New School GA Holds Teach-In of Their Own
On November 8, the New School General Assembly gathered for a teach-in at the Lang Cafe called "Demystifying the Economic Crisis," featuring a speech from Paul Mattick, professor of philosophy at Adelphi University. (Harrison Golden)
The New School General Assembly sponsored the latest in a line of teach-ins and Occupy Wall Street-oriented discussions at The New School on November 8. “Demystifying the Economic Crisis,” held in the Lang Cafe at 65 W. 11 St., represented an effort to encourage the ‘99 percent’ to take charge of the globalized economy’s well-being.
The teach-in featured Paul Mattick, a professor of philosophy at Adelphi University who identified himself as ideologically aligned with Marxist economics. Mattick argued that while the global financial crisis has caused a widespread rise in personal debt and unemployment, it should be viewed as a natural consequence of capitalism.
“Economic downturns are not unusual, strange events,” Mattick said. “Repetition is a natural form of life for social systems.”
The New School GA is the university’s student-organized offshoot of the general assemblies that have become a hallmark of the Occupy Wall Street movement. The group is attempting to hold an open meeting in the Lang building’s courtyard every week, with the intention of discussing their grievances regarding The New School’s direction and further popularizing the movement within the university community.
Mattick insisted that, as the nation inches toward a slow economic recovery, the next few months are crucial in determining the financial future of many Americans. In his view, that will require a great deal of innovation and imagination.
“What is going on will only be revealed over time,” he added. “If you’re trying to determine how it is now, you can’t do it just by looking at data. We must think about it abstractly.”
Closing in on its second month, Occupy Wall Street has made headlines around the world through the ideas and actions of its demonstrators. The protest began at Zuccotti Park on September 17 with roughly 1,000 people. With help from social media outlets, it has now expanded into a global movement of millions rallying against economic inequality and corporate greed.
As the demonstrations continue, members of the New School GA are determined that teach-ins such as Mattick’s will help students see the global economic crisis as a chance to learn from the cycles of history.
“[Paul] has got a really intelligent take on the crisis,” said John David, a member of the New School GA who also moderated the teach-in. “We hope that this will set the stage for understanding the turmoil that is going on.”
The New School GA plans to hold similar speeches and discussions in the coming weeks in an effort to contribute to that approach.
“The important thing [for this economy] is to provide the ability to work,” said David. “With issues like unemployment, universities are necessary places for figuring out where to go next.”
The teach-in featured Paul Mattick, a professor of philosophy at Adelphi University who identified himself as ideologically aligned with Marxist economics. Mattick argued that while the global financial crisis has caused a widespread rise in personal debt and unemployment, it should be viewed as a natural consequence of capitalism.
“Economic downturns are not unusual, strange events,” Mattick said. “Repetition is a natural form of life for social systems.”
The New School GA is the university’s student-organized offshoot of the general assemblies that have become a hallmark of the Occupy Wall Street movement. The group is attempting to hold an open meeting in the Lang building’s courtyard every week, with the intention of discussing their grievances regarding The New School’s direction and further popularizing the movement within the university community.
Mattick insisted that, as the nation inches toward a slow economic recovery, the next few months are crucial in determining the financial future of many Americans. In his view, that will require a great deal of innovation and imagination.
“What is going on will only be revealed over time,” he added. “If you’re trying to determine how it is now, you can’t do it just by looking at data. We must think about it abstractly.”
Closing in on its second month, Occupy Wall Street has made headlines around the world through the ideas and actions of its demonstrators. The protest began at Zuccotti Park on September 17 with roughly 1,000 people. With help from social media outlets, it has now expanded into a global movement of millions rallying against economic inequality and corporate greed.
As the demonstrations continue, members of the New School GA are determined that teach-ins such as Mattick’s will help students see the global economic crisis as a chance to learn from the cycles of history.
“[Paul] has got a really intelligent take on the crisis,” said John David, a member of the New School GA who also moderated the teach-in. “We hope that this will set the stage for understanding the turmoil that is going on.”
The New School GA plans to hold similar speeches and discussions in the coming weeks in an effort to contribute to that approach.
“The important thing [for this economy] is to provide the ability to work,” said David. “With issues like unemployment, universities are necessary places for figuring out where to go next.”
More by this Author
Featured Articles
