Zen Library of Blogs

  • Theses on the Mirage of “Left” Unity

    Theses on the Mirage of “Left” Unity

    The analysis contends that disunity among the “Left” hinders effective opposition to rising authoritarianism and the Far Right, highlighting three fundamental positions: State Takers, State Makers, and State Breakers. Each advocates different methods to challenge capitalism, yet their inherent contradictions create perpetual disunity, questioning the possibility of a cohesive Left identity and meaningful calls for… Read more

  • Trump’s Trade Deals with History

    Trump’s Trade Deals with History

    ‘Make America Great Again’ – the slogan oozes with nostalgia. Its central motif is not “back to the future” but, rather, “forward to the past”. But, this leaves the suspended question of: whatever happened to the (‘our’ / ‘anyones’ / ‘everyones’) future? If the capitalist system (mode of production) was thriving, then year-on-year Money (M)… Read more

  • Racism and Fire: Capitalism’s Role in the Persistence of Race

    Racism and Fire: Capitalism’s Role in the Persistence of Race

    October is Black History Month, and both of my institutional employers have emailed me with offers of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) training as part of Continuing Professional Development (CPD), though not mandatory sessions. Edinburgh University led the way (1st October) by presenting a one-hour workshop on a range of different groups and activities undertaking… Read more

  • “Fascism” and the Myth of a Good Capitalism

    “Fascism” and the Myth of a Good Capitalism

    With the rise of contemporary authoritarian regimes (including those of Duterte, Bolsonaro, Orbán, and Erdoğan) in notional, or prior, ‘liberal democracies’ and especially with the revival of Trump in the US, the term ‘Fascist’ has become a popular and widely applied descriptive term – a quick means of summing up both recent changes and the… Read more

  • History produces nothing but Barbarism

    History produces nothing but Barbarism

    In a recent video interview for publisher Unherd, Yanis Varoufakis asked the question: “Why is the Left the loser of history?’ He went on to argue that the Left failed to “take its opportunity” in the wake of the crisis of capitalism in 2008. Consequently, the ground remained wide-open, only to be filled by the… Read more

  • Marx’s Anarchism and the Politics of Capitalism

    Marx’s Anarchism and the Politics of Capitalism

    On the relevance of Marx in times of ‘Zombie Capitalism?’ Studying an author hermeneutically refers to understanding a writer by standing in their shoes and seeing the world from their perspective.  Studying political writings in such a manner was advanced in the mid-20th century by scholars like those in the ‘Cambridge School’ of history of… Read more