Hi Michael-
We're at it again. Would you mind posting this on PEN-L?
Thanks
Loren
FALL-SPRING STUDY GROUP ON CAPITALIST CRISIS
Following our (just concluded) summer class, Howie Seligman and I will
again be doing a study group in the New York City area on Marxian theory
and the current crisis. If you are interested, read on.
All applicants welcome.
TENTATIVE PLAN
Loren Goldner and Howie Seligman will be organizing a study group,
starting in October, for New York City-area people on Marx’s Capital
(and other writings), linking Marx’s critique of political economy to
the current crisis of the world capitalist system.
The group will meet twice a month (day to be determined, based on
people's availability), through May-June of next year, in a convenient
Manhattan location (to be determined).
Space will determine the number of participants, but we aim for between
10 and 25 participants, depending on interest.
If you wish to participate, please contact Loren Goldner asap at
[email protected]
Participants should be committed to regular attendance and to keeping up
with 50-100 pages of reading per meeting. Barring a need to change
venues, the class will be free of charge, except for occasional
contributions for photocopy expenses, refreshments, etc.
Readings will consist of selections from Marx’s Capital, and articles
(to be decided in consultation with the group) on contemporary developments.
The events of the past two years in particular have re-awakened a
serious interest in both Marx’s critique of political economy and in
“current events” in the world economy. Goldner and Seligman will
cooperate in putting the crisis into a Marxian theoretical perspective
(Goldner), as well as providing insight into the more technical side of
world market meltdown (CDO’s, hedge funds, Ponzi schemes, etc.)
(Seligman). The approach will not be merely “economic” (the Marxian
CRITIQUE of political economy is not another variant of “economics”) but
will elucidate the impact of the crisis on ordinary working people, on
developing actions against capitalist austerity in the US and around the
world, and on the solution: abolition of the capitalist mode of production.
If successful, the study group will continue through May-June 2010.
In order to put together a viable group, we would like interested people
to write something brief (200-300 words) about their background, the
level of their knowledge of Marx and of the world economy, where they
are coming from politically, and anything else they might consider relevant.
We are oriented above all to educating present and future activists, and
will give such people priority in participation. We also hope to have a
predominance of young people who are new, or relatively new, to Capital
and Marxist theory generally, but that will of course be determined by
the response.
Loren Goldner is a long-term independent writer and political activist.
His work is available on the Break Their Haughty Power web site at
http://home.earthlink.net/~lrgoldner
He has spent much of the past four years in South Korea, involved in the
workers’ movement there.
Howie Seligman recently taught a course on Taxation and Finance at the
NEW SPACE in New York City. Here is the course description and a biography.
Taxation and Finance
Howard F. Seligman
The course will begin with a brief tutorial on conventional accounting,
bookkeeping and financial theory. This will involve some hands on
practical training, although the main emphasis will be on the history of
the evolution of the theory from its original conception to the current
methodologies.
This will be followed by an examination of basic economics (price
theory) and its use and abuse of (accounting/finance) statistics.
Again, the history of the theory from its roots in philosophy and the
social sciences to its current state of being applied mathematical
models will be scrutinized.
We will then survey the U.S. Income Tax System beginning with its
history and moving on to its current state (of change) today. The focus
will be on the behavioral implications of changes in the tax code and
alternate systems being used in other countries (and being proposed by
Congress today.)
Applying the building blocks of finance and taxation, we will then look
at the American financial markets and the culture of the corporation.
Particular attention will be paid to 'Wall Street' and the
'entertainment industry' due to their growing influence in our everyday
lives via the 'information society.'
Emphasis will be placed on economic and non-economic forces that drive
the markets and facilitate manipulation by the use of abstract numerical
concepts. Finally, the natural symbiosis of private industry and
governments will be the subject of specific anecdotes and case studies.
No requirements other than potential enthusiasm/interest.
Howard F. Seligman has been a self employed financial and tax consultant
since 1984. Howard’s practice specializes in the arts and entertainment
fields, and he serves as the treasurer to more than fifteen arts and
cultural organizations. Howard has taught accounting and finance at The
Pratt Institute. His hobbies include playing Howie Solo, a singer and
stand up comedian who can host your local fundraising event. He is
currently researching a book on the history of the Jewish gangster in
America.
You can also see Howie in action at
www.blip.tv
search HOWIE SOLO
--
Michael Perelman
Economics Department
California State University
Chico, CA
95929
530 898 5321
fax 530 898 5901
http://michaelperelman.wordpress.com
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