The Crisis This Time Socialist Register 2011 Socialist Register Merlin 2011 1st Edition by Greg Albo ISBN 1583672281 9781583672280

Since the current crisis began, it is the ruling classes not labour movements which have seized the crisis as an opportunity. Even while the public stands disgusted with the speculative orgy that neoliberalism unleashed, even while the mythology of market fundamentalism has been discredited, and even while public sentiment is hostile to the bank bailouts – the response of capitalist states has been to shore up, however they can, the very model that brought the economy to ruins. It appears we are entering a new age of austerity. This portends a further assault on trade unions and the social entitlements of the working classes. The themes this volume encompasses include: – putting ‘the crisis this time’ in historical and theoretical perspective- analyzing the role of banks and derivatives in global financialization – interrogating Wall Street and City of London before and after the crisis