New Anthology 'Crisis of Critique' Explores Left's Struggle Against Neoliberalism
A new anthology, 'Crisis of Critique? Opponents of Capitalism in the Neoliberal Era', sheds light on the left's struggle to counter neoliberalism. Editor Flemming Falz argues that social democrats and left-liberals often implemented neoliberal reforms, not just due to conservative pressure.
The book reveals that neoliberalism's critics often focus solely on this variant of capitalism, missing the bigger picture. Roman Köster's essay highlights the fragmented nature of 'neoliberalism' as an analytical category. Meanwhile, Benjamin Möckel challenges the 'crisis of critique' narrative, pointing out that consumer critique emerged during postwar prosperity.
In Germany, left opposition criticized the SPD's neoliberal reforms, like social cuts and deregulation, from the 1990s. The Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) was founded, but its platform blended identity politics and Keynesian economics, sidelining anti-capitalist positions.
The anthology argues that understanding the left's struggles against capitalism is key to grasping societal upheavals since the 1970s. It shows that the left's critique of capitalism is itself shifting, and that a broader critique of capitalism is needed.
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