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Books > Social sciences > Politics & government > Political ideologies > Marxism & Communism
Has China become just another capitalist country in a socialist
cloak? Will the Chinese Communist Party's rule survive the next ten
years of modernization and globalization? Frank Pieke investigates
these conundrums in this fascinating account of how government
officials are trained for placement in the Chinese Communist Party.
Through in-depth interviews with staff members and aspiring
trainees, he shows that while the Chinese Communist Party has
undergone a radical transformation since the revolutionary years
under Mao, it is still incumbent upon cadres, who are selected
through a highly rigorous process, to be ideologically and
politically committed to the party. It is the lessons learnt
through their teachers that shape the political and economic
decisions they will make in power. The book offers unique insights
into the structure and the ideological culture of the Chinese
government, and how it has reinvented itself over the last three
decades as a neo-socialist state.
In 1919 American Communist Party member Benjamin Gitlow was
arrested for distributing a "Left Wing Manifesto," a publication
inspired by the Russian Revolution. He was charged with violating
New York's Criminal Anarchy Law of 1902, which outlawed the
advocacy of any doctrine advocating to the violent overthrow of
government. Gitlow argued that the law violated his right to free
speech but was still convicted. He appealed and five years later
the Supreme Court upheld his sentence by a vote of 7-2.
Throughout the legal proceedings, much attention was devoted to
the "bad tendency" doctrine-the idea that speakers and writers were
responsible for the probable effects of their words-which the
Supreme Court explicitly endorsed in its decision. According to
Justice Edward T. Sanford, "A state may punish utterances
endangering the foundations of organized government and threatening
its overthrow by unlawful means."
More important was Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes' dissent, in
which he argued that the mere expression of ideas, separated from
action, could not be punished under the "clear and present danger"
doctrine. As Holmes put it, "Every idea is an incitement"--and the
expression of an idea, no matter how disagreeable, was protected by
the First Amendment. While the majority disagreed, it also raised
and endorsed the idea that the Bill of Rights could be violated by
neither the federal government nor individual states--an idea known
as "incorporation" that was addressed for the first time in this
case.
In recreating Gitlow, Marc Lendler opens up the world of
American radicalism and brings back into focus a number of key
figures in American law: defense attorney Clarence Darrow; New York
Court of Appeals justices Roscoe Pound and Benjamin Cardozo; Walter
Pollak of the fledgling ACLU; and dissenting justices Oliver
Wendell Holmes and Louis Brandeis. Lendler also traces the origins
of the incorporation doctrine and the ebb and flow of Gitlow as a
precedent through the end of the Cold War.
In a time when Islamic radicalism raises many of the same
questions as domestic Communism did, Lendler's cogent explication
of this landmark case helps students and Court-watchers alike
better understand "clear and present danger" tests, ongoing debates
over incitement, and the importance of the Holmes-Brandeis dissent
in our jurisprudence.
After the Second World War, two contrasting political movements
became increasingly active in Italy - the communist and feminist
movements. In this book, Walter Baroni uses autobiographical
life-writing from both movements key protagonists to shed new light
on the history of these movements and more broadly the similarities
and differences between political activists in post-war Italy.
In How to Be a Marxist in Philosophy one of the most famous Marxist
philosophers of the 20th century shares his concept of what it
means to function fruitfully as a political thinker within the
discipline and environs of philosophy. This is the first English
translation to Althusser's provocative and, often, controversial
guide to being a true Marxist philosopher. Althusser argues that
philosophy needs Marxism. It can't exist fully without it.
Similarly, Marxism requires the rigour and structures of philosophy
to give it form and focus. He calls all thinking people to,
'Remember: a philosopher is a man who fights in theory, and when he
understands the reasons for this fight, he joined the ranks of the
struggle of workers and popular classes.' In short, this book
comprises Althusser's elucidation of what praxis means and why it
continues to matter. With a superb introduction from translator and
Althusser archivist G.M. Goshgarian, this is a book that will
re-inspire contemporary Marxist thought and reinvigorate our
notions of what political activism can be.
Charlotte P. Lee considers organizational changes taking place
within the contemporary Chinese Communist Party (CCP), examining
the party's renewed emphasis on an understudied but core set of
organizations: party-managed training academies or 'party schools'.
This national network of organizations enables party authorities to
exert political control over the knowledge, skills, and careers of
officials. Drawing on in-depth field research and novel datasets,
Lee finds that the party school system has not been immune to
broader market-based reforms but instead has incorporated many of
the same strategies as actors in China's hybrid, state-led private
sector. In the search for revenue and status, schools have updated
training content and become more entrepreneurial as they compete
and collaborate with domestic and international actors. This book
draws attention to surprising dynamism located within the party, in
political organizations thought immune to change, and the
transformative effect of the market on China's political system.
La actualidad del Socialismo como Sigfredo HILLERS DE LUQUE
ideologia o doctrina politica es evidente. Sobre todo en el s. XX
pero incluso todavia en el s.XXI. Pensemos que la "Internacional
Socialista" no se ha disuelto. Sigue siendo la organizacion que
aglutina a todos los partidos que se declaran socialistas en el
mundo. No obstante es evidente el confusionismo reinante. Mientras
unos hacen rotunda distincion entre Socialismo marxista, Socialismo
democratico y Socialdemocracia, otros afi rman rotundamente que no
existe Socialismo fuera del marxismo. Despues de la II Guerra
Mundial, con la Union Sovietica dentro de los grandes vencedores,
la poderosa maquinaria de la propaganda sovietica, hizo creer "urbi
et orbi" (intelectuales incluidos) que el verdadero Socialismo; los
autenticos representantes del pensamiento de Karl Marx, era el
denominado "marxismo-leninismo," en tanto que el Socialismo de los
paises occidentales era un Socialismo "rosa" o "moderado," conocido
como "Social-Democracia." Es uno de los "mitos" fabricados por la
poderosa propaganda sovietica. (*) Aunque en la URSS siempre se
reconocio que el interprete indiscutible de Karl Marx fue Friedrich
Engels, se oculto que sus discipulos predilectos fueron Karl
Kautsky y Eduard Bernstein, a quienes nombra albaceas
testamentarios suyos (con poderes para revisar, publicar o destruir
sus escritos). Kautsky y Bernstein, bajo la direccion de Engels
(residente en Inglaterra), ya muerto Marx, son quienes logran
imponer -en largos y profundos debates en el Congreso de Erfurt de
1891- la doctrina de Marx en el Socialismo aleman. Alemania y
Austria con los partidos socialistas mas numerosos y mejor
organizados de Europa (y los mejores conocedores de la doctrina de
Marx y Engels) se imponen en la Internacional Socialista. Tambien
se pretende ignorar que Lenin y su partido bolchevique no fueron
admitidos en la Internacional Socialista, ante la decidida y
razonada opinion de Kautsky y Bernstein, discipulos doctrinarios
directos de Marx y Engels. Incluso Kautsky publica en 1918 su libro
"La dictadura del proletariado" ("Die Diktatur des Proletariats") y
en 1919 su demoledor "Terrorismo y comunismo" ("Terrorismus und
Kommunismus"). La "venganza" de Lenin no se hace esperar. Publica
su libro: "La revolucion proletaria y el renegado Kautsky,"
dedicando igual califi cativo a Bernstein, claro esta. De ahi que
al no poder utilizar el adjetivo de "socialista" ni el de
"marxista" para su partido bolchevique, lo denomina "Partido
Comunista" y los sucesores de Lenin deben utilizar el "truco" de
bautizar su doctrina como "marxista-leninista," i.e. una
"derivacion" del Socialismo marxista. Nada que objetar ya,
doctrinalmente hablando. Debemos anadir que el nombre del partido
socialista aleman fue -ya antes de la muerte de Marx y Engels- y
sigue siendo (antes y despues de Willy Brandt) el de "Partido
Socialdemocratico de Alemania" (SPD: Sozialdemokratische Partei
Deutschlands). Para los lectores espanoles, anadir que Pablo
Iglesias -fundador del partido socialista espanol (PSOE) 1879,
cuando en sus escritos se referia a Kautsky, le denominaba "el
maestro Kautsky."
Anton Pannekoek discusses the viability of workers' councils as an
effective means of administrating a socialist society, as
contrasted to the centralized doctrines of state communism or state
capitalism. Conceived as an alternative way to establish and
sustain socialism, the workers councils have so far never been
successfully established at a national scale. Part of the problem
was disagreements among revolutionaries about their size and
responsibilities; while Lenin supported the notion during the
revolutionary period, the councils were phased out in favor of a
centralized state, rather than diffused through the strata of
society. Pannekoek draws on history for his ideas, noting the
deficiencies of previous revolutions and the major objectives a
future revolution should hold. The various tasks a state of
worker's councils must accomplish, and the enemies that must be
overcome - notably fascists, bourgeois elements and big business -
are listed.
This edited collection evaluates the relationship between Marxism
and religion in two ways: Marxism's treatment of religion and the
religious aspects of Marxism. Its aim is to complicate the
superficial understanding of Marxism as a simple rejection of
religion both in theory and practice. Divided into two parts
(Theory and Praxis), this book brings together the three different
themes of Marxism, religion, and emancipation for the first time.
The first part explores the more theoretical discussions regarding
the relationship between Marxism and various themes (or currents)
within religious thought, to highlight points of compatibility as
well as incompatibilities/conflicts. The studies in the second part
of the collection refer to how Marxist ideas are received in
different parts of the world. They show that as soon as Marxism
arrives in a new place, the theory interacts and bonds with a
pre-existing stock of ideas, each changing the other reciprocally.
With all of the provocative, sometimes highly destructive acts
committed in the name of anarchy, this enlightening volume invites
readers to discover the true meaning of anarchism, exploring its
vivid history and its resurgent relevance for addressing today's
most vexing social problems. In Anarchism Today, an acclaimed
scholar and one of the world's foremost advocates for the
anarchistic tradition cuts through common misconceptions and
caricatures to explore what is perhaps the most poorly understood
of all political theories. As author Randall Amster explains,
rather than being an anti-everything rationale for defiance and
destruction, anarchism is in fact a coherent set of values and
practices with a rich history and contemporary relevance.
Passionate and provocative, Amster's book offers readers an
expert's perspective on what anarchism really means, including its
relationship to other political approaches, its careful balancing
of individual liberty and a functioning society, and its
controversial image as a wellspring of violence. Along the way,
Amster addresses a number of current issues from the perspective of
anarchism, including corporate globalization, environmentalism,
warfare, nationalism, education, technology, alternative economics,
criminal justice, and even spirituality. He concludes with a frank
assessment of anarchism's impact and the role it can play in
building a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world.
Cuba: The Doctrine of the Lie is a thoroughly researched and
profoundly revealing work on two themes of vital importance to the
world today: the true nature of totalitarianism and how religion,
philosophy, culture, tradition, and individual freedom are the most
effective antibodies for countering this deadly ontological virus.
Approaching Cuba's history as both a rallying icon for the radical
left and an engine of freedom activism for the powerful
Cuban-American community in the United States, this study helps
dispel the black legend about life in Cuba before the communist
triumph in 1959, reveals the destructive ideology behind the facade
of Che Guevara's socialism, explains how so-called agrarian reform
camouflaged the structuring of a police state, and provides unique
insights into the dynamics of the struggle of the Cuban Resistance.
Cuba: The Doctrine of the Lie explains how totalitarianism was
established and consolidated in Cuba and assesses the repercussions
that event has had for America's domestic ideological spectrum.
Resulting from personal conversations with key actors, research
into original sources, and a thorough knowledge of Cuban history,
this book represents a vital contribution not just to the field of
studies of totalitarianism but also to the study of Cuban history
as a whole.
The phrase "solidarity of the shaken" was introduced into the
today's political vocabulary by Jan Patocka, one of the last
students of the philosopher Edmund Husserl and undoubtedly the most
important Czech philosopher of the twentieth century. In January
1977, Patocka became - together with Vaclav Havel and Jiri Hajek --
one of the first three spokespersons of Charter 77,
Czechoslovakia's anti-communist resistance movement. He died less
than three months later, as a result of total exhaustion caused by
days-long police interrogations. Patocka's Socratic death is an
unavoidable component of his philosophical legacy. Is his main
message still relevant today, after the "short" twentieth century
ended with the collapse of communism in Europe in 1989? Is it still
in circulation and perceived as an important Central European
contribution to the new "dialogue of mankind" taking place today,
as we approach the end of the second decade of new millennium? Six
years ago, the Vaclav Havel Library organized a seminar in Prague
where a group of scholars sought to answer these questions. This
book offers any readers concerned with human rights the results of
these incisive discussions. Patocka's life and work are decidedly
not diminishing with time. On the contrary, they have been
actualized by our current spiritual crisis.
This is a study of a progressive law firm and its three partners.
The firm was founded in 1936 and existed until the death of one
partner in 1965. The partners were harassed by the FBI primarily
for defending labor union members and leaders and the defense of
both. The firm's primary client was Harry Bridges, the long term
President on the International Longshoreman's and Warehouseman's
Union (ILWU). The irony was that the more the FBI persecuted labor
unions, the more business the firm had from those harassed by the
FBI. During this time the FBI was primarily interested in
controlling the Communist Party. While the clients of the firm were
sometimes Communists, the law partners were not Communist Party
members. In both of these ways the FBI was wasting its time in
persecuting this firm. Although the primary data used involved
existing records (for example all of the partners had extensive FBI
files), we also interviewed colleagues and relatives of the
partners.
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Beyond Woke
(Hardcover)
Michael Rectenwald
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R891
R769
Discovery Miles 7 690
Save R122 (14%)
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In Projectland, anthropologist Holly High combines an engaging
first-person narrative of her fieldwork with a political
ethnography of Laos, more than forty years after the establishment
of the Lao PDR and more than seven decades since socialist
ideologues first "liberated" parts of upland country. In a remote
village of Kandon, High finds that although socialism has declined
significantly as an economic model, it is ascendant and thriving in
the culture of politics and the politics of culture. Kandon is
remarkable by any account. The villagers are ethnic Kantu (Katu),
an ethnicity associated by early ethnographers above all with human
sacrifice. They had repelled French control, and as the war went
on, the revolutionary forces of Sekong were headquartered in Kandon
territories. In 1996, Kandon village moved and resettled in a
plateau area. "New Kandon" has become Sekong Province's first
certified "Culture Village," the nation's very first "Open
Defecation Free and Model Health Village," and the president of
Laos personally granted the village a Labor Flag and Medal. High
provides a unique and timely assessment of the Lao Party-state's
resettlement politics, and she recounts with skillful nuance the
stories that are often cast into shadows by the usual focus on New
Kandon as a success. Her book follows the lives of a small group of
villagers who returned to the old village in the mountains,
effectively defying policy but, in their words, obeying the
presence that animates the land there. Revealing her sensibility
with tremendous composure, High tells the experiences of women who,
bound by steep bride-prices to often violent marriages, have tasted
little of the socialist project of equality, unity, and
independence. These women spoke to the author of "necessities" as a
limit to their own lives. In a context where the state has defined
the legitimate forms of success and agency, "necessity" emerged as
a means of framing one's life as nonconforming but also
nonagentive.
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