Is There an Alternative to Capitalism?

Summary: From the Arab Spring to the protests against austerity in Greece and Spain, and from the Occupy Movement to discussions within the global justice movement, people are increasingly asking whether there is a viable alternative to capitalism. This is connected to a resurgence of interest in heretofore neglected aspects of Marx’s work. Join us for a discussion of whether Marx’s critique of capital points to an alternative to both “free market” capitalism and the totalitarian regimes that called themselves “communist” in the twentieth century.

Peter Hudis is Professor of Humanities and Philosophy at Oakton Community College. He is author of Marx’s Concept of the Alternative to Capitalism and is General Editor of The Complete Works of Rosa Luxemburg. He is a member of the International Marxist-Humanist Organization.

Patriarchy, Prisons, Police

Summary: This talk will consider how we respond to sexual assault in our communities. I will briefly give an overview of prevalent community structures for responding to this form of violence and how those came to be the prevailing structures. Then, I will explore the shortcomings of those strategies; in particular, I will talk about the failure of mass incarceration to make our communities safer. Finally, I will look at alternative responses to violence that some communities are already using to redress and bring an end to sexual assault without relying on the police or prisons.

Led by Sarah Tyson, Assistant Professor of Philosophy (CU Denver)/anti-violence and anti-prisons activist

Popular Assemblies in Athens

Summary: Pavlos Stavropoulos is a long time activist and organizer involved in numerous local, national and international liberatory and anarchist movements. Born and raised in Greece, the current and also abysmal conditions in his country weigh heavily on his heart. In this Occupy teach-in, Pavlos discusses the current conditions of everyday people, as their country struggles with debt, and continued austerity. Of particular interest, Pavlos explores the rise of popular assemblies in Athens, their successes and failures, and possibilities for the future.

Five Things Everyone Should Know About the Corporate Influence on Politics

Summary: Not only do corporations have direct influence on elections (money), but also more insidious forms of influence on politics through culture, media, and academia which, “subtly deform our sense of self and political imagination.” The final part of the teach-in is a critique of the proposed boycott of the 2012 elections and a more general discussion of how electoral politics and social movements interact.

Dr. Chad Kautzer is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Colorado Denver.

Why Violent Revolution was Once a Way but Organized Massmilitant Nonviolence is the Furture, Part 2

Summary: The Chinese and Vietnamese revolutions are two examples (now more than 40 years old) of successful violent revolutionary struggle. But many of the changes more recently, for instance in Eastern Europe or Arab Spring, have come about largely nonviolently and with comparatively, many fewer deaths. The earth is now being poisoned by global warming and the wars of American militarism. The militarists use the threat of violence to attempt to legitimize their much greater violence. Nonviolence in a stronger version (more organized than Gandhi or even than the Southern civil rights movement) is a way forward.

Alan Gilbert is a longstanding anti-War and anti-racist activist as well as the author of Black Patriots and Loyalists: Fighting for Emancipation in the War for Independence (2012). His activism and scholarship are two sides of a coin.