Andrew Kliman to debate Socialist Party of England and Wales (CWI) on the Cause of Capitalist Crisis

Date: Saturday 27^th June, 6.30pm
Location: Birkbeck College Room B36, University of London, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/617588808344740/

The American economist and author of the controversial book, “The Failure of Capitalist Production”, is meeting the challenge to debate the causes of capitalist crisis issued by the Socialist Party of England and Wales.

As the Socialist Party declared in 2013: “We have never avoided debates on important issues, and will not do so on this occasion.” It invited Kliman to two public debates, one in London and one in the U.S.

Now the Socialist Party have the opportunity to defend their conception of the crisis at a free-to-attend debate in Birkbeck College, London. Both Peter Taaffe, SP General Secretary and Lynn Walsh of the SP EC are invited. Andrew Kliman has confirmed his attendance and is travelling from New York to London for the challenge.

This event is open to all socialists and activists in the movement.

Sponsored by Marxist Discussion Group (economics) and independent Marxists

This open discussion is an opportunity to understand what is at stake in our interpretation of Marx and to answer the following questions:

* Was the 2007-8 crisis caused by neoliberalism and financialisation or was it a result of the central contradictions of capitalism?
* What is coming: stagnation, recovery or an even worse recession, and how do Marxists predict and respond to capitalist crises?
* Are corporations drowning in profits and cash hoards which could be spent on stimulus programmes to ‘save’ the economy from another crisis?
* Are crises caused by inequality or by the inherent contradictions of capitalist production?
* How do we build consciousness and prepare the ground for revolution? By winning reforms and building mass reformist parties, or by challenging the basis of the capitalist system itself?

Further Reading
Marxist-Humanist Initiatve: Debate on Economic Crisis Erupts in the CWI: start of much-needed rethinking on the left?
Socialist Party Cause Of Crisis Debate documents