|
Books > Social sciences > Politics & government > Political activism > Pressure groups & lobbying
A critical look at how Bill Gates uses his wealth and power through the Gates Foundation to advance his own agenda and erode democratic institutions in the process.
From greedy to generous, from cold to kind-hearted, from rogue to hero, Bill Gates is an extraordinarily complex public figure. Yet over the last decade, we've reduced him to a flat caricature - a sweater-wearing, avuncular, well-meaning billionaire, who is adamantly giving away all of his money through the Gates Foundation in order to improve the lives of others.
This simplistic portrait perilously ignores the political influence that Gates has acquired through his charitable work, and the controversial ways through which he utilises it. The charity internally sets a policy agenda for how to fix the world - based on one man's worldview - then imposes this vision onto the developing world by funding groups that align with it.
Combining rich storytelling and ground-breaking reporting, The Bill Gates Problem offers readers a provocative and timely counter-narrative about one of the world's most famous figures. But more than that, this book speaks to a vital political question around economic inequality and the erosion of democratic institutions - why should the super-rich be able to transform their wealth into political power, and just how far can they go?
Caciquismo (roughly translated as "boss politics") has played a
major role in Mexican political and social life. Loosely knit
interest groups, or "caciques", of diverse character - syndicates,
farmers, left- and right-wingers, white-collar workers - have
exercised great power within Mexico's distinctive political system.
The peculiarities of Mexico's system have greatly depended on this
kind of informal politics, which combines repression, patronage,
and charismatic leadership. As such, caciquismo fits uncomfortably
within the formal analysis of laws, parties, and elections and has
been relatively neglected by academics. Though its demise has often
been predicted, it has survived, evolved, and adjusted to Mexico's
rapid post-revolutionary transformation. Incorporating the research
of historians, political scientists, sociologists, and
anthropologists, this book reevaluates the crucial role of the
cacique in modern Mexico. It suggests that caciquismo has survived
decades of change and upheaval and remains an important, if
underestimated, feature of recent Mexican politics. Contributors
include Christopher Boyer (University of Illinois at Chicago, USA),
Keith Brewster (University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK), Matthew
Butler (Queen's University, Belfast, UK), Marco Calderon (El
Colegio de Michoacan, Mexico), Maria Teresa Fernandez Aceves
(Centro de Investigaciones en Estudios Superiores en Antropologia
Social [CIESAS], Mexico), Rogelio Hernandez Rodriuez (El Colegio de
Mexico), Stephen Lewis (California State University, Chico, USA),
Salvador Maldonado Aranda (El Colegio de Michoacan, Mexico), Jennie
Purnell (Boston College, USA), Jan Rus (Tzotzil Instituto de
Asesoria Antropologica para la Region Maya, and Center for
U.S.-Mexican Studies, University of California, San Diego, USA),
Pieter de Vries (Wageningen University, Netherlands), and J.
Eduardo Zarate H (El Colegio de Mexico, Michoacan, Mexico).
Originally published as a pamphlet in 1979 and again by Pluto in
1980, In and Against the State brought together questions of
working-class struggle and state power, exploring how revolutionary
socialists might reconcile working in the public sector with their
radical politics. Informed by autonomist political ideas and
practices that were central to the protests of 1968, the book's
authors spoke to a generation of activists wrestling with the
question of where to place their energies. Forty years have passed,
yet the questions it posed are still to be answered. As the eclipse
of Corbynism and the onslaught of the global pandemic have
demonstrated with brutal clarity, a renewed socialist strategy is
needed more urgently than ever. This edition includes a new
introduction by Seth Wheeler and an interview with John McDonnell
that reflect on the continuing relevance of In and Against the
State and the questions it raises.
You know him as the founder of Microsoft; the philanthropic,
kind-hearted billionaire who has donated endless funds to good causes
around the world. But there’s another side to Bill Gates.
In this fearless, groundbreaking investigation, Tim Schwab offers
readers a counter-narrative, one where Gates has used his monopolistic
approach in business to amass a stunning level of control over public
policy, scientific research and the news media. Whether he is pushing
new educational standards in America, health reforms in India or
industrialized agriculture in Africa, Gates’s unbridled social
experimentation has shown itself to be not only undemocratic, but also
ineffective.
All of which begs the question: why should the super rich be able to
transform their wealth into political power, and just how far can they
go?
"Annex One is an Interesting, Well-Researched and Well-Argued Book.
It Deals with Pressing Matters of Great Public Interest." A.W.
September 2018. Observations of In Defence of Justice - Israel And
The Palestinians: The Identification Of Truth O.H. 3-9-2013. "An
amazing and excellent book. Simply written producing a clear
overall picture..." P.R. 3-9-2013. "Fascinating book. I thought I
was well informed but the book clearly showed up my lack of
knowledge..." M.S. 3-9-2013. "At long last a book which properly
identifies and uses the truth against the propaganda machines of
the West that seek to undermine the nation of Israel." M.A.
15-9-2013. "Only a barrister could write such a remarkable
work...... The answer (to the) obvious question as Malcolm Sinclair
has made clear..." W.G. 19-10-2014. "I found your book riveting,
and I am sorry that it does not have a wider advertised
publication, as it should. If I were in a position to do so
financially, I would make sure it did. This book deserves far
greater publicity."
Long-term social and demographic changes - and the conflicts they
create - continue to transform British politics. In this accessible
and authoritative book Sobolewska and Ford show how deep the roots
of this polarisation and volatility run, drawing out decades of
educational expansion and rising ethnic diversity as key drivers in
the emergence of new divides within the British electorate over
immigration, identity and diversity. They argue that choices made
by political parties from the New Labour era onwards have mobilised
these divisions into politics, first through conflicts over
immigration, then through conflicts over the European Union,
culminating in the 2016 EU referendum. Providing a comprehensive
and far-reaching view of a country in turmoil, Brexitland explains
how and why this happened, for students, researchers, and anyone
who wants to better understand the remarkable political times in
which we live.
The EU is at a crossroads. Should it choose the path towards
protectionism or the path towards free trade? This book
convincingly argues that lobbying regulation will be a decisive
first step towards fulfilling the European dream of free trade, in
accordance with the original purpose of the Treaty of Rome. Without
the regulation of lobbyists to try and prevent undue political
persuasion, there is a greater risk of abuse in the form of
corruption, subsidies and trade barriers, which will come at the
expense of consumers, tax payers and competitiveness. This
interdisciplinary approach - both theoretical and methodological -
offers a wealth of knowledge concerning the effect of lobbying on
political decision-making and will appeal to academics across the
social sciences, practitioners and policy-makers.
This book examines the rhetoric of various "exemplars" who advocate
for causes and actions pertaining to human rights in particular
contexts. Although some of these exemplars champion human rights,
others are human rights antagonists. Simply put, the argument here
is that concern for how particular individuals advocate for human
rights causes-as well as how antagonists obstruct such
initiatives-adds significant value to understanding the successes
and failures of human rights efforts in particular cultural and
national contexts. On one hand, we can grasp how specific
international organizations and actors function to develop norms
(for example, the rights of the child) and how rights are
subsequently articulated in universal declarations and formal
codes. But on the other, it becomes apparent that the actual
meaning of those rights mutate when "accepted" within particular
cultures. A complementary facet of this argument relates to the
centrality of rhetoric in observing how rights advocates function
in practice; specifically, rhetoric focuses upon the art of
argumentation and the various strategies and techniques enlisted
therein. In that much of the "reality" surrounding human rights
(from the standpoints of advocates and antagonists alike) is
fundamentally interpretive, rhetorical (or argumentative) skill is
of vital importance for advocates as competent pragma-dialecticians
in presenting the case that a rights ideal can enhance life in a
culture predisposed to reject that ideal. This book includes case
studies focusing on the rhetoric of the following individuals or
groups as either human rights advocates or antagonists: Mary B.
Anderson, Rwandan "hate radio" broadcasters, politicians and
military officials connected with the Kent State University and
Tiananmen Square student protest tragedies, Iqbal Masih, Pussy
Riot, Lyndon Johnson, Julian Assange, Geert Wilders, Daniel
Barenboim, Joe Arpaio, and Lucius Banda.
Born in Gering, Nebraska on May 2, 1920, Dale Cannady has witnessed
a dramatically changing world. Using the GI Bill to gain his
college education at the University of Washington in Seattle, Dale
rose to be Assistant City Planning Director in Portland, Oregon. My
Thoughts is the culmination of 92 years of experience and
observation.
|
|