The Morning Star publishes the speech by writer and editor JULIA BARD of the Jewish Socialists’ Group given at the paper’s annual conference at the weekend
Reclaiming the ‘free market’ from capitalist control
Idealised notions of free markets conceal the reality of a system designed to generate profits at the expense of workers and consumers — we need social and moral foundations for markets based on human need, writes BHABANI SHANKAR NAYAK
Engels’ essay on our origins and distinctiveness built on Darwin’s own exploration of human evolution and has provided a framework for exploration and research which has stood the test of time, declares the Marx Memorial Library and Workers’ School
ANSELM ELDERGILL looks at the legality of the wars in the Middle East and the means used to fight them. It is said that truth is the first casualty of war, so what is the truth with regard to the legality of America’s and Israel’s wars in Iran, Palestine and Lebanon?
Long before modern labour movements, England’s farmworkers fought back against their oppression – and for some, like Elizabeth Studham, the price was exile to Australia. MAT COWARD tells the story
As world leaders posture and local politicians bore, voters are left with a grim choice: despair, disengage — or start imagining something better, says MATT KERR
CARLOS MARTINEZ reports on China’s role in helping Cuba develop self-sufficiency in renewable energy, which would shield it from the sort of pain Donald Trump is inflicting with his oil blockade
THE concept of the “free market” under capitalism is often promoted as an emblem of individual consumer choice and a driver of national economic growth and development.
The priests of capitalism view the free market as the most effective and efficient mechanism for resource allocation, framing it as a key engine of economic progress.
However, in practice, the free market is neither free nor fair for producers and consumers. Instead, it is largely controlled by capitalist interests.
This idealised notion of a free market under capitalism becomes a mechanism that separates producers from consumers, establishing independent pricing structures designed to generate super-profits — often at the expense of working people.
In a capitalist system, a “free market” implies that the state, government, and working masses — as both producers and consumers — cannot interfere in the market’s operations. Instead, market forces alone control prices, production, supply, demand, distribution, and consumption.
Within this framework, the purchasing power of consumers and the productive capacities of producers determine individuals’ perceived worth.
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