Ecosocialism

Denmark: Fresh openings for Red-Green Alliance as it marks 25 years

Liam Flenady, GreenLeft.org, May 25, 2014

The Danish Red-Green Alliance (RGA) marked 25 years since its founding at a national conference on May 16 to 18.

A radical left unity project marking 25 years in existence is itself a cause for celebration, but this conference was able to celebrate much more. After about 20 years as a fringe party in Danish politics, the RGA has recently emerged as a significant force.

Vandana Shiva on 'Why we march against Monsanto'

Vandana Shiva , May 25, 2014

The third annual "March Against Monsanto" took place in over 400 cities worldwide Saturday. Ahead of the marches, renowned food justice activist Vandana Shiva issued the following statement of solidarity with with those participating in the global day of action against the agro-chemical giant.

Socialist climate scientist latest candidate to take on two party politics

Jess Spear , Socialist Alternative, May 23, 2014

Following last Novembers election of Socialist Alternative candidate Kshama Sawant to Seattle City Council, Jess Spear is the latest socialist seeking to shake up the political establishment. Spear, a climate scientist and organizer with the 15 Now minimum wage campaign, announced her candidacy for the Washington State House earlier this month.

Why I'm running

How 'anti-extractivism’ risks destroying forests to save trees

Federico Fuentes, May 22, 2014

A recent spate of high-profile campaigns against projects based on extracting raw materials has opened up an important new dynamic within the broad processes of change sweeping South America. Understanding their nature and significance is crucial to grasping the complexities involved in bringing about social change and how best to build solidarity with peoples' struggles.

Building a post Occupy alternative to the two party system

Editorial , Socialist Worker, May 21, 2014

Since the end of the most active, public phase of the Occupy movement, a number of activists have looked for ways to carry on the fight against the "1 Percent." This ongoing struggle has taken many forms--among them are recent attempts to build an independent political alternative to the two dominant capitalist parties.

On confronting injustice

Ian Angus, Climate & Capitalism, May 20, 2014

Too many supposedly radical books are written by academics for academics, apparently competing to see who can produce the most incomprehensible prose. My list of ‘books to be reviewed’ contains literally dozens of overstuffed and overpriced volumes that only a handful of specialists will ever read, books with little or no relevance to the non-university world.

Thomas Piketty’s unwitting case for revolution

Alex Callinicos, Socialist Worker, May 18, 2014

Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the 21st Century was number two in the US Amazon bestseller list last week. It nestled between a tear-jerker about living with cancer and a Disney movie spin-off coloring book for kids.

In Britain the impact has been less dramatic, but it has still featured heavily in print, radio and television.

This is quite an achievement for a nearly 700-page book by a hitherto unknown French economist packed full of statistical tables and retailing at £29.95. Yet in the past few weeks it has enjoyed an astonishing success.

Kapital for the Twenty-First Century?

James K Galbraith, Dissent, May 18, 2014

What is “capital”? To Karl Marx, it was a social, political, and legal category—the means of control of the means of production by the dominant class. Capital could be money, it could be machines; it could be fixed and it could be variable. But the essence of capital was neither physical nor financial. It was the power that capital gave to capitalists, namely the authority to make decisions and to extract surplus from the worker.

Reading Marx's Capital with David Harvey

David Harvey, DavidHarvey.org, May 18, 2014

Thomas Piketty has written a book called Capital that has caused quite a stir. He advocates progressive taxation and a global wealth tax as the only way to counter the trend towards the creation of a “patrimonial” form of capitalism marked by what he dubs “terrifying” inequalities of wealth and income. He also documents in excruciating and hard to rebut detail how social inequality of both wealth and income has evolved over the last two centuries, with particular emphasis on the role of wealth.

Can Frances Fox Piven’s theory of disruptive power create the next Occupy?

Mark Engler and Paul Engler, Waging Nonviolence, May 7, 2014

Social movements can be fast, and they can be slow.

Mostly, the work of social change is a slow process. It involves patiently building movement institutions, cultivating leadership, organizing campaigns and leveraging power to secure small gains. If you want to see your efforts produce results, it helps to have a long-term commitment.

Ecosocialism

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