Although much has been written on the failed attempt of German officers and conservative politicians to overthrow Hitler during World War II, the German leftist movement dedicated to the same goal has received little attention in the West. This book is the first fully documented account of the National Committee Free Germany (NKFD), an organization of German prisoners of war and Communist exiles who in 1943 established an antifascist movement on Soviet soil to overthrow Hitler. Based on extensive interviews with surviving members of the organization and a thorough examination of East German archives, this study presents a wealth of information on the subject that has not until now been available outside the Communist bloc. Tracing the origins of the German antifascist movement of the 1930s, Schoenhals discusses the creation of the National Committee Free Germany and the League of German Officers and describes the wartime activities of the groups. Although the NKFD officially disbanded at the end of the war, the participation of its former members intensified when some of them were repatriated to Soviet-occupied Germany in 1945. The author assesses the influence of the Free Germany movement leaders on developments in the Soviet Zone of Occupation (1945-1949) and the GDR after October 1949. Playing a central role in the construction of the new socialist state, veterans of the National Committee were instrumental in establishing both the National People's Army and the National Democratic Party of Germany. The author comments on the bitter postwar reactions of West Germans to this group, who were considered outright traitors or at best dupes of the Communists. With its rich documentation and balanced analysis, this work is a significant contribution to the literature of World War II and a valuable resource for students or researchers working in either political science or history.

Over one million people write political blogs, yet a select few wield enormous power within the political blogosphere and over politics in general. Known as the "political blogging A-list", these bloggers command the majority of blogging traffic; set the agenda for the rest of the political blogosphere; and have a strong influence on politics, whether it is directly through blogging, or indirectly through influencing mainstream news media. In Making it in the Political Blogosphere, Tanni Haas profiles and interviews twenty of the world's top political bloggers, who share the secrets of their success. Despite the partisan nature of blogging, in which Liberals, Conservatives and Libertarians share the same space, the twenty bloggers are in surprising agreement about what makes a successful blogger. In securing access to the political blogging A-list, Haas has provided us with an entertaining sequence of interviews, which are invaluable to any aspiring political blogger.

This newly revised eighth edition of Southeast Asia in the New International Era provides readers with contemporary coverage of a vibrant region home to more than 650 million people, vast cultural diversity, and dynamic globalized markets. Sensitive to historical legacies and paying special attention to developments since the end of the Cold War, this book highlights the events, players, and institutions that shape the region. Employing a country-by-country format, the analysis engages in context-specific treatment of the region's eleven countries: Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei. Fully updated, the book's revised content includes Rodrigo Duterte's drug war in the Philippines, Malaysia's historic 2018 election ending four decades of UMNO rule, Hun Sen's latest power grab in Cambodia, and a consequential monarchical transition in post-coup Thailand. It also analyzes recent developments in the South China Sea dispute, the Rohingya tragedy in Myanmar, China's expanding Belt and Road Initiative, as well as the effects of the Trump Administration's tariffs and trade war. An excellent resource for students, this textbook makes sense of the region's coups, elections, policy debates, protests, and alliances, leaving readers with a solid foundation for further study.

For the past 15 years, Africa has seen remarkable change. New energies, new experiences, a burst of creativity, a courage defying explanation are being manifested by millions of people. Especially in the villages, a silent revolution is underway that is changing the continent's developmental landscape. In tropical Africa, literally millions of farmers have moved to take the future into their own hands and to reclaim the self-reliance that was theirs until the disruption of colonial occupation and the post-independence era of rapid modernization. As a result of the tens of thousands of small village projects that they have initiated, these farmers are improving their living conditions.

Because most people outside of Africa know little of these changes, Pradervand has written of a grassroots revolution which could be the greatest sign of hope for Africa today. This unique study, the outgrowth of his four and one-half month, 14,000 kilometer trip through 111 villages in Senegal, Mali, Burkina, Faso, Zimbabwe, and Kenya topples many stereotypes and offers a hopeful view of African development. It describes the numerous self-help projects initiated by peasant farmers including the creating of original savings schemes, the invention of new food storage systems, the distribution of family planning information, the setting up of barter exchanges, the organization of centers for traditional medicine, and the building of indigenous farmers' organizations. The book also lays great emphasis on the cultural dimensions of development and how peasant-farmers are stressing the need to return to their own cultural roots.

The book is a historical perspective relating to various events, dates, and figures.

This collection of essays reflects constructive engagement with a liberal and progressive programme of Christian theology over a number of years. The themes are diverse - from the renewal of Christology and the ecumenical dimensions of ecclesiology to human rights and emancipatory theology. Particular theologians, from Schleiermacher and Juengel in continental Europe, to Baillie and Lampe in the UK, are discussed. The preface and epilogue underline the urgent need for new and viable contemporary liberal theological voices to re-imagine the doctrinal, ethical and political implications of the Christian gospel. The final piece offers a progressive perspective on the sexuality debate in the churches.

Driven by modernity conflicts abound between religion and science and democracy as they have been since Christianity came upon the scene 2000 years ago. A underlying reason for the conflicts is the fundamental difference in the acquisition of knowledge: religion from the-top down with knowledge given by God without errors, and science and governance from the-bottom up through messy trials and errors and more trials and errors with no gifts from supernatural powers. These two vastly different paths for learning can only lead to conflicting outcomes as history has indeed recorded. The depth and reach of past conflicts of Christianity with science and democracy are examined to uncover the specific truths (theories) underlying past conflicts. During the critical time of the formation of our democracy our Founding Fathers succeeded in building a bridge (approval by vote) between Christians (the majority) and the godless Constitution they wrote that could serve all of the people and prevent the strife of religious conflicts that had engulfed Europe. One of the Founders, Thomas Jefferson, codified for his personal guidance his accommodation between religion and government which he had used in his contributions to some of our country's founding documents. Jefferson's personal insight illuminates paths for us to follow to today for resolution of conflicts. The book evolved from a series of lectures on the conflicts between religion and science and government and discussions on possible resolutions with students of many different backgrounds over a three year period.

This book presents new conceptual and methodological approaches to studying religiosity in Europe. From her unique background of working with the Church of Sweden statistics and official statistics on the increasing religious diversity in Sweden, Willander illustrates how previous and current methods of analysing religiosity overlook substantial aspects in patterns of affiliation, belief and practice. Unity, Division and the Religious Mainstream in Sweden draws on the sociological imagination in the sociology of religion to offer a new and empirically-driven analytical framework that shifts the focus to religious change in general, and will contribute greatly to ongoing discussions about majority forms of religiosity and their social relevance in contemporary times. It will be of use to students and scholars with a focus on the sociology of religion, as well as sociology, political science, epistemology and media studies.

"Reagan's Mandate-Anecdotes from Inside Washington's Iron Triangle," describes how Washington's Iron Triangle--the combination of Congress, lobbies, and Administration --changed our national government thirty years ago. The book recounts Dr. McLennan's journey, in the 1970s and 1980s, from university professor to minority staff member on the House Budget Committee., to the office of a young Senator, to the Treasury Department to work on tax reform, and to the Commerce Department where as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Trade Information and Analysis she represented the U.S. to international organizations and supervised the preparation of numerous government publications. The memoir is unique because Dr. McLennan was the only Congressional staff member to work both on Reagan's first budget in the House and his first tax bill in the Senate. These bills passed Congress with strong bipartisan support. In 1984, as the only Congressional staffer to move to the Treasury Department, she participated in the preparation of the study that proposed tax reform. Based on this study, Congress in 1986 reformed the income tax with bipartisan support. All of these events occurred at a time when very few women held senior positions in the U. S. government When Dr. McLennan entered the job market many women didn't work, and most didn't pursue higher education. The only female in many college classes, she became one of very few women in 1965 who earned a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Wisconsin. Only small numbers of women then worked as business executives, professors, lawyers, doctors, or senior government officials. "Reagan's Mandate" tells about women's progress in the U.S. job market over the last part of the twentieth century. "Reagan's Mandate" shows how our federal government made decisions when the President set the agenda, Congress passed the laws, and elected political majorities were small and weak. The memoir addresses election year issues of concern to people who care about the day-to-day operations and policy change in our government: budget balancing, taxes, and international trade.

Leading animal rights activist Gene Baur examines the real cost of the meat on our plates -- for both humans and animals alike -- in this provocative and thorough examination of the modern farm industry.
Many people picture cows, sheep, pigs, and chickens as friendly creatures who live happily within the confines of a peaceful family farm, arriving as food for humans only at the end of their sun-drenched lives. That's what Gene Baur had been told -- but when he first visited a stockyard he realized that this rosy depiction couldn't be more inaccurate.
Amid the stench, noise, and filth, his attention was drawn in particular to one sheep who had been cast aside for dead. But as Baur walked by, the sheep raised her head and looked right at him. She was still alive, and the one thing Baur knew for sure that day was that he had to get her to safety. Hilda, as she was later named, was nursed back to health and soon became the first resident of Farm Sanctuary -- an organization dedicated to the rescue, care, and protection of farm animals.
The truth is that farm production does not depend on the family farmer with a small herd of animals but instead resembles a large, assembly-line factory. Animals raised for human consumption are confined for the entirety of their lives and often live without companionship, fresh air, or even adequate food and water.Viewed as production units rather than living beings with feelings, ten billion farm animals are exploited specifically for food in the United States every year.
In "Farm Sanctuary," Baur provides a thoughtprovoking investigation of the ethical questions involved in the production of beef, poultry, pork, milk, and eggs -- and what each of us can do to stop the mistreatment of farm animals and promote compassion. He details the triumphs and the disappointments of more than twenty years on the front lines of the animal protection movement. And he introduces sanctuary. us to some of the special creatures who live at Farm Sanctuary -- from Maya the cow to Marmalade the chicken -- all of whom escaped horrible circumstances to live happier, more peaceful lives. "Farm Sanctuary" shows how all of us have an opportunity and a responsibility to consume a kinder plate, making a better life for ourselves and animals as well. You will certainly never think of a hamburger or chicken breast the same way after reading this book.

"America's Failure In Iraq" (402 pages, 198 photographs, 2 maps), explores the involvement of the United States in Iraq beginning with the Gulf War of 1991, under the 'leadership' of President George H.W. Bush and Colin Powell. It continues through the post-war years of the impotent United Nations sanctions that destroyed the Iraqi economy, the events of September 11, 2001, and the ineptitude of our nation's senior leadership, that culminated with the US invasion of Iraq in the spring of 2003. The termination of the Gulf War was one of the worst political-military decisions of modern times. But the invasion of Iraq by his son 12 years later led the United States into a 'mini-Vietnam' scenario that has split our nation down the middle again.

On its 25th anniversary, Lunch with the Financial Times will showcase the most entertaining, incisive and fascinating interviews from the past five years. _____ Lunch with the Financial Times has been a permanent fixture in the Financial Times for almost 25 years, featuring presidents, film stars, musical icons and business leaders from around the world. The column is now as well-established institution which has reinvigorated the art of conversation in the convivial, intimate environment of a long boozy lunch. _____ Includes lunches with: Elon Musk Donald Trump Hilary Mantel Richard Branson Zadie Smith Nigel Farage Russell Brand David Guetta Yanis Varoufakis Jean-Claude Juncker Gwyneth Paltrow Rebecca Solnit Jordan Peterson Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie And more...

Miyazawa Kiichi played a leading role in Japan's government and politics from 1942 until 2003, during which time he served as Prime Minister, and also as Minister of Finance, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of International Trade and Industry, Director General of the Economic Planning Agency, and Chief Cabinet Secretary. In this oral history autobiography, he discusses with candor and detail a wide range of topics, including his 1939 visit to the United States, recovery policies during the postwar occupation, the San Francisco Peace Treaty, and Japan's role in international organizations such as GATT and OECD, and gives a thoughtful insider's view of six decades of Japanese politics, closing with his thoughts on Japan's role in the 21st century. Miyazawa's testimony contains the unmistakable richness of the words of one who was present as history was being made. The political candor, unmatched scope, and largely first-person narrative make this book unique.

Argentina's repressive 1976-83 dictatorship, during which an estimated thirty thousand people were "disappeared," prompted the postauthoritarian administrations and human rights groups to encourage public exposure of past crimes and traumas. Truth commissions, trials, and other efforts have aimed to break the silence and give voice to the voiceless. Yet despite these many reckonings, there are still silences, taboos, and unanswerable questions. Nancy J. Gates-Madsen reads between the lines of Argentine cultural texts (fiction, drama, testimonial narrative, telenovela, documentary film) to explore the fundamental role of silence-the unsaid-in the expression of trauma. Her careful examination of the interplay between textual and contextual silences illuminates public debate about the meaning of memory in Argentina-which stories are being told, and, more important, which are being silenced. The imposition of silence is not limited to the military domain or its apologists, she shows; the human rights community also perpetuates and creates taboos.