1 September 2020, Extinction Rebellion UK insisted that it is “not a socialist movement” and distanced itself from the rallying cry ‘socialism or extinction’. ‘Socialism or extinction’ is not just a slogan; it is a statement of scientific fact. Even if the climate has at times been warmer in…Socialism14 min readSocialism14 min read
Mar 4, 2020‘Britain no longer needs farmers’ — time to nationalise the land?“The end of [British] farming?” asked a feature in The Guardian at the end of February. A few days later it was leaked to the media that an aide to Boris Johnson’s conservative government had suggested that Britain no longer needs farmers and should import all of its food, since…10 min read10 min read