Billion dollar refineries are closed in one part of the world, while others open elsewhere. This is the craziness of the global capitalist economy. It wastes huge amounts of material and human resources, whereas these same resources could be used in a global plan to develop the economy in way more in line with the interests of all the people of the world.

In the society in which we currently find ourselves, class society, a small minority of the population holds ownership and control over industry, banks and all major means for producing wealth. Because we, the workers, do not get to enjoy this wealth, although we create it, our lives are reduced to working for wages that disappear when we pay the bills. How does the ruling class keep us putting up with such a lifestyle? One way is the fact that the ruling class’s ideology permeates contemporary culture and dominates the media.

Banks are paying out huge bonuses to the very same speculators who were responsible for the credit crunch in the first place. Banking is to remain a financial wild west. If we want a financial system that works for the interest of the people we need to get rid of the whole capitalist system.

General Motors has announced that it will cut 8,300 jobs in Europe alone in a bid to reduce its overcapacity. The first plant to go was in Antwerp, Belgium. Workers in other GM plants, and in the whole industry, must now unite and resist in order to defend their jobs and living standards.

The world of international finance has been shaken by the default in Dubai. Commentators have suggested that this could be the cause of the recession moving into a double dip. Now the Greek government is running a government deficit of 12.7% of GDP, which is more than four times the permitted European maximum. Capitalism stalks one country after another, probing for weaknesses and laying the weakest low. This system is inherently unstable. As long as it exists, it threatens all our livelihoods.

Big banks like Goldman Sachs have become flush with free money and have been announcing mega-results for the third quarter of last year. They have also started to pay huge bonuses again for bankers and directors. So it’s business as usual for capitalism - at a time when a record number of Americans (32million) are on food stamps, unemployment of various sorts has reached 16% of the workforce and people are losing their homes.