The Future of Western Democracies

This week’s episode of International Marxist Radio (IMR) features presenter Joe Attard speaking to Socialist Appeal writer Ben Gliniecki about the crisis of liberalism – and specifically about whether this crisis is now abating, as some bourgeois commentators have claimed. This is merely wishful thinking.



Events in recent years – such as the reelection of Macron in France, the imposing of Sunak in Britain, the election of Biden in the US among others – point to an uptick in fortunes for the institutions of liberal capitalism, or so the argument goes.



But as Ben explains, these examples demonstrate nothing of the sort; rather, it is only the absence of a convincing alternative on the left that allows this ailing system to go on at all.



Disclaimer: this discussion was recorded at the end of 2022. We are publishing it as it is still relevant now, despite some of the particulars having moved on somewhat.