Capitalism uncovered

Ha-Joon Chang exposes today’s rapacious capitalism, dominated by finance and driven by short-term profit maximisation. He provides a devastating critique of the ideology of ‘free-market’ economics. But while pointing to fundamental contradictions of the system, Chang draws back from a real alternative. LYNN WALSH reviews 23 Things They Don’t Tell You About Capitalism.

China’s halfway house

A new book, Red Capitalism, draws the conclusion that China has some way to go before it can be described as a fully-fledged capitalist state. Socialism Today has long argued, from a socialist viewpoint, that the monopoly of power exercised by the so-called ‘Communist’ Party and the overwhelming influence of the state sector in economic life makes China a curious hybrid. Continuing our China Debate series, PETER TAAFFE reviews this important work.

The enraged and the workers' movement

Greek trade unions have called the first 48-hour general strike since 1992 (28/29 June). They are under pressure from the movement of the ‘enraged’ and workers’ movement activists for action against the new ‘memorandum’ of austerity measures from the troika (EU, IMF and European Central Bank). An edited report of the proposals being raised by Xekinima (CWI Greece).