Capitalism on Edge

The inverted postnational constellation: Identitarian populism in context

“…The enabling conditions for such a corrective articulation have to do with the socio-economic circumstances of stable and secure livelihoods; obtaining these conditions would necessitate opposing capitalism's dynamics of competitive production of profit which destabilises livelihoods and proliferates a dynamic of racialist exclusion, triggering noxious political instincts and practices. 31 Unfortunately, Habermas's detailed articulation of the postnational constellation has very little room for critique of capitalism. Even when invoking the disastrous consequences of unbridled global financial capitalism in his more recent writings, he still thinks in terms of taming the thrust and offsetting the externalities generated by its modus operandi via strengthening democracy and liberal constitutionalism.…”

Book Review: Capitalism on Edge: How Fighting Precarity Can Achieve Radical Change Without Crisis or Utopia

“…This means that she promises to '(1) advance a diagnosis of the social relations in capitalist democracies of the Global North in the early twenty-first century; (2) perform a normative assessment of the grievances of injustice these relations generate; and (3) discern the emancipatory potential available within these societies'. 5 The first step involves her original argument that the current form of capitalism is no longer neoliberal but takes the form instead of the universalization of precarity as well as her rejection of widespread claims that capitalism faces a crisis that will bring it to its knees. The second element of the analysis takes as its 'empirical entry point' the rise of xenophobia in the affluent global North, which as she notes, dates back to the end of the 20th century as well as the various forms of suffering that result from precarious employment.…”

“…As the name suggests, Azmanova believes that insecurity or precarity has been universalized in such a way as to now afflict 'the majority of the population'. 7 That is, not only those at the bottom of the income distribution face significant economic and social uncertainties, but for the first time, even those from previously more stable occupational backgroundsthink of the rise of adjunct faculty in the United States -now experience many of the same worries and stresses. While such an analysis is compelling it might seem like hairsplitting to distinguish these conditions from those that have been analysed under the rubric of neoliberalism.…”

“…8 However, what drives the pervasiveness of insecurity, according to Azmanova, is that precarity capitalism involves the 'active offloading of social risk to society' in the name of promoting competitiveness in the global economy. 9 Azmanova recognizes that neoliberalism also offloaded 'social responsibility to individuals and communities'. 10 But rather than relying on free markets to propel growth (albeit with the open secret of complicity between states and corporations), under precarity capitalism the state publicly assumes 'the duty to aid specific economic actors -those who are best positioned to perform well in the global competition for profit'.…”

“…9 Azmanova recognizes that neoliberalism also offloaded 'social responsibility to individuals and communities'. 10 But rather than relying on free markets to propel growth (albeit with the open secret of complicity between states and corporations), under precarity capitalism the state publicly assumes 'the duty to aid specific economic actors -those who are best positioned to perform well in the global competition for profit'. 11 Thus, the state now 'actively redistributes resources from the losers to the winners' in the name of global competitiveness.…”