The Stock Market and the “Real” Economy: Lessons from the Great Depression

The Great Depression saw global production plummet, and threw tens of millions into unemployment. A decade of instability and class struggle was only ended with the onset of WWII. The crash of 1929 was preceded by levels of speculation that appear eerily similar to the stock market bubble today. But what does the stock market actually represent? This talk will explore the real cause of the Great Depression and what communists should do to prepare as the alarms for another crash today are blaring.

This discussion will be introduced by Erika Roedl, a leading member of the RCA.

Reading list:

Books

• The Great Crash 1929: The Classic Study of that Disaster – Robert Galbraith

Articles

• The Wall Street Crash and the Great Depression: Lessons for today – James Kilby
• Crisis and Class Struggle in the 1930s and Today – RCA (2009)
• Marxism in Our Time – Leon Trotsky
• FAQ: What is the stock market? – The Communist 
• Marxism, Keynesianism, and the Crisis of Capitalism – Adam Booth
• The Organic Crisis of Capitalism – Rob Sewell
• What the stock market bubble can tell us about the state of the US economy – Niklas Albin Svensson