The pandemic has political leaders and policy-makers floundering about. They declare some areas free from restrictions, while others are to abide by varying degrees of lockdowns. Then the virus does an about-turn, and so do the so-called leaders and policy wonks. New and different restriction rules are put into place. Throughout all this reactive helter-skelter, there is one constant. Essential workers are to continue working. There are many of them.
If we want the recent changing of the guard in the mayor’s office to make any difference, the very worst approach would be to leave it all in Chow’s hands. She will need vigorous social movements pushing at her back, and ready to push harder at the first sign of retreat. If we can muster those forces, some real victories are entirely possible in the days ahead.
Socialist Register 2023 explores the contradictions of the contemporary accumulation regime, and the legacy of late editor Leo Panitch, finds Dominic Alexander
Accumulation is both capitalism’s primary drive and its curse.
This article will be released in full online August 21, 2023. Economic planning, Nicolas Graham writes, was not, perhaps a major theme in Capital. However…