THE FAILURE OF CAPITALISM

The global economic crisis is the strongest evidence of the failure of capitalism. It reveals the nonsense of the oft-made claim that only a free market can lead to prosperity and higher standards of living for everyone.

In reality, unregulated capitalism has always resulted in higher and higher booms, followed by deeper and deeper busts. The most serious consequence is persisting inequality with, worldwide, hundreds of millions living in poverty.

When the rhetoric is swept away, and the evidence examined, it becomes all too obvious that capitalism has failed even to provide stable economies.

The issue of inequality, and the determination of the establishment to maintain it, is the subject of the three publications described below. They provide the background to the articles on this Blog.


Capitalism in Crisis: a Socialist Solution

This pamphlet analyses the current economic crisis in the UK and demonstrates that a solution will emerge only when a socialist strategy is adopted.


Further Education and Democracy

This book illustrates inequalities in the further education system in the UK. It explains how more than half the population aged 16 and over (‘The Neglected Half’) are denied the education they need - to obtain jobs, and to become fully participating members of society.


Who Killed Bilston Community College?

Bilston Community College, the most successful in the country for creating new opportunities for working-class (especially ethnic minority) citizens, was closed illegally in 1999. The government’s decision to close the college resulted in the denial of opportunities for tens of thousands.

An appeal against the closure, supported by over 50 voluntary community organisations, was completely disregarded by the then Secretary of State for Education and Employment.



All the above are all available on ebay.co.uk, or from keithwymer@blueyonder,co.uk

Who is well placed?

A frequently comment by members of the government is 'we are well-placed to survive the economic storms raging around us'.

I don't want to hear this any more. The 'we' may refer to senior members of the banking fraternity who, having been bailed out by the government, will continue to receive their obscenely large bonuses - or to hedge fund managers taking advantage of companies in difficulty to buy them on the cheap (and then make £ millions).

The 'we' is certainly not senior citizens struggling to pay their electricity and gas bills, or families with growing mortgages, or young people trying to buy a house.

Yes, the government has taken some minor steps to help, but nothing on the scale of the £ billions made available to the banks. We are a rich country (5th richest in the world, I believe).

But the riches are most unfairly distributed and the posts which follow will describe what must be done about this - not next year, or next month, but action now.