Positive Money

Prof. Robert Guttmann looks at the current transformation of the international world order through the lenses of global money and finance.

This paper attempts to clarify how the European economic crisis from 2007 onwards can be understood from the perspective of a Marxian monetary theory of value that emphasizes intrinsic, structural flaws regarding capitalist reproduction. Chapter two provides an empirical description of the European economic crisis, which to some extent already reflects the structural theoretical framework presented in chapter three. Regarding the theoretical framework Michael Heinrich's interpretation of 'the' Marxian monetary theory of value will be presented. Heinrich identifies connections between production and realization, between profit and interest rate as well as between industrial and fictitious capital, which represent contradictory tendencies for which capitalism does not have simple balancing processes. In the context of a discussion of 'structural logical aspects' of Marx's Critique of the Political Economy, explanatory deficits of Heinrich's approach are analyzed. In the following, it is argued that Fred Moseley's view of these 'structural logical aspects' allows empirical 'applications' of Marxian monetary theories of value. It is concluded that a Marxian monetary theory of value, with the characteristics of expansive capital accumulation and its limitations, facilitates a structural analysis of the European economic crisis from 2007 onwards. In this line of argument, expansive production patterns are expressed, among other things, in global restructuring processes, while consumption limitations are mitigated by expansive financial markets and shifts in ex-port destinations.

Western sanctions on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine quickly led the Ruble to lose more than 45 percent of its value. But these days, the Russian currency is back to its pre-war value. Cameron and Adam explain the turnaround and discuss what it means for the war.

Prof. Kädtler (Soziologe) betrachtet die Kapitalismusform des "Finanzmarktkapitalismus" aus soziologischer Perspektive, im besonderen aus Sicht der Konventionenökonomik. Nach Einführungen in (a) Finanzmärkte, (b) Finanzialisierung und Finanzmarktkapitalismus (ab 9:30) sowie (c) Formationstheorien und „Cultural Economy"-Ansätze (u.a. Konventionenökonomik) (ab 16:00), liegt der Schwerpunkt der Analyse darauf, (d) mithilfe der Konventionenökonomik zu erklären, wie ein System des Finanzmarktkapitalismus entstehen konnte (ab 38:00). Kurz geht der Vortragende am Ende der Frage nach, warum sich die Situation auch nach der globalen Finanzkrise nicht geändert hat. Der Vortrag bietet einen interessanten ersten Einblick in die soziologische Perspektive auf Finanzmarktkapitalismus. Die Hauptanalyse und die Anwendung der Theorie an praktischen Beispielen ist eher kurz gehalten, allerdings werden relevante Schulen und Autoren genannt, die weiter recherchiert werden können.