Robinson successfully defended his school from closure, fought for the unification of the teaching unions, mentored future trade union leaders and transformed teaching at the Marx Memorial Library, writes JOHN FOSTER
Reclaiming the ‘free market’ from capitalist control
Idealised notions of free markets conceal the reality of a system designed to generate profits at the expense of workers and consumers — we need social and moral foundations for markets based on human need, writes BHABANI SHANKAR NAYAK
A judge in a German court ruled that the ban activity imposed on renowned Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah was unlawful, reports LEON WYSTRYCHOWSKI
At the very moment Britain faces poverty, housing and climate crises requiring radical solutions, the liberal press promotes ideologically narrow books while marginalising authors who offer the most accurate understanding of change, writes IAN SINCLAIR
From Gaza protest bans to proscribing Palestine Action, political elites are showing a crisis of confidence as they abandon Roy Jenkins’s apologetic approach for Suella Braverman’s aggressive ‘hate march’ rhetoric, writes PAUL DONOVAN
ANSELM ELDERGILL examines the legal case behind this weekend’s Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival and the lessons for today
Ben Chacko talks to RMT leader EDDIE DEMPSEY about how the key to fixing broken Britain lies in collective sectoral bargaining, restoring unions’ ability to take solidarity strike action and bringing about the much-vaunted ‘wave of insourcing’
The summer of 1950 saw Labour abandon further nationalisation while escalating Korean War spending from £2.3m to £4.7m, as the government meekly accepted capitalism’s licence and became Washington’s yes-man, writes JOHN ELLISON
THE concept of the “free market” under capitalism is often promoted as an emblem of individual consumer choice and a driver of national economic growth and development.
The priests of capitalism view the free market as the most effective and efficient mechanism for resource allocation, framing it as a key engine of economic progress.
However, in practice, the free market is neither free nor fair for producers and consumers. Instead, it is largely controlled by capitalist interests.
This idealised notion of a free market under capitalism becomes a mechanism that separates producers from consumers, establishing independent pricing structures designed to generate super-profits — often at the expense of working people.
In a capitalist system, a “free market” implies that the state, government, and working masses — as both producers and consumers — cannot interfere in the market’s operations. Instead, market forces alone control prices, production, supply, demand, distribution, and consumption.
Within this framework, the purchasing power of consumers and the productive capacities of producers determine individuals’ perceived worth.
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RICHARD CLARKE recommends a hugely valuable text for those seeking theoretical analysis and practical action to defend public services
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