The Permanent War Economy

Sundays at 2:00pm ET from May 18th to June 29th, 2025

In this course we will aim to develop an understanding of the roles of militarisation and war in the political economy of capitalism. Do militarisation or war solve a problem for capitalism? What role does military power play in the structure of capitalist society? Can we explain the emergence of 20th-century fascism by considering these connections? And how has the interplay between militarism, war, and capitalism developed over the last century or so?

We’ll explore these questions by engaging with a range of readings in political economy, sociology, and history. A number of the authors employ one or another Marxist lens, but not all do. The course will move chronologically, for the most part, and in the final session we’ll bring what we’ve learned to bear on the conflicts that have occupied so much of our attention in the last few years. Overall, the course will enable members to understand the relationship between our current economic system and the so-called forever wars, and to develop greater literacy in political economy more generally.

English