Tuesday, October 23, 7 p.m. Free (donations appreciated)
Like that well known substance, Capitalism has hit the fan. Today's economic crisis is the most severe since the Great Depression. What are its root causes? The conventional explanations put the blame on greedy bankers who pawned off credit default swaps, sub-prime mortgages, and a smorgasbord of derivatives, on a hapless and helpless public. To make matters worse there was little or no regulation. So if we tinker with some reform measures, pass some legislation, a tax cut here, a little stimulus package there and everything will be hunky-dory. Will it? The seismic failures and problems plaguing Capitalism are systemic and deep. Many people are suffering. But not the upper crust. They are riding the gravy train to more riches. It is not a question of a few rotten apples. It is past time to examine the barrel that keeps producing the bad apples. Fundamental change is necessary to avoid future collapses.
David Barsamian is the award-winning director of Alternative Radio (www.alternativeradio.org) and author of many books. His latest is "Occupy the Economy: Challenging Capitalism" with Richard Wolff. One of America's most tireless and wide-ranging journalists, he has altered the independent media landscape, both with his weekly radio program and with his books with Noam Chomsky, Eqbal Ahmad, Howard Zinn, Tariq Ali, Arundhati Roy, and Edward Said.
