Left Forum 2010

I’m looking forward to this year’s Left Forum in New York. If you haven’t made a decision about attending this year’s forum yet, I would urge you to come. It looks like a great weekend, with a ton of great panels. I’ll be videoing several panels as well as speaking on one myself. Here are some panels I recommend checking out:

Sat. 12-2

False Alternatives to Capitalism: Proudhonism and its Progeny

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Marxist-Humanist Initiative

Mike Dola (Chair) – Marxist-Humanist Initiative; student at Hunter College

Michael Joseph Roberto, “Proudhonism, Then and Now”

Anne Jaclard, “You Can’t Change the Mode of Production with a Political Agenda”
Greg Meyerson, “Green Capitalism”
Andrew Kliman, “Not Another ‘Labor Money’ Scheme: Marx’s Lower Phase of Communism”

Sat. 3-5
Future of World Capitalism Book Panel 1: New Takes On Old Myths
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Future of World Capitalism book series
Alan Freeman (Chair) – University of Manitoba Greater London Authority
Radhika Desai – Politics, University of Manitoba Visiting Fellow, DESTIN, London School of Economics
Costas Panayiotakis – Sociology, New York City College of Technology, CUNY
Andrew Kliman – Economics, Pace University
Anne Jaclard – National Secretary, Marxist-Humanist Initiative

Sat 5-7
The Future of World Capitalism Book Panel 2: Concepts of Transition
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Radhika Desai (Chair) – Politics, University of Manitoba Visiting Fellow, DESTIN, London School of Economics
Alan Freeman – University of Manitoba Greater London Authority (personal capacity)
Henry Heller – History, University of Manitoba
Jack Rasmus – Santa Clara University and Economics and Politics, St. Marys College

Sun 12-2
Economics and Politics of the Current Crisis: Causes and Prospects for the Future
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Andrew Kliman, “Roots of the Economic Crisis: The Persistent Fall in Profitability and Debt Financing”
Brendan Cooney, “Value, Crisis, and Marx’s ‘Order of Operations’” (that’s me)
Anne Jaclard, “Do We Have an Uncoupled Economy?”

Sun 3-5
Organizing for the Anti-Capitalist Transition
Student Union
David Harvey (Chair) – Anthropology, CUNY Graduate Center; Author, A Companion to Marx’s Capital
Cindy Milstein – Institute for Anarchist Studies; Renewing the Anarchist Tradition
Mike Menser – Brooklyn College, Brooklyn Food Coalition

I saw a version of the “False Alternatives” panel at the Rethinking Marxism Conference in November. It was my favorite panel of the whole conference. There were some great conversations about what it really meant to be talk about a Marxist alternative to capitalism. These are some rigorous thinkers, not afraid to embrace the monstrously difficult talk of envisioning a real alternative to the law of value. You can read Andrew Kliman’s paper, which his talk will be based around, here. Greg Meyerson’s piece on the real challenges of the ecological crisis is also a disturbingly fresh breath of realism.

David Harvey’s panel just lists him as the chair of his panel, though I assume he will be speaking. The title of his panel is also the title of a paper on his website which I am still in the midst of reading. If you’ve followed my blog you’ll know I am a big Harvey fan. I’m sure this will be a great panel. Incidentally, Harvey’s blog is requesting donations for the video taping of a future lecture series on Volume’s II and III of Capital. If you’ve enjoyed his lecture series on Volume I perhaps you’ll consider donating to this cause.

Andrew Kliman’s Sunday talk will discuss his new paper on the empirical evidence that Marx’s theory of the falling rate of profit is relevant to today’s crisis. This paper has gotten a lot of press, positive and negative. I hope this will be a well attended talk as it is an important topic to be thinking about. My paper on this panel will be a version of the paper I gave at the Rethinking Marxism conference. Anne Jaclard’s paper will critique theories of the the crisis that focus on the autonomy of the financial sector. I’ve been trying to read up more on these theories this week. I am looking forward to her critique.

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