7. New movements of resistance, USA - Michael Marchmann

The (Im)Balance of Forces in American Society Today (La Botz)

I chose this article because it gives a pretty good overview of the both the economic and political crisis in the US from a 4th International perspective and is quite recent. As part of the analysis, La Botz discusses the state of organized labor and the relationship between the radical left, labor and OWS. So, I think it ties the three aspects of my lecture(s) together well.

What Happened to the American Working Class? (La Botz)

The Working Class and Left Politics: Back on the American Radar (La Botz)

Additional reading:

1. The American People are Angry (US Senator Bernie Sanders, Socialist from Vermont)

This is a statement given by US Senator Bernie Sanders (from Vermont) in late June. Sanders is the only US congress person who openly identifies himself as a socialist. He is, essentially, a social democrat and not an anti-capitalist. Nonetheless, I selected this speech/statement as a reading because it articulates a wide range of problems and crises affecting the US - from the economic crisis to the ecological crisis to the devolution of democracy and the growth of oligarchy in the US. So, it provides a pretty good overview of the state of things in the US.