Global Imbalances And Financial Capitalism

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Global Imbalances and Financial Capitalism

Author : Jacques Mazier
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 0429795084
Total Pages : 319 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (297 download)

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Book Synopsis Global Imbalances and Financial Capitalism by : Jacques Mazier

Download or read book Global Imbalances and Financial Capitalism written by Jacques Mazier and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-05-07 with total page 319 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The past few decades have witnessed the emergence of economic imbalances at the world level and within the euro zone. The failure of mainstream economics to accurately predict financial crises, or model the effects of finance-led growth, highlights the need for alternative frameworks. A key text, Global Imbalances and Financial Capitalism: Stock-Flow-Consistent Modelling demonstrates that Stock-Flow-Consistent models are well adapted to study this growth regime due to their ability to analyse the real and financial sides of the economy in an integrated way. This approach is combined with an analysis of exchange rate misalignments using the Fundamental Equilibrium Exchange Rate (FEER) methodology, which serves to give a synthetic view of international imbalances. Together, these models describe how global and regional imbalances are created, as well as suggest appropriate tools through which they may be reduced. The book also considers alternative economic policies in the euro zone (international risk sharing, fiscal federalism, eurobonds, European investments, a multispeed euro zone) alongside alternative monetary policies. In particular, it examines the possibilities of using SDR (Special Drawing Rights) as a reserve asset to be issued to fight a global recession, to support the development of low-income countries, or as an anchor to improve global monetary stability. This text will be of interest to students, scholars, and researchers of economic theory and international monetary economics. It will also appeal to professional organisations who supervise international relations.

Power and Imbalances in the Global Monetary System

Author : M. Vermeiren
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 1137397578
Total Pages : 246 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (373 download)

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Book Synopsis Power and Imbalances in the Global Monetary System by : M. Vermeiren

Download or read book Power and Imbalances in the Global Monetary System written by M. Vermeiren and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-10-21 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author examines the indirect macroeconomic roots of the global financial crisis and Eurozone debt crisis: the escalation of global trade imbalances between the US and China and regional trade imbalances in the Eurozone. He provides new insights into the sources and dynamics of power and instability in the contemporary global monetary system

Fixing Global Finance

Author : Martin Wolf
Publisher : JHU Press
ISBN 13 : 0801898439
Total Pages : 270 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (18 download)

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Book Synopsis Fixing Global Finance by : Martin Wolf

Download or read book Fixing Global Finance written by Martin Wolf and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2010-04-01 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since 2008, when Fixing Global Finance was first published, the collapse of the housing and credit bubbles of the 2000s has crippled the world’s economy. In this updated edition, Financial Times columnist Martin Wolf explains how global imbalances helped cause the financial crises now ravaging the U.S. economy and outlines steps for ending this destructive cycle—of which this is the latest and biggest. An expanded conclusion recommends near- and long-term measures to stabilize and protect financial markets in the future. Reviewing global financial crises since 1980, Wolf lays bare the links between the microeconomics of finance and the macroeconomics of the balance of payments, demonstrating how the subprime lending crisis in the United States fits into a pattern that includes the economic shocks of 1997, 1998, and early 1999 in Latin America, Russia, and Asia. He explains why the United States became the “borrower and spender of last resort,” makes the case that this was an untenable arrangement, and argues that global economic security depends on radical reforms in the international monetary system and the ability of emerging economies to borrow sustainably in domestic currencies. Sharply and clearly argued, Wolf’s prescription for fixing global finance illustrates why he has been described as "the world's preeminent financial journalist."

The Demise of Finance-dominated Capitalism

Author : Eckhard Hein
Publisher : Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1784715077
Total Pages : 392 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (847 download)

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Book Synopsis The Demise of Finance-dominated Capitalism by : Eckhard Hein

Download or read book The Demise of Finance-dominated Capitalism written by Eckhard Hein and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2015-04-30 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides an overview of different theoretical perspectives on the long-run transition towards finance-dominated capitalism, on the implications for macroeconomic and financial stability, and ultimately on the recent global financial and econo

External Imbalances and Financial Crises

Author : Alan M. Taylor
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (82 download)

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Book Synopsis External Imbalances and Financial Crises by : Alan M. Taylor

Download or read book External Imbalances and Financial Crises written by Alan M. Taylor and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In broad perspective, there have been essentially two competing views of the global financial crisis, albeit there are some complementarities among them. One view looks across the border: it mainly blames external imbalances, the large-scale mix of unprecedented pattern current account deficits and surpluses which entailed massive and growing net and gross international financial flows in the last decade. The alternative view looks within the border: it finds more fault in the domestic arena of the afflicted countries, attributing the problems to financial systems where risks originated in excessive credit booms in local banks. This paper uses the lens of macroeconomic and financial history to confront these dueling hypotheses with evidence. Of the two, the credit boom explanation stands out as the most plausible predictor of financial crises since the dawn of modern finance capitalism in the late nineteenth century. Historically, we find that global imbalances are not as important as a factor in financial crises as is often perceived, and they have much less correlation with subsequent episodes of financial distress compared to direct indicators like credit drawn from the financial system itself -- National Bureau of Economic Research web site.

Global Imbalances and the Lessons of Bretton Woods

Author : Barry Eichengreen
Publisher : MIT Press
ISBN 13 : 0262514141
Total Pages : 206 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (625 download)

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Book Synopsis Global Imbalances and the Lessons of Bretton Woods by : Barry Eichengreen

Download or read book Global Imbalances and the Lessons of Bretton Woods written by Barry Eichengreen and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2010-01-22 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why the current Bretton Woods-like international financial system, featuring large current account deficits in the center country, the United States, and massive reserve accumulation by the periphery, is not sustainable. In Global Imbalances and the Lessons of Bretton Woods, Barry Eichengreen takes issue with the argument that today's international financial system is largely analogous to the Bretton Woods System of the period 1958 to 1973. Then, as now, it has been argued, the United States ran balance of payment deficits, provided international reserves to other countries, and acted as export market of last resort for the rest of the world. Then, as now, the story continues, other countries were reluctant to revalue their currencies for fear of seeing their export-led growth slow and suffering capital losses on their foreign reserves. Eichengreen argues in response that the power of historical analogy lies not just in finding parallels but in highlighting differences, and he finds important differences in the structure of the world economy today. Such differences, he concludes, mean that the current constellation of exchange rates and payments imbalances is unlikely to last as long as the original Bretton Woods System. Two of the most salient differences are the twin deficits and low savings rate of the United States, which do not augur well for the sustainability of the country's international position. Such differences, he concludes, mean that the current constellation of exchange rates and payments imbalances is unlikely to last as long as the original Bretton Woods System. After identifying these differences, Eichengreen looks in detail at the Gold Pool, the mechanism through which European central banks sought to support the dollar in the 1960s. He shows that the Pool was fragile and short lived, which does not bode well for collective efforts on the part of Asian central banks to restrain reserve diversification and support the dollar today. He studies Japan's exit from its dollar peg in 1971, drawing lessons for China's transition to greater exchange rate flexibility. And he considers the history of reserve currency competition, asking if it has lessons for whether the dollar is destined to lose its standing as preeminent international currency to the euro or even the Chinese renminbi.

The Macroeconomics of Finance-dominated Capitalism and Its Crisis

Author : Eckhard Hein
Publisher : Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1781009163
Total Pages : 233 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (81 download)

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Book Synopsis The Macroeconomics of Finance-dominated Capitalism and Its Crisis by : Eckhard Hein

Download or read book The Macroeconomics of Finance-dominated Capitalism and Its Crisis written by Eckhard Hein and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2012-01-01 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'The rise to dominance of finance in the past three decades has had many profound effects on economic performance. In this book Eckhard Hein provides us with detailed, well-grounded and highly insightful analyses of the macroeconomic impacts on investment, employment, global imbalances, income distribution and much more. This is "must read" for those wanting to comprehend the macroeconomics of the era of financialization, and for those seeking macro-economic policies to address the financial crisis and bring economic prosperity.' – Malcolm Sawyer, University of Leeds, UK 'Eckhard Hein examines the causes and consequences of financialisation. His book is economics as it should always be: it combines reflections, data gathering, empirical analysis, theoretical formalization, and policy recommendations. Hein goes beyond the exuberant behaviour of the banking industry to analyse the global financial crisis and the eurozone crisis, showing, through various variants of a Kaleckian growth model, the macroeconomic consequences of the rising dominance of finance over modern capitalism during the last three decades.' – Marc Lavoie, University of Ottawa, Canada In this timely and thought-provoking book, Eckhard Hein illustrates that the Great Recession, which hit the world economy in 2008/09, is rooted in the contradictions of finance-dominated capitalism. the author provides an in-depth exploration of the macroeconomics of finance-dominated capitalism, its problems and its crisis, and presents economic policy lessons and alternatives. In particular, he shows that since the early 1980s, finance-dominated capitalism has affected long-run economic developments via three distinct channels: • the re-distribution of income at the expense of low labour incomes, • the dampening of investment in real capital stock, • and an increasing potential for wealth-based and debt-financed consumption. the author concludes that against the background of these basic macroeconomic tendencies, increasing instability potentials at the national economy levels and rising current account imbalances at both global and European levels have developed and have contributed to the severity of the Great Recession. This systematic study of finance-dominated capitalism presented from a macroeconomic perspective will prove a thought-provoking read for academics, researchers, graduate students and economic policy consultants with an interest in macroeconomics, financial economics, economic policies, and distribution and growth.

Fixing Global Finance

Author : Martin Wolf
Publisher : JHU Press
ISBN 13 : 0801898439
Total Pages : 270 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (18 download)

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Book Synopsis Fixing Global Finance by : Martin Wolf

Global Imbalances and Financial Stability

Author : Miranda Xafa
Publisher : International Monetary Fund
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 28 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (318 download)

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Book Synopsis Global Imbalances and Financial Stability by : Miranda Xafa

Download or read book Global Imbalances and Financial Stability written by Miranda Xafa and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2007-05 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper discusses two opposing views on global imbalances: The "traditional view", which regards the imbalances as a threat to global economic and financial stability, and the "new paradigm" view, which considers that they are the natural consequence of economic and financial globalization. In terms of their policy implications, the traditional view focuses on monetary and fiscal policy decisions in the United States that need to be urgently reversed to avoid an abrupt unwinding of the imbalances involving a sell-off of dollar assets, a sharp increase in U.S. interest rates, and a hard landing for the global economy. By contrast, the new paradigm view considers that the imbalances will be resolved smoothly through the normal functioning of markets. The paper argues that an abrupt unwinding of imbalances is highly unlikely and advances a number of arguments in support of the new paradigm view.

Inequality in Financial Capitalism

Author : Pasquale Tridico
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317372093
Total Pages : 283 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (173 download)

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Book Synopsis Inequality in Financial Capitalism by : Pasquale Tridico

Download or read book Inequality in Financial Capitalism written by Pasquale Tridico and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-03-16 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recently, the issue of inequality has regained attention in the economic and political debate. This is due to both an increase in income inequality, in particular among rich countries, and an increasing interest in this issue by researchers and politicians. In the last three decades, income inequality among rich countries increased. This period also witnessed the growth of "financial capitalism", characterised by the strong dependency of economies on the financial sector, by the globalisation and intensification of international trade and capital mobility, and by the "flexibilisation" of labour markets and the reduction of wage shares. From the 1980s to the present day, this book considers the theoretical aspects of inequality (its foundations, definitions, approaches and origins) and examines empirical evidence of income inequality in a wide range of advanced economies. The key arguments in this volume are that income inequality increased during this period because labour and welfare became seen as costs to be compressed in "financial capitalism" rather than as a fundamental part of aggregate demand to be expanded. However, the welfare state is not a drain on economic performance and competitiveness, nor is it a barrier to economic efficiency. Instead, it is demonstrated that in countries that adopt "welfare capitalism", welfare state expenditure not only contributes to a reduction in inequality but also fosters economic growth. Inequality in Financial Capitalism is of great importance to those who study economics, political economy, labour economics and globalisation.

Red Capitalism

Author : Carl Walter
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 1118255135
Total Pages : 290 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (182 download)

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Book Synopsis Red Capitalism by : Carl Walter

Download or read book Red Capitalism written by Carl Walter and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2012-07-31 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The truth behind the rise of China and whether or not it will be able to maintain it How did China transform itself so quickly? In Red Capitalism: The Fragile Financial Foundation of China's Extraordinary Rise, Revised Edition Carl Walter and Fraser Howie go deep inside the Chinese financial machine to illuminate the social and political consequences of the unique business model that propelled China to economic powerhouse status, and question whether this rapid ascension really lives up to its reputation. All eyes are on China, but will it really surpass the U.S. as the world's premier global economy? Walter and Howie aren't so certain, and in this revised and updated edition of Red Capitalism they examine whether or not the 21st century really will belong to China. The specter of a powerful China is haunting the U.S. and other countries suffering from economic decline and this book explores China's next move Packed with new statistics and stories based on recent developments, this new edition updates the outlook on China's future with the most cutting-edge information available Find out how China financed its current position of strength and whether it will be able to maintain its astonishing momentum Indispensable reading for anyone looking to understand the limits that China's past development decisions have imposed on its brilliant future, Red Capitalism is an essential resource for anyone considering China's business strategies in today's extremely challenging global economy.

Capitalism and the World Economy

Author : Toshiaki Hirai
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317859901
Total Pages : 320 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (178 download)

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Book Synopsis Capitalism and the World Economy by : Toshiaki Hirai

Download or read book Capitalism and the World Economy written by Toshiaki Hirai and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-02-16 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Globalization is a phenomenon which has attracted much attention in the past, but there are still many questions that remain unanswered. This book categorizes globalization into three types: Financial Globalization, the collapse of the Cold War order and the ensuing convergence toward the capitalistic system; and the rise of the emerging nations. The globalization of capitalism has two implications. One is trust in the market economy system and support for a minimal state while another is an aspect of the Casino Capitalism as typically seen by the rampant emergence of hedge funds. This book explores both the light and shadows cast by globalization, endeavoring to identify both positive and problematic effects of the globalization process on the world economy. For this purpose we would first examine the nature and the feature of the world capitalism in relation to globalization. Then we would discuss and investigate the path along which important nations - first the developed nations (the USA, EU and Japan), followed by the emerging nations (BRICs) - have proceeded under the influence of globalization. Focusing on this phenomenon from diverse points of view, which is to be taken by the first-rank contributors in their fields, will be extraordinarily fruitful for understanding not only the world capitalism. This collection, from a selection of leading international contributors, will not only shed light on world capitalism as it is now, but will also offer pointers as to its future directions.

Global Imbalances and Financial Capitalism

Author : Jacques Mazier
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 0429795076
Total Pages : 267 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (297 download)

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Book Synopsis Global Imbalances and Financial Capitalism by : Jacques Mazier

Download or read book Global Imbalances and Financial Capitalism written by Jacques Mazier and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-05-07 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The past few decades have witnessed the emergence of economic imbalances at the world level and within the euro zone. The failure of mainstream economics to accurately predict financial crises, or model the effects of finance-led growth, highlights the need for alternative frameworks. A key text, Global Imbalances and Financial Capitalism: Stock-Flow-Consistent Modelling demonstrates that Stock-Flow-Consistent models are well adapted to study this growth regime due to their ability to analyse the real and financial sides of the economy in an integrated way. This approach is combined with an analysis of exchange rate misalignments using the Fundamental Equilibrium Exchange Rate (FEER) methodology, which serves to give a synthetic view of international imbalances. Together, these models describe how global and regional imbalances are created, as well as suggest appropriate tools through which they may be reduced. The book also considers alternative economic policies in the euro zone (international risk sharing, fiscal federalism, eurobonds, European investments, a multispeed euro zone) alongside alternative monetary policies. In particular, it examines the possibilities of using SDR (Special Drawing Rights) as a reserve asset to be issued to fight a global recession, to support the development of low-income countries, or as an anchor to improve global monetary stability. This text will be of interest to students, scholars, and researchers of economic theory and international monetary economics. It will also appeal to professional organisations who supervise international relations.

Crises of Global Economies and the Future of Capitalism

Author : Kiichirō Yagi
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 0415687330
Total Pages : 354 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (156 download)

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Book Synopsis Crises of Global Economies and the Future of Capitalism by : Kiichirō Yagi

Download or read book Crises of Global Economies and the Future of Capitalism written by Kiichirō Yagi and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recent events in the global financial markets and macro economies have served as a strong reminder for a need of a coherent theory of capitalist crisis and analysis. This book helps to fill the gap with well-grounded alternative articulations of the forces which move today's economic dynamics, how they interact and how ideas of foundational figures in economic theory can be used to make sense of the current predicament. The book presents a comprehensive collection of reflections on the origins, dynamics and implications of the interlinked crises of the U.S. and global economies. The book is a thoughtful collaboration between Japanese heterodox economists of the Japan Society of Political Economy (JSPE) and non-Japanese scholars. It provides a unique immersion in different, sophisticated approaches to political economy and to the crisis. The book illustrates with the understanding of Marx's crisis theory and how it can serve as a powerful framework for analyzing the contemporary sub-prime world crisis. The book explains the subprime loan crisis as a crisis in a specific phase of the capitalist world system and concludes that it is a structural one which destroys the existing capital accumulation regime. It pays attention to structural changes and to how these changes beget profound and controversial consequences. The result is a must-read - one which truly contributes to the resurgence of radical analyses of the political economy, free from the market optimism of the main-stream economics.

ECONned: How Unenlightened Self Interest Undermined Democracy and Corrupted Capitalism

Author : Yves Smith
Publisher : Macmillan
ISBN 13 : 0230114563
Total Pages : 370 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (31 download)

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Book Synopsis ECONned: How Unenlightened Self Interest Undermined Democracy and Corrupted Capitalism by : Yves Smith

Download or read book ECONned: How Unenlightened Self Interest Undermined Democracy and Corrupted Capitalism written by Yves Smith and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2011-10-11 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ECONned examines the unquestioned role of economists as policy-makers, and how they helped create an unmitigated economic disaster. Why are we in such a financial mess today? There are lots of proximate causes: over-leverage, global imbalances, bad financial technology that lead to widespread underestimation of risk. But these are all symptoms. Until we isolate and tackle fundamental causes, we will fail to extirpate the disease. Here, Yves Smith looks at how economists in key policy positions put doctrine before hard evidence, ignoring the deteriorating conditions and rising dangers that eventually led them, and us, off the cliff and into financial meltdown. Intelligently written for the layman, Smith takes us on a terrifying investigation of the financial realm over the last twenty-five years of misrepresentations, naive interpretations of economic conditions, rationalizations of bad outcomes, and rejection of clear signs of growing instability. In eConned, author Yves Smith reveals: --why the measures taken by the Obama Administration are mere palliatives and are unlikely to pave the way for a solid recovery --how economists have come to play a profoundly anti-democratic role in policy --how financial models and concepts that were discredited more than thirty years ago are still widely used by banks, regulators, and investors --how management and employees of major financial firms looted them, enriching themselves and leaving the mess to taxpayers --how financial deregulation enabled predatory behavior by Wall Street towards investors --how economics has no theory of financial systems, yet economists fearlessly prescribe how to manage them

Crashed

Author : Adam Tooze
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 0143110357
Total Pages : 722 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (431 download)

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Book Synopsis Crashed by : Adam Tooze

Download or read book Crashed written by Adam Tooze and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2019-08-27 with total page 722 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: WINNER OF THE LIONEL GELBER PRIZE A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2018 ONE OF THE ECONOMIST'S BOOKS OF THE YEAR A NEW YORK TIMES CRITICS' TOP BOOK "An intelligent explanation of the mechanisms that produced the crisis and the response to it...One of the great strengths of Tooze's book is to demonstrate the deeply intertwined nature of the European and American financial systems."--The New York Times Book Review From the prizewinning economic historian and author of Shutdown and The Deluge, an eye-opening reinterpretation of the 2008 economic crisis (and its ten-year aftermath) as a global event that directly led to the shockwaves being felt around the world today. We live in a world where dramatic shifts in the domestic and global economy command the headlines, from rollbacks in US banking regulations to tariffs that may ignite international trade wars. But current events have deep roots, and the key to navigating today’s roiling policies lies in the events that started it all—the 2008 economic crisis and its aftermath. Despite initial attempts to downplay the crisis as a local incident, what happened on Wall Street beginning in 2008 was, in fact, a dramatic caesura of global significance that spiraled around the world, from the financial markets of the UK and Europe to the factories and dockyards of Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, forcing a rearrangement of global governance. With a historian’s eye for detail, connection, and consequence, Adam Tooze brings the story right up to today’s negotiations, actions, and threats—a much-needed perspective on a global catastrophe and its long-term consequences.

Business as Usual

Author : Paul Mattick
Publisher : Reaktion Books
ISBN 13 : 1861899823
Total Pages : 129 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (618 download)

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Book Synopsis Business as Usual by : Paul Mattick

Download or read book Business as Usual written by Paul Mattick and published by Reaktion Books. This book was released on 2011-05-15 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The recent global economic downturn has affected nearly everyone in every corner of the globe. Its vast reach and lingering effects have made it difficult to pinpoint its exact cause, and while some economists point to the risks inherent in the modern financial system, others blame long-term imbalances in the world economy. Into this debate steps Paul Mattick, who, in Business as Usual, explains the global economic downturn in relation to the development of the world economy since World War II, but also as a fundamental example of the cycle of crisis and recovery that has characterized capitalism since the early nineteenth century. Mattick explains that today’s recession is not the result of a singular financial event but instead is a manifestation of long-term processes within the world economy. Mattick argues that the economic downturn can best be understood within the context of business cycles, which are unavoidable in a free-market economy. He uses this explanation as a springboard for exploring the nature of our capitalist society and its prospects for the future. Although Business as Usual engages with many economic theories, both mainstream and left-wing, Mattick’s accessible writing opens the subject up in order for non-specialists to understand the current economic climate not as the effect of a financial crisis, but as a manifestation of a truth about the social and economic system in which we live. As a result the book is ideal for anyone who wants to gain a succinct and jargon-free understanding of recent economic events, and, just as important, the overall dynamics of the capitalist system itself.