66. US imperialism in decline: coronavirus, Trump, Sanders and socialism

Chaos in the US presents two options: socialism or barbarism. In the United States, the capitalist class is faced with a shopping list of crises that are shaking their system almost to pieces. Like many capitalist economies, they’ve had to partly suspend production - and profit - in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. They’ve been forced to inject trillions of dollars into the economy to keep the capitalist system going. And now, the absurd situation of competitive oil production outstripping demand so far that prices have become negative! The capitalists face these crises with an unreliable representative at the helm: Donald Trump. But they may be breathing a bit easier now that Bernie Sanders, who came to prominence with his promise of a political revolution against the billionaire class, has endorsed a more reliable representative of big business interests in the form of the Democrat Joe Biden. Sanders has even admonished his supporters for saying they won’t campaign for a corporate shill! Huge anger is growing. Class polarisation sharpens as the divisions between bosses and workers are exposed. Armed demonstrations ratchet up the tensions. Capitalism is threatening to plunge millions into poverty, on a scale not seen since the Great Depression. This episode of Socialism looks at US imperialism in decline: coronavirus, Trump, Sanders and socialism. Further reading Global covid-19 pandemic, capitalist crisis and bitter class polarisation in the United States: https://www.socialistworld.net/2020/04/21/global-covid-19-pandemic-capitalist-crisis-and-bitter-class-polarisation-in-the-united-states/ ‘Protest-caravan’ held in solidarity with Worcester city nurses opposing furloughing during covid crisis: https://www.socialistworld.net/2020/04/23/usa-protest-caravan-held-in-solidarity-with-worcester-city-nurses-opposing-furloughing-during-covid-crisis/ “We have the power” – Staten Island Amazon workers walk out: https://www.socialistworld.net/2020/04/06/usa-we-have-the-power-staten-island-amazon-workers-walkout/ The danger of the far right today: https://www.socialistworld.net/2020/03/25/the-danger-of-the-far-right-today/ Join the Socialists: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/join/ Help fund Socialism the Podcast: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/donate/