Noted recall: The goal is to describe, in just a few words, what the article is about. Additionally, if I think the article is particularly note-worthy (good or bad), I will comment on that. Compare this to a small sticky note, something to jog your memory about the contents of an article. Of course, if I miss the point of an article, or fail to find anything remarkable, that is entirely the fault of the reviewer.
Available at: https://monthlyreview.org/2018/10/01/mr-070-05-2018-09_0/
The Communist Manifesto, 170 Years Later - Samir Amin
(read 2018-10-07)
Long disjointed essay on the Communist Manifesto. Some predictions made by Marx about where revolution would occur, what he got right and wrong. Amin's theory of the evolution of society and where capitalism fits.
Nothing to Lose but Their Chains - Michael D. Yates
(read 2018-10-07)
A look at working class freedom. Some history, rise of unskilled labor as an aspect of value creation; e.g., from a skilled laborer, taking a task and then splitting it into smaller parts each to be completed by an unskilled laborer. Labor unions as one construct to preserve worker power, a look at other social aspects which hinder (or help) the working class (or capitalist class): (division of) skill, capital mobility, nationalism and imperialism, race and gender.
On the Nature of the Chinese Economic System - Zhiming Long, Rémy Herrera, and Tony Andréani
(read 2018-10-10)
Looks at various aspects of the economy in China, comparing socialist vs capitalist tendencies. State owned enterprises. State directed management/policies/direction. Production, exports; says cheap labor is a small aspect of competitive advantage, also mentions state subsidies, e.g., energy. Financial markets seem to be moving towards more unregulated capitalism, but the state is hindering change for social reasons.
A Subaltern Perspective on China's Ecological Crisis - Lau Kin Chi
(read 2018-10-10)
A look at natural resource usage in China. Air pollution; water pollution; water shortage. Some projects to improve the natural resources, a look at the social costs, and success. (Short description here, but worth reading)