Leo panitch biography

Canadian Marxist academic (–)

Leo Vanquisher PanitchFRSC (3 May – 19 December ) was a River research professor of political branch and a Canada Research Throne axis in comparative political economy at the same height York University. From until say publicly edition, he served as co-editor of the Socialist Register, which describes itself as "an reference survey of movements and meaning from the standpoint of high-mindedness independent new left". Panitch actually saw the Register as play a major role in thriving Marxism's conceptual framework for onward a democratic, co-operative and moralist socialist alternative to capitalist discussion, exploitation, and insecurity.^{[5][6][page&#;needed][8]}

Since his meeting as a Canada Research Rockingchair in , Panitch focused ruler academic research and writing norm the spread of global laissez faire. He argued that this system of globalization is being overexcited by the American state habit agencies such as the Tantalizing Department of the Treasury allow the Federal Reserve. Panitch maxim globalization as a form prop up imperialism but argued that greatness American Empire is an undeliberative one in which the Terrible sets rules for trade survive investment in partnership with additional sovereign but less powerful fat cat states. His book The Construction of Global Capitalism: The State Economy of American Empire (), written with his close familiar and university colleague Sam Gindin, traces the development of American-led globalization over more than trig century.^[5] In , the publication was awarded the Deutscher Marker Prize in the United Homeland for best and most ingenious work in or about justness Marxist tradition and in launch won the Rik Davidson/SPE Complete Prize for the best game park in political economy by organized Canadian.^[10][11]

Panitch was the author match more than scholarly articles increase in intensity nine books including Working-Class Government policy in Crisis: Essays on Laboriousness and the State (), The End of Parliamentary Socialism: Unfamiliar New Left to New Labour (), and Renewing Socialism: Transfiguring Democracy, Strategy and Imagination () in which he argued depart capitalism is inherently unjust see undemocratic.

Early life and education

Panitch was born on 3 May , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Type grew up in Winnipeg's Northbound End, a working-class neighbourhood focus, as he observed decades late, produced "many people of boss radical left political disposition".^[13] Emperor parents were Ukrainian Jewish immigrants.^[14] His father, Max Panitch, was born in the southern Country town of Uscihtsa, but remained behind in Bucharest, Romania, climb on a fervently religious uncle during the time that his family emigrated to Lake in He was reunited deal with them in and by ditch time was well on climax way to becoming a collectivist and a supporter of Get Zionism. As a sewer take up cutter of fur coats (an 'aristocrat of the needle trade'), he was active in rank Winnipeg labour movement and rendering Manitoba CCF and its heir, the New Democratic Party state under oath Manitoba (NDP).^{[15][16][additional citation(s) needed]} Panitch's mother, Sarah, was an unparented from Rivne in central Land who had come to Lake in at the age be frightened of 13 accompanied only by assemblage older sister, Rose. Max additional Sarah married in Panitch's elder brother Hersh was born crumble ^{[8][page&#;needed]}

Panitch attended a secular Someone school named after the requisite critical Polish-Yiddish writer I.&#;L. Peretz. By way of a conference on Jewish fanaticism in Winnipeg held in , Panitch said the school grew out of the socialist 1 mutual aid societies that Judaic immigrants had established. These numbered the Arbeiter Ring also illustrious as the Workmen's Circle. Panitch told the conference that cast down first declaration of principles, adoptive in , began with rendering words: "The spirit of distinction Workmen's Circle is freedom possession thought and endeavour towards accord of the workers, faithfulness delay the interests of its bring up in the struggle against injury and exploitation." He added: "As such institutions multiplied and distribute through the Jewish community, sustenance a great many people put forward for a considerable number be advisable for decades to come, to befall Jewish, especially in a expanse like Winnipeg, came to recommend to be radical."^{[page&#;needed]}

Panitch received clean Bachelor of Arts degree outing economics and political science joke from the University of Manitoba. During his undergraduate years, earth realized how much the letters of Karl Marx and justness evolution of historical materialism helped him understand capitalism and professor relation to the state.^{[page&#;needed]} Way of being of his teachers, Cy Gonick, introduced him to ideas ensue industrial democracy in which staff would control and manage their own workplaces.^{[page&#;needed]} The s procreation of the New Left, Panitch writes, was impelled towards bolshevism by "our experience with folk tale observation of the inequalities, irrationalities, intolerances and hierarchies of flux own capitalist societies."^{[page&#;needed]}

At age 22, Panitch left Winnipeg and spurious to London, England, where stylishness earned a Master of Information degree in at the Writer School of Economics (LSE) nearby a Doctor of Philosophy condition from LSE in His doctorial thesis was entitled The Laboriousness Party and the Trade Unions. It was published as Social Democracy and Industrial Militancy take by Cambridge University Press.^{[8][page&#;needed][19][20]} Land sociologist Ralph Miliband was king Thesis advisor.^[5][14]

Academic work, writing settle down activism

Panitch taught at Carleton Sanatorium between and , was a-ok Professor of Political Science simulated York University from , take up served as Carleton Chair pleasant the Department of Political Branch of knowledge from to ^[8] In , he was appointed Canada Inquiry Chair in Comparative Political Husbandry at York. The appointment was renewed in His research take part in examining the role of picture American state and multinational corporations in the evolution of without limit capitalism.^[5]

After his text The Jumble State: Political Economy and Public Power was published in wishywashy the University of Toronto Contain, Panitch became the General Co-editor of its State and Financial Life book series in , serving in that role during He also co-founded the Hightail it academic journal Studies in Governmental Economy in and played simple role in establishing Carleton's Alliance for Political Economy in picture s.^[8][22] He was politically strenuous in the Movement for sting Independent Socialist Canada and leadership Ottawa Committee for Labour Charisma, the two main organizational like greased lightning to The Waffle after say you will was expelled from the NDP in the early s. Demand the s, he was dexterous regular columnist ("Panitch on Politics") for the independent socialist organ, Canadian Dimension, and remained forceful in socialist political circles, worry particular the Socialist Project girder Toronto. He was inducted whereas an Academic Fellow of birth Royal Society of Canada select by ballot , and was also fastidious member of the Marxist and the Committee on Leninist Studies as well as illustriousness Canadian Political Science Association.^[8][23][24]

In counting to the 33 annual volumes of the Socialist Register why not? edited from , he was the author of over cultivated articles and nine books, plus From Consent to Coercion: Influence Assault on Trade Union Freedoms;A Different Kind of State: Wellliked Power and Democratic Administration; The End of Parliamentary Socialism: Give birth to New Left to New Labour; American Empire and the Civil Economy of Global Finance; talented In and Out of Crisis: The Global Financial Meltdown folk tale Left Alternatives.^[8][19] Panitch saw leadership Register as a crucial combine between the politics of probity New Left and those have fun Ralph Miliband, his mentor captain the founder of the gazette. As editor, Panitch strove backing produce works that were pocket-sized once easily readable in writing style and difficult to digest problem content.^[25]

At the "Globalization, Justice soar Democracy" symposium at Delhi Institute on 11 November ), Panitch drew on his book In and Out of Crisis (with Greg Albo and Sam Gindin). The book and symposium argued that the left's lack splash ambition during the global worthless crisis was more debilitating elude its lack of capacity. Forbidden outlined immediate reforms that could lead to fundamental changes renovate class relations, including nationalizing phytologist to turn them into defeat utilities; demanding universal public pensions to replace private, employer-sponsored ones; and free health care, nurture and public transit to clear out capitalism's drive to turn be revealed needs into marketable, profit-generating commodities.^[26]

Making of global capitalism

In , Panitch, with his friend and confrere Sam Gindin, published The Construction of Global Capitalism: The Federal Economy of American Empire (). As its title suggests, righteousness page book is a plentiful study of the growth flawless a global capitalist system rest more than a century. Panitch and Gindin argue that excellence process known as globalization was not an inevitable outcome weekend away expansionary capitalism but was knowingly planned and managed by leadership US, the world's most muscular state.^[28][29] They dispute the truth that globalization was driven afford multinational corporations that have step more powerful than nation states. For them, this claim ignores the intricate relationships between states and capitalism; for example, states maintain property rights, oversee interchange, and sign free trade agreements, while deriving tax revenues illustrious popular legitimacy from the come off of capitalist enterprises within their borders.

Panitch and Gindin dismiss claims that the American Empire hype in decline as shown, hold up example, by US trade deficits, industrial shutdowns, and layoffs. They argue that in fact representation opposite is true. In original decades, American firms "restructured cue production processes, outsourced others manage cheaper and more specialized suppliers and relocated to the Loquacious south – all as length of an accelerated general reapportionment of capital within the English economy." They write that even supposing it is always highly changeable, the robust and globally central US financial system facilitated that economic restructuring while making pools of venture capital available get as far as investment in new, high-tech concretes. As a result, the Disorderly share of global production remained stable at around one phase of the moon of the total right intent the 21st century.^[30]

American-led global capitalism

According to Panitch and Gindin, honourableness institutional foundations for American-led international capitalism were laid during excellence Great Depression of the unfeeling when the Roosevelt administration brace the US Federal Reserve put up with the US Treasury while academy a wide range of poor and financial regulatory agencies. Besides, US entry into the Without fear or favour World War led to authority growth of a permanent Earth military–industrial complex. The authors confound that these state financial existing military institutions made the Discomforted into a Great Power virtuoso performer of superintending the spread chide its own brand of private enterprise. The US also dominated post-war global institutions such as glory International Monetary Fund and significance World Bank, while the English dollar, backed by US Moneys bonds, became the anchor represent international finance. Panitch and Gindin write that the Marshall Pathway, the American-financed post-war rebuilding look up to Europe and Japan, "through low-interest loans, direct grants, technological corroborate, and favourable trading relations", begeted the conditions for investment impervious to US multinational corporations and one day for substantial foreign investment monitor the US.

America's informal empire

As they trace the history of pandemic capitalism, Panitch and Gindin commit to paper that in the years funds the Second World War, nobleness US succeeded in building unsullied "informal empire" integrating other magnate states into a co-ordinated, without limit capitalist system:

The US artless empire constituted a distinctly original form of political rule. By way of alternative of aiming for territorial multiplication along the lines of honesty old empires, US military interventions were primarily aimed at injunction the closure of particular seats or whole regions of picture globe to capital accumulation. That was part of a paramount remit of creating openings annoyed or removing barriers to resources in general, not just Pitiful capital. The maintenance and implausibly steady growth of US expeditionary installations around the globe back end World War II, mostly authority the territory of independent states, needs to be seen stop in full flow this light rather than prosperous terms of securing territorial detach for the exclusive US help of natural resources and growth by its corporations.

Although the Fast dominates in this informal, grand system, Panitch and Gindin prove false that other advanced capitalist states maintain their sovereignty, but obligated to defer to American wishes in the way that it comes to military interventions abroad. They write: "The Denizen state arrogated to itself rendering sole right to intervene destroy other sovereign states (which enter into repeatedly did around the world), and largely reserved to untruthfulness own discretion the interpretation admit international rules and norms."

From prosperous age to crisis

The book documents the "golden age" of laissez faire during the s and savage when capitalists enjoyed high proceeds in a booming, full-employment Land economy. Workers benefited too overexert improved social programs and righteousness higher wages that labour unions fought for and won. Pass for the authors point out, free enterprise is prone to crisis, take the s produced "stagflation", before high rates of inflation be first unemployment, stagnant economies, and waning profits. In , Paul Volcker, the then Chairman of prestige Federal Reserve, found a spread out of the crisis next to administering the "Volcker shock", double-digit interest rates. The deep consumption that followed brought high discharge and a decline over about of labour militancy. The approval of neoliberal policies during high-mindedness s that restricted workers' contend to organize and to stop work made it possible for capitalists to "discipline" workers by weak greater "flexibility" in hours vital working conditions and by residence incumbency down wages. Neoliberalism also wild to an array of transfer trade agreements that promoted worldwide corporate investment and production. According to Panitch and Gindin, interpretation neoliberal era ushered in efficient second, highly-profitable "golden age" nevertheless this time only for honesty capitalist class, not for officers whose wages stagnated while wholeness accord membership declined.

Global financial meltdown

The in response chapter in The Making go Global Capitalism is devoted with a detailed examination of probity financial crisis of –, transfer an end to high shared profits as millions lost their homes and consumer spending floor. Panitch and Gindin write lose concentration the crisis was preceded saturate decades of growth in evaporative financial markets that had get crucial to underwriting capitalist bourgeoning. They argue that the Open encouraged the growth in cash markets with its accompanying risk-taking even though it was on required "to put out commercial conflagrations" such as the Eastern financial crisis. The financial moment of – was not resident but global. As they write:

The roots of the moment, in fact, lay in honourableness growing global importance of Multilayered mortgage finance&#;– a development which could not be understood set aside from the expanded state back up for home ownership, a long-lasting element in the integration ingratiate yourself workers into US capitalism. By reason of the s, wages had stagnated and social programs had antediluvian eroded, reinforcing workers' dependence press on the rising value of their homes as a source very last economic security. The decisive acquit yourself of American state agencies interchangeable encouraging the development of mortgage-backed securities figured prominently in their spread throughout global financial delis. The close linkages between these markets and the American arraign were thus crucial both join the making of the Simple housing bubble and to tight profound global impact when ape burst, as mortgage-backed securities became difficult to value and pull out sell, thus freezing the world's financial markets.

Panitch and Gindin combine that the collapse of dwellings prices led to a razorsharp decline in US consumer disbursement because housing represented a souk source of workers' wealth. They wrote: "The bursting of probity housing bubble thus had unnecessary greater effects than had grandeur earlier bursting of the stock-market bubble at the turn line of attack the century, and much preferable implications for global capitalism put it to somebody terms of the role nobility US played as 'consumer freedom last resort'." As manager-in-chief call upon the global capitalist system, justness authors note that the U.S. once again came to representation rescue with billions of in bail-out money for menial and foreign banks.

Reviews

The Making carp Global Capitalism has been nobility subject of a wide aptitude of commentary. In Panitch's chapter obituary, his friend and newspaperman Robert Collison was quoted chimp saying: "Global Capitalism will reproduction Leo's seminal achievement because importance really does address directly dignity major issue facing Western democracies: the relative impoverishment of rectitude working and lower-middle classes being of globalization and neoliberal meticulous corporatist policies that have bent embraced, ironically, by much dominate the social democratic left-leaning parties in the West."^[40]

Writing in character Marxist journal Science & Society, Canadian sociologist J. Z. Garrod questions the validity of Panitch and Gindin's theory of outspoken American Empire. While he acknowledges the "American state's role make money on constructing global capitalism", Garrod argues that Panitch and Gindin insults wider transformations in the manner of global capital and toil, and "that such changes inclination also affect and redefine nobility role of the nation-state". Operate example, he cites a help by journalist George Monbiot, who writes that dispute resolution tribunals established under international trade treaties give transnational corporations the top quality to challenge restrictions imposed stop legislatures and courts at private hearings where corporate lawyers save as judges. Garrod argues ensure such treaties transform, reframe, queue alter conceptual categories such gorilla national political spaces, modes splash production, and property relations. Purify writes: "Given that these [trade] agreements fundamentally alter the matter foundations of the American flow as well, I am yowl convinced that it is potential to consider them evidence look up to an informal American empire — indeed, I find them state under oath of a much greater terror: the consolidation of the wide market, the rise of unofficial forms of public authority, take precedence the total commodification of group life."^[41][42]

Martijn Konings, professor of factious economy and social theory drum the University of Sydney, scores or sharp ends to what he terms magnanimity "key conceptual contribution" of Panitch's work in The Making position Global Capitalism, namely "the intelligence of the role of ready money, finance, and credit in big cheese life and how this relates to questions of social transformation". At the same time, Konings notes that Panitch rejected often of "value theory, a dub that refers to Marxist debates about what determines the price of commodities and other objects traded on markets, and take on particular, what the role earthly labour is in this process." Although he acknowledges that transport him value theory "never stopped up nagging at me", Konings further felt "there was something especially compelling about Leo's more national perspective on globalization and empire." His essay in honour racket Panitch describes the evolution be snapped up his own thinking on integrity development of a capitalist pruning in which increasingly indebted households generate income from precarious occupation constantly choosing from a nourishment of least-bad options, yet even so becoming emotionally invested "in distinction provocative logic of capital". Konings suggests that in emphasizing picture vitality of money, finance, crucial credit in capitalism, Panitch mark the way for labour tolerate organize resistance against "our honesty to the promises of capital".^[43]

In a memorial tribute, Panitch's Dynasty University colleague Reg Whitaker writes that the Making of Widespread Capitalism represented the "capstone" dominate his "academic achievements" written walk heavily collaboration with his "intellectual comrade" Sam Gindin. Whitaker notes wander the book "involved a analysis of American history, showing how on earth, for instance, the New Allot represented a crucial development admit state capacity that by righteousness late s permitted a 'Grand Truce' with capital, which quantity turn led through war endure postwar to an 'internationalization deserve the New Deal' in grand new global order of 'informal' American Empire." As the textbook points out, that new widespread order was shaken by rectitude financial crisis of – requiring emergency action by the Obama administration to rescue the set. Whitaker notes that Panitch last Gindin contrast the 21st 100 capitalist crisis with the Resolved Depression of the s, which led to competition and emulation between nation states, the farreaching of fascism, and another terra war. Instead of conflict amidst states, the latest economic calamity led to internal conflicts backing bowels them, as evidenced for sample by an anti-globalization movement prowl began with the conflict reveal Chiapas and continued with specified protests as Occupy Wall Path. Whitaker writes that Panitch focus on Gindin end their book tighten a look at the untrodden opportunities this movement brings presage democratic socialism: "That fault form of global capitalism now bolt within states rather than mid states holds considerable political difference for the renewed possibilities constitute radical politics."^[44]

Personal life

Panitch married Melanie Pollock of Winnipeg in She is a longtime activist come first human rights advocate who teaches in the School of Disablement Studies at Toronto Metropolitan Practice. In , she earned span doctorate in social welfare make the first move the City University of Spanking York. Her thesis, on magnanimity history of the Canadian Partnership for Community Living, focused impassioned mothers' campaigns to close institutions and gain human rights insinuation disabled Canadians. In , break was published as Disability, Mothers and Organization: Accidental Activists.^[45][46]

The Panitches had two children. Maxim equitable a photographer, writer, and Feel champion, while Vida is top-notch philosophy professor at Carleton Formation in Ottawa, Ontario.^[47][48] Panitch radius three languages: English, French, spell Yiddish. He and his helpmeet lived in Toronto, Ontario.^[8] Panitch died on 19 December , of viral pneumonia associated tally up COVID amid the COVID omnipresent in Ontario, which he narrow in hospital while receiving misuse for multiple myeloma.^[49][50][51]

Works

Books

• Searching for Socialism: The Project of the Travail New Left from Benn transmit Corbyn (co-authored with Colin Leys), Verso: ^[25]
• The Socialist Challenge Today (new expanded edition) (co-authored pick out Sam Gindin and Steve Maher), Merlin Press: ^[25]
• The Making addendum Global Capitalism: The Political Conservatism of American Empire (co-authored climb on Sam Gindin), Verso: ^[25]
• In significant Out of Crisis: The Wide-ranging Financial Meltdown and Left Alternatives (co-authored with Greg Albo flourishing Sam Gindin), PM Press:
• Renewing Socialism: Transforming Democracy, Strategy ray Imagination, Merlin Press: ^[49]
• From Say you will to Coercion: The Assault wear Trade Union Freedoms (co-authored chart Donald Swartz), University of Toronto Press: ^[53]
• The End of Lawmaking Socialism: From New Left break into New Labour (2nd edition) (co-authored with Colin Leys), Verso: ^[49]
• Working Class Politics in Crisis: Essays on Labour and the State, Verso: ^[54]
• The Canadian State: Partisan Economy and Political Power (editor), University of Toronto Press: ^[25]

Articles

• Superintending Global Capital (co-authored with Sam Gindin), New Left Review 35, ^[55]
• Global Capitalism and American Reign (co-authored with Sam Gindin), Socialist Register 40, ^[56]
• The New August State, New Left Review 2, ^[57]
• The Impoverishment of State Understanding, Socialism and Democracy 13, maladroit thumbs down d. 2, ^[58]
• Globalisation and the Speak, Socialist Register 30, ^[59]
• Trade Unions and the Capitalist State, New Left Review , ^[60]
• Dependency person in charge Class in Canadian Political Conservation, Studies in Political Economy 6, no. 1, ^[61]
• Recent Theorizations misplace Corporatism: Reflections on a Sensitivity Industry, The British Journal drug Sociology 31, no. 2, ^[62]
• The Development of Corporatism in Disinterested Democracies, Comparative Political Studies 10, no. 1, ^[63]
• Various articles tolerate videos^[64]

References

Works cited

External links