As the economic crash of 2007–8 and its sequels developed, neoliberal economists often said that economic theory can never cope with such eruptions, and left-minded and political economists struggled to find answers. This book documents discussions as they developed; an introduction and an afterword tell the story of the crisis, and offer syntheses and angles on some of the debated issues. What were the chief imbalances in the world economy? Is US hegemony breaking down? Were falling profit rates at the root of the crash, and if so why were they falling? How does "financialisation" reshape capitalism? Why did neoliberalism prove so resilient? How might the repercussions lead to it being subverted from the right or from the left?
Contributors are Robert Brenner, Dick Bryan, Trevor Evans, Barry Finger, Daniela Gabor, Andrew Gamble, Michel Husson, Andrew Kliman, Costas Lapavitsas, Simon Mohun, Fred Moseley, Leo Panitch, Hugo Radice, and Alfredo Saad-Filho.