Ending the Crisis of Capitalism or Ending Capitalism?

by Samir Amin, Victoria Bawtree (Translator)

The factors that brought about the 2008 financial collapse are examined in this analysis that explores the systemic crisis of capitalism after two decades of neoliberal globalization. Samir Amin lays bare the relationship between dominating oligopolies and the globalization of the world economy and argues that the current crisis is a profound crisis of the capitalist system itself, bringing forward an era in which wars—and perhaps revolutions—will once again shake the world. The author examines the threat to the plutocracies of the United States, Europe, and Japan from decisions of recent G20 meetings and analyzes these powers' attempts to get back to the pre-2008 system and to impose their domination on the peoples of the South through intensifying military intervention by using institutions such as NATO. An alternative strategy which, by building on the advances made by progressive forces in Latin America, would allow for a more humane society through both the North and the South working together is proposed.

Genres: Economics, History, Politics, Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2009

About the author

The Arabic profile: سمير أمين

Samir Amin (Arabic: سمير أمين) (3 September 1931 – 12 August 2018) was an Egyptian-French Marxian economist, political scientist and world-systems analyst. He is noted for his introduction of the term Eurocentrism in 1988 and considered a pioneer of Dependency Theory.

Reviews

[Rhys · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great title.

I think the answer Amin gives is: 'neither'.

I thought his arguments about the industrialization of agriculture in the 'peripheral' countries was cogent: industrial agriculture = genocide. (That is, where are the people displaced by this transition to go? The economy can't grow fast enough to absorb them all).

I also agreed with his conclusions that various social movements are necessary but not sufficient to end capitalism: "One needs to be really naïve and extraordinarily optimistic to think that these forces [social movements] acting in very different fields could give the necessary coherence to a movement that would help societies move towards greater justice and democracy" (p.171). In other words, a unified class is required to end capitalism ... say, some notion like the 'proletariat'?

On the negative side, the prose was often opaque. (And Samir Amin has a bad habit of referring to his other books without explication, leaving the reader of the current book in the dark).

[Ricado · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samir Amin condense his life's work of fifty years into this gem of 192 pages. This is an important contribution to the body of knowledge of the crisis of capitalism that would either plunge humanity and the planet into barbarism or emancipation. This book lucidly analyze the origin of capitalism's current crisis and questions the theoretical foundations of both left and right oriented scholars. In fact he goes further in arguing that the foundation upon which these analysis are build are indubitably eurocentrism.

For Amin the current crisis is more than just a financial crisis but a "systemic crisis of the capitalism of the oligopolies". The concentration of power in the hands of the oligopolies have lead to a decline in democracy. The rule by plutocracies, oligarchs and the collective triad of imperialism (USA, Europe and Japan) presents a novel view of explaining the crisis. A Marxist at heart the book presents us with more then a cogent analysis of the current crisis but is in essence a call to action for the people of the centre and the periphery. In this regard Amin has concrete proposals on how to take the oppressed people of the world out of this historical impasse.

The solution which capitalism of the oligopolies (plutocracies) offer is accumulation by dispossession (pauperization, dispossession of land of the peasantries, plundering the resources of the South) which is a central feature of capitalism throughout its development. This new wave of restructuring leaves humanity either with a choice of "revolution or decadence", lucid transition or chaos or what Rosa Luxemburg called for socialism or barbarism. Anyone interested to understand the current crisis of capitalism this book presents an integrated analysis and calls for a new system based on solidarity and cooperation between the people of the South and North

[Leonardo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Me pareció un libro bastante malo. Entiendo que es un recopilado de artículos sueltos, o eso parece. Es hiper autoreferencial, mucho más que Zizek. Al parecer el centro de la discusión está en quien merece más el rol de "la voz de Marx en la actualidad". Cuesta por momentos darse cuenta que es un libro relativamente nuevo, y no uno escrito en los 60´s (se pone re obsesivo con Bandung). Ignora la crítica posmoderna durante todo el libro, y solo le dedica un palo al pasar a Tony Negri (sin explicación) en la anteúltima página.

Si me resultó interesante algunos comentarios sobre África o Asia. Me hace pensar en cuantas cosas uno desconoce justamente porque hay toda una maquinaria destinada a que aprendas tal o cual cosa y no tal otra, o que no aprendas nada en su defecto.