The Downfall of Capitalism and Communism

The Downfall of Capitalism and Communism is a book by Ravi Batra in the field of historical evolution, first published in 1978. The book's full title is The Downfall of Capitalism and Communism: A New Study of History. Following the collapse of Soviet Communism in 1990, a 2nd edition was published with the title The Downfall of Capitalism and Communism: Can Capitalism Be Saved?

The book introduced an application of P.R. Sarkar's idea that different socio-political groups, based on "inherent differences in human nature", that in turn are rooted in "characteristics of the mind," rotate in controlling the social motivity, determine the historical evolution over time.^[1] Batra argues that groups of warriors, intellectuals or acquisitors take turns at leading society in their respective ages marked by ascension, supremacy and decline; citing historical examples.^[2]

The end of the Soviet Union and the Iron curtain occurred just over one decade after the book was published; but the regime was not replaced in the way Batra predicted.^[3]

Downfall of communism

The predicted downfall of the increasingly enfeebled age of warriors or communism began in 1989 with revolutions in Eastern Europe and ended in 1990 with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The Italian Prime Minister awarded Batra the Medal of the Italian Senate for his accurate prediction in 1990.^[4]

"I will now argue that the new [intellectual] era in Russian society has been long overdue, and that the next transition could come at any time, perhaps in the next twenty-five to fifty years, perhaps in another century. But come it must. And the current Soviet repression of intellectuals, is simply a harbinger of the new intellectual age" (pg. 220, 1978 edn).

Downfall of capitalism

From 2007, Batra writes, the age of acquisitors in the West has come under a grave strain as financial capitalism has suddenly erupted in a full blown financial crisis. He posits that, to some extent, the election of Barack Obama as US President in November 2008 is a sign of public rejection of the economic policies of George W. Bush.^[5] In the autumn of 2011, the Occupy Wall Street movement, protesting against "social and economic inequality, corporate greed, and the influence of corporate money and lobbyists on government, among other concerns", has spread throughout the USA. In European countries seriously affected by the crisis, such as Iceland in October 2008 and Eastern Europe in February 2009, significant political changes have taken place.^[6][7][8] In 2010 and 2011, riots have broken out in Greece and other countries in response to ever greater demands for fiscal austerity to stem the European sovereign debt crisis.

Batra suggested capitalism would collapse before communism.

That capitalism is eventually doomed to extinction, even its most ardent supporters would admit. Many would argue that by gradual evolution itself the facial features of capitalism will be altered, if not transformed. However, I believe the [social] revolution will occur in the next twenty-five to fifty years. (pg. 238)

In 1985, in The Great Depression of 1990, Batra predicted the collapse of capitalism would begin in 1990. In 2007, Batra made new predictions in his book The New Golden Age: The Coming Revolution against Political Corruption and Economic Chaos which he subsequently felt were being realised with the Occupy Wall Street movement.^[9]

See also

• Law of Social Cycle
• Progressive Utilization Theory

References