4 Years After Crisis Began, New Ideas and New Revolts

Book exposes falling rate of profit while protests threaten economic-political system

This month marks the fourth anniversary of the start of an economic crisis that almost brought down the world financial system, and with that, the whole capitalist system. People in the U.S. and most other countries are still suffering in the aftermath. In spite of, or because of, this hardship, new challenges to capitalism have broken out around the world in the form of mass protests and revolts.

What can we understand about the current state of the economy? Can that knowledge help those who are challenging the system?

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Russian Social Movement “Alternatives”: Awakened Sense of Dignity

By Andrey Kolganov and Aleksandr Buzgalin, reporting from Bolotnaya Square

Why, after many years when street politics in Russia were deep-frozen, have citizens again acquired a taste for street actions? After a public rally near Chistie Prudy metro station in inner Moscow drew six or seven thousand people, what caused ten times as many to then gather on Bolotnaya Square?

Can it be the crisis? The fall in living standards? When the crisis first hit, nothing took place to remotely match the recent meetings.

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