Abstract In the face of the current COVID-19 pandemic, this article analyzes the shift of stand of several governments around the world from their neoliberal and privatizer economic regimes, which limit the role of the state, and have had a disastrous outcome when it comes to facing the pandemic. Now, with the impending need of stopping the spreading of the disease and overcoming the crisis, even the most faithful followers of neoliberalism have recognized the importance of increasing public spending, and that it should be the state the one in charge of universal public healthcare and economic recovery.

Resumen Ante la actual pandemia de Covid-19, este artículo analiza el cambio de postura de diversos gobiernos en todo el mundo respecto de sus regímenes económicos neoliberales y privatizadores, que limitan el papel del Estado, lo cual ha derivado en la actualidad en consecuencias desastrosas en el enfrentamiento de la enfermedad. Ahora, con la necesidad inminente de detener la pandemia y superar la crisis, hasta los más férreos seguidores del neoliberalismo se han dado cuenta de la necesidad de aumentar el gasto público y de que sea el Estado el que tome las riendas de la salud pública universal y la recuperación económica.

From political economy to economic policy: The neo-developmentalism and the Lula administration. This article critically reviews the design of neo-developmentalist economic policies in Brazil, in the first half of the last decade, and their relationship with the economic policies of the Lula administration after 2006. Paradoxically, the neo-developmentalist policies were implemented jointly with the main (neoliberal) macroeconomic policies which had been introduced earlier. The article reviews the relevant literature, and examines the contradictory nature of this 'inflection' of economic policy. So far, this combination of policies has achieved an unquestionable - though provisional - success, despite the persistence of the structural macroeconomic problems due to the continuity of the neoliberal policies.

RESUMO Este artigo baseia-se em Bresser-Pereira e Nakano (2003), a fim de delinear uma estratégia de crescimento favorável aos pobres para os países de renda média. Essa estratégia evita as armadilhas do modelo neoliberal implementado em vários países no rescaldo da crise da dívida internacional de 1982 e é propício à distribuição de renda e ao crescimento sustentável simultaneamente.

ABSTRACT This paper draws upon Bresser-Pereira and Nakano (2003), in order to outline a pro-poor growth strategy for middle-income countries. This strategy avoids the pitfalls of the neoliberal model implemented in several countries in the aftermath of the 1982 international debt crisis, and is conducive to income distribution and sustainable growth simultaneously.

RESUMO Este artigo analisa o desempenho da economia brasileira durante os anos 90, à luz da mudança de política neomonetarista implementada de maneira desigual, mas incremental, ao longo desta década. O artigo mostra que essa mudança de política foi associada a, e contribuiu para, uma mudança na estrutura da indústria de transformação, a deterioração financeira do setor público, o aperto da restrição da balança de pagamentos e o aumento da dependência econômica externa. Essas mudanças estruturais foram em grande parte responsáveis pela crise cambial de 1999. As medidas políticas subsequentes falharam amplamente em lidar com essas fraquezas da economia brasileira.

ABSTRACT This paper reviews the performance of the Brazilian economy during the 1990s, in the light of the neomonetarist policy shift implemented unevenly but incrementally across this decade. The paper shows that this policy shift was associated with, and contributed to, a change in the structure of manufacturing industry, the financial deterioration of the public sector, the tightening of the balance of payments constraint, and increasing external economic dependence. These structural changes were largely responsible for the currency crisis of 1999. Subsequent policy measures have largely failed to address these weaknesses of the Brazilian economy.

RESUMO Este artigo trata de dois aspectos da inflação: conflito distributivo e o papel do dinheiro extra. Nesse contexto, o artigo discute algumas características do processo inflacionário no Brasil, dificuldades de reprodução da moeda durante o processo inflacionário e quais foram os aspectos que foram resolvidos pelo Plano Real. Por fim, são abordadas as perspectivas do Plano Real.

ABSTRACT This article deals with two aspects of inflation: distributive conflict and the role of extra money. In this context, the paper discusses some characteristic features of inflation process in Brazil, difficulties of the reproduction of the money during the inflation process and what were the aspects that have been solved by the Real Plan. Finally, Plano Real’s prospects are addressed.

RESUMO A “nova dialética” oferece uma nova interpretação do método de Marx. Sua faceta mais saliente é a ênfase em certos aspectos da lógica hegeliana para a interpretação dos escritos de Marx, em especial O Capital. Este artigo apresenta sistematicamente o argumento da “nova dialética” e os principais problemas dessa abordagem. Os últimos derivam da presunção de que a riqueza do concreto está contida na mercadoria e pode ser revelada apenas através da dialética. Essa visão é deficiente porque negligencia a influência de elementos historicamente contingentes na realidade concreta, e seu papel na análise de Marx.

ABSTRACT The “new dialectic” offers a new interpretation of Marx’s method. Its most salient feature is the emphasis on certain aspects of Hegelian logic for the interpretation of Marx’s writings, especially The Capital. This article systematically presents the “new dialectic” argument and the main problems with this approach. The latter derive from the assumption that the richness of the concrete is contained in the commodity and can be revealed only through dialectics. This view is deficient because it neglects the influence of historically contingent elements on concrete reality, and its role in Marx’s analysis.