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Left Economics

Something called the "Left Economics Advisory Panel" is having a conference next Saturday under the title 'Capitalism Isn't Working'.

Speakers and contributors include the usual gang: John Christensen (Tax Justice Network), Penny Cole, Bob Crow (RMT), Andrew Fisher, Paul Feldman, Professor Gregor Gall, Gerry Gold, Rahila Gupta (Southall Black Sisters), Colin Hampton (UWC), John Hilary (War on Want), Jerry Jones, John McDonnell MP, Cllr Gordon Nardell, Rosamund Stock, Graham Turner, Professor Richard Wilkinson, Matt Wrack (FBU).

Leaving aside the question of what exactly is meant by "Capitalism", what is "Left Economics"? Isn't there just plain economics?

Surely economics is the study of causes and effects and an attempt to establish what were the relationships between the two? Though Stalin had a go at enforcing a particular and false view of biology, there isn't such a thing as "Left Chemistry" or "Left Mathematics", so how can there be a left economics?

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