The world of tomorrow - scenarios of our future between catastrophe and hope by Ingar Solty

The world of tomorrow - scenarios of our future between catastrophe and hope By Ingar Solty [This article published in December 2019 is translated from the German on the Internet, https://www.zeitschrift-luxemburg.de/die-welt-von-morgen-szenarien-unserer-zukunftzwischen-katastrophe-und-hoffnung/ Green New Deal, crisis, neoliberalism, socialism, transformation, strategy and perspectives, right-wing populism With the financial crash of 2008, the crises of capitalism became obvious. Many hoped for a left-wing awakening. But austerity and authoritarianism were able to assert themselves globally. In the meantime, neoliberalism has been disenchanted and the world is on fire. What are the scenarios of our future? The crisis this time Twelve years ago capitalism entered its deepest crisis since the 1930s. It was not only an economic crisis, but a major "organic crisis" articulated at all levels of society: as a crisis of the political and of democracy, of social reproduction, as an ecological and climate crisis, and as a crisis of the world order. In their responses to this crisis, the rulers in the capitalist centers drew lessons from the great crises of the 20th century, which had led to the rise of right-wing national forces, to two world wars, but also to socialist revolutions. They agreed on economic stimulus packages, the purpose of which, however, was disputed within the (neo-)liberal governments: Did they serve a short-term stabilization of financial market capitalism or did they aim at its long-term reconstruction? The crisis led to cracks and directional struggles in the ruling power bloc, in which the neoliberals finally prevailed. Around 2010, the states of the "West" switched to austerity and competition policies and to strategies of internal (and external) devaluation of costs and wages. In the euro area this led to costly bank bailouts and high levels of public debt. Individual states came under pressure from international financial markets. However, this connection was concealed. According to the prevailing interpretation, the affected states had "lived beyond their means". In return for the emergency loans from the troika, the Greek government had to commit itself to massive social cuts and privatisations. As a result, a new European economic government ("fiscal pact") permanently committed all eurozone states to a strict austerity course. Against this policy, a transnational cycle of social movements developed, which showed an alternative path. It was a situation open to history: as in all historical crises, the class struggles were to decide on the outcome of the conflict and the new shape of capitalism, and perhaps even on how to overcome it. In this situation, the Institute for Social