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Books > Social sciences > Politics & government > Political activism > Revolutions & coups
When hate groups descended on Charlottesville, Virginia, triggering
an eruption of racist violence, the tragic conflict reverberated
throughout the world. It also had a profound effect on the
University of Virginia's expansive community, many of whose members
are involved in teaching issues of racism, public art, free speech,
and social ethics. In the wake of this momentous incident,
scholars, educators, and researchers have come together in this
important new volume to thoughtfully reflect on the historic events
of August 11 and 12, 2017. How should we respond to the moral and
ethical challenges of our times? What are our individual and
collective responsibilities in advancing the principles of
democracy and justice? Charlottesville 2017: The Legacy of Race and
Inequity brings together the work of these UVA faculty members
catalyzed by last summer's events to examine their community's
history more deeply and more broadly. Their essays-ranging from
John Mason on the local legacy of the Lost Cause to Leslie Kendrick
on free speech to Rachel Wahl on the paradoxes of activism-examine
truth telling, engaged listening, and ethical responses, and aim to
inspire individual reflection, as well as to provoke considered and
responsible dialogue. This prescient new collection is a
conversation that understands and owns America's past
and-crucially-shows that our past is very much part of our present.
Contributors: Asher D. Biemann; Gregory B. Fairchild; Risa
Goluboff; Bonnie Gordon; Claudrena N. Harold; Willis Jenkins;
Leslie Kendrick; John Edwin Mason; Guian McKee; Louis P. Nelson; P.
Preston Reynolds; Frederick Schauer; Elizabeth R. Varon; Rachel
Wahl; Lisa Woolfork.
A History of Political Thought in the English Revolution (1954)
examines the large range of political doctrines which played their
part in the English revolution - a period when modern democratic
ideas began. The political literature of the period between 1645,
when the Levellers first seized upon the revolution's wider
implications, and 1660, when Charles II restored the monarchy to
power, is here studied in detail.
Reflections on the Puritan Revolution (1986) examines the damage
done by the Puritans during the English Civil War, and the enormous
artistic losses England suffered from their activities. The
Puritans smashed stained glass, monuments, sculpture, brasses in
cathedrals and churches; they destroyed organs, dispersed the
choirs and the music. They sold the King's art collections,
pictures, statues, plate, gems and jewels abroad, and broke up the
Coronation regalia. They closed down the theatres and ended
Caroline poetry. The greatest composer and most promising scientist
of the age were among the many lives lost; and this all besides the
ruin of palaces, castles and mansions.
A Nation of Change and Novelty (1990) ranges broadly over the
political and literary terrain of the seventeenth century,
examining the importance of the English Revolution as a decisive
event in English and European history. It emphasises the historical
significance of the English Revolution, exploring not only its
causes but also its long term consequences, basing both in a broad
social context and viewing it as a necessary condition of England's
having nurtured the first Industrial Revolution.
Between 1919 and 1923, Ireland was engulfed by violence as the
Irish Republican Army (IRA) fought a guerrilla campaign against the
British state and later fellow Irishmen and women in pursuit of an
Irish Republic. Police barracks and government offices were
attacked and burned, soldiers and policemen were killed and the
economic and social life of the country was dislocated. Britain
itself was a theatre in the war too. 'In the heart of enemy lines',
as one IRA leader put it, cities such as London, Liverpool,
Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Glasgow and their environs saw the
establishment of IRA companies, Irish Republican Brotherhood
circles, Cumann na mBan branches and Na Fianna Eireann troops.
Composed of Irish emigrants and the descendants of emigrants, these
organizations worked to help their comrades across the Irish Sea.
Their most important activity was gunrunning, acquiring and
smuggling weapons to Ireland. In November 1920, setting fire to
warehouses and timber yards in Liverpool, they launched a campaign
of violence. Meanwhile, mass-membership organizations such as the
Irish Self-Determination League of Great Britain and Sinn Fein
sought to persuade the British public of Ireland's right to
independence. Republican leaders such as Michael Collins, Rory
O'Connor and Liam Mellows took a keen interest in these exploits.
Making extensive use of archival sources and memoirs, The IRA in
Britain is the first book to study this little known aspect of the
Irish Revolutionary period. Tracing the history of the Irish
Volunteers in Britain from their establishment in 1914 and
participation in the Easter Rising two years later, through the
weapons' smuggling activities and violent operations of the War of
Independence to the bitter divisions of the Civil War and the
response of the authorities, The IRA in Britain highlights the
important role played by those outside of Ireland in the
Revolution.
Recent debates around the French Revolution have questioned the
need for an overall paradigm of interpretation, as the certainties
underpinning both 'classic' and 'revisionist' views have faded. In
Experiencing the French Revolutionauthors argue against a single
'paradigm quest', in favour of a plurality of approaches to
underscore the diverse ways in which the turbulent changes of late
eighteenth-century France can be explored. From broad cultural
trends to very personal trajectories, a team of experts offers
fresh perspectives on the individual and collective experience of
Revolution, both within and outside France. Using a range of
methodologies, including biographical studies of key individuals
and groups, archival studies of structures and institutions, and
new sources available from digital humanities archives,
contributors provide: new insights into the clandestine book trade
of pre-revolutionary France, and the surprising effectiveness of
Louis XVI's state control a reappraisal of Robespierre, whose
opinions were shaped and transformed by years of upheaval an
exploration of how revolutionary situations inspired both dissent
and discipline within the new citizen armies an analysis of the
revolutionary shockwaves felt beyond France, and how its currents
were exploited for national political ends in Belgium, England and
Wales.
Development Drowned and Reborn is a "Blues geography" of New
Orleans, one that compels readers to return to the history of the
Black freedom struggle there to reckon with its unfinished
business. Reading contemporary policies of abandonment against the
grain, Clyde Woods explores how Hurricane Katrina brought
long-standing structures of domination into view. In so doing,
Woods delineates the roots of neoliberalism in the region and a
history of resistance. Written in dialogue with social movements,
this book offers tools for comprehending the racist dynamics of
U.S. culture and economy. Following his landmark study, Development
Arrested, Woods turns to organic intellectuals, Blues musicians,
and poor and working people to instruct readers in this
future-oriented history of struggle. Through this unique optic,
Woods delineates a history, methodology, and epistemology to grasp
alternative visions of development. Woods contributes to debates
about the history and geography of neoliberalism. The book suggests
that the prevailing focus on neoliberalism at national and global
scales has led to a neglect of the regional scale. Specifically, it
observes that theories of neoliberalism have tended to overlook New
Orleans as an epicenter where racial, class, gender, and regional
hierarchies have persisted for centuries. Through this Blues
geography, Woods excavates the struggle for a new society.
The Shi'i clergy are amongst the most influential political players
in the Middle East. For decades, scholars and observers have tried
to understand the balance of power between, Shi'i 'quietism' and
'activism'. The book is based on exclusive interviews with
high-profile Shi'i clerics in order to reveal how the Shi'i
clerical elite perceives its role and engages in politics today.
The book focuses on three ground-breaking events in the modern
Middle East: the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, the 2003 Iraq
War, and the 2006 July war in Lebanon. By examining the nature and
evolution of a Shi'i clerical network the book finds that, far from
there being strategic differences between 'quitest' and 'activist'
clerics, Shi'i mujtahid statesmen matured, from 1979 in Iran to
2003 Iraq, by way of a pragmatism which led to a strong form of
transnational and associated whole in Lebanon in 2006. In doing so,
the book breaks down the established, and misleading,
dichotomisation of the Shi'i clergy into 'quietists' and
'activists' and discovers that the decision of Shi'i clerical
elites to become politically active or to stay out of politics are
attributable to their ability to adapt to their political
environments.
According to renowned Marxist economist Samir Amin, the recent Arab
Spring uprisings comprise an integral part of a massive "second
awakening" of the Global South. From the self-immolation in
December 2010 of a Tunisian street vendor, to the consequent
outcries in Cairo's Tahrir Square against poverty and corruption,
to the ongoing upheavals across the Middle East and Northern
Africa, the Arab world is shaping what may become of Western
imperialism - an already tottering and overextended system.The
Reawakening of the Arab World examines the complex interplay of
nations regarding the Arab Spring and its continuing, turbulent
seasons. Beginning with Amin's compelling interpretation of the
2011 popular Arab explosions, the book is comprised of five
chapters - including a new chapter analyzing U.S. geo-strategy.
Amin sees the United States, in an increasingly multi-polar world,
as a victim of overreach, caught in its own web of attempts to
contain the challenge of China, while confronting the staying power
of nations such as Syria and Iran. The growing, deeply-felt need of
the Arab people for independent, popular democracy is the cause of
their awakening, says Amin. It is this awakening to democracy that
the United States fears most, since real self-government by
independent nations would necessarily mean the end of U.S. empire,
and the economic liberalism that has kept it in place. The way
forward for the Arab world, Amin argues, is to take on, not just
Western imperialism, but also capitalism itself.
This thought-provoking work analyzes the major debates surrounding
counterinsurgency campaigns and uncovers the internal security
problems derailing effective strategies for restoring stability. As
countries across the globe continue to adjust their security
operations to counter an increasingly volatile political landscape,
the issue of how to identify and derail a host of violent groups
remains of considerable interest. This comprehensive volume offers
an examination of the effectiveness of contemporary
counterinsurgency efforts, revealing which approaches offer the
greatest chances of success internally, regionally, and
internationally. Featuring perspectives from experts and analysts
in the field of irregular warfare and international security, this
is an unparalleled exploration of all types of insurgency from
warlordism, to piracy, to guerilla movements. The book looks beyond
the popular focus on Iraq and Afghanistan, delving into the
internal security operations of regions not normally studied.
Chapters cover goal setting and measurements for restoring
security, information operations and strategic communications
between insurgent groups and governments, and the different
approaches of governments in combating political unrest. Case
studies include movements in Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Egypt, and
South Africa. Examines the key factors that determine the use of
"hard" versus "soft" operations Features assessments on how to
measure counterinsurgency and internal security effectiveness
Describes the major controversies surrounding counterinsurgency
strategies and associated operations Analyzes the elements
impacting successful internal security operations
Occupy Wall Street did not come from nowhere. It was part of a long
history of riot, revolt, uprising, and sometimes even revolution
that has shaped New York City. From the earliest European
colonization to the present, New Yorkers have been revolting. Hard
hitting, revealing, and insightful, Revolting New York tells the
story of New York's evolution through revolution, a story of
near-continuous popular (and sometimes not-so-popular) uprising.
Richly illustrated with more than ninety historical and
contemporary images, historical maps, and maps drawn especially for
the book, Revolting New York provides the first comprehensive
account of the historical geography of revolt in New York, from the
earliest uprisings of the Munsee against the Dutch occupation of
Manhattan in the seventeenth century to the Black Lives Matter
movement and the unrest of the Trump era. Through this rich
narrative, editors Neil Smith and Don Mitchell reveal a continuous,
if varied and punctuated, history of rebellion in New York that is
as vital as the more standard histories of formal politics,
planning, economic growth, and restructuring that largely define
our consciousness of New York's story.
The Haitian Revolution has generated responses from commentators in
fields ranging from philosophy to historiography to
twentieth-century literary and artistic studies. But what about the
written work produced at the time, by Haitians? This book is the
first to present an account of a specifically Haitian literary
tradition in the Revolutionary era. Beyond the Slave Narrative
shows the emergence of two strands of textual innovation, both
evolving from the new revolutionary consciousness: the remarkable
political texts produced by Haitian revolutionary leaders Toussaint
Louverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines, and popular Creole poetry
from anonymous courtesans in Saint-Domingue's libertine culture.
These textual forms, though they differ from each other, both
demonstrate the increasing cultural autonomy and literary voice of
non-white populations in the colony at the time of revolution.
Unschooled generals and courtesans, long presented as voiceless,
are at last revealed to be legitimate speakers and authors. These
Haitian French and Creole texts have been neglected as a foundation
of Afro-diasporic literature by former slaves in the Atlantic world
for two reasons: because they do not fit the generic criteria of
the slave narrative (which is rooted in the autobiographical
experience of enslavement); and because they are mediated texts,
relayed to the print-cultural Atlantic domain not by the speakers
themselves, but by secretaries or refugee colonists. These texts
challenge how we think about authorial voice, writing, print
culture, and cultural autonomy in the context of the formerly
enslaved, and demand that we reassess our historical understanding
of the Haitian Independence and its relationship to an
international world of contemporary readers.
The Reagan era is usually seen as an era of unheralded prosperity,
and as a high-watermark of Republican success. President Ronald
Reagan's belief in "Reaganomics", his media-friendly sound-bites
and "can do" personality have come to define the era. However, this
was also a time of domestic protest and unrest. Under Reagan the US
was directly involved in the revolutions which were sweeping the
Central Americas- El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala -and in
Nicaragua Reagan armed the Contras who fought the Sandinistas. This
book seeks to show how the left within the US reacted and protested
against these events. The Nation, Verso Books and the Guardian
exploded in popularity, riding high on the back of popular
anti-interventionist sentiment in America, while the film-maker
Oliver Stone led a group of directors making films with a radical
left-wing message. The author shows how the1980s in America were a
formative cultural period for the anti-Reaganites as well as the
Reaganites, and in doing so charts a new history.
This book provides an analysis of the articulation and organisation
of radical international solidarity by organisations that were
either connected to or had been established by the Communist
International (Comintern), such as the International Red Aid, the
International Workers' Relief, the League Against Imperialism, the
International of Seamen and Harbour Workers and the International
Trade Union Committee of Negro Workers. The guiding light of these
organisations was a radical interpretation of international
solidarity, usually in combination with concepts and visions of
gender, race and class as well as anti-capitalism,
anti-imperialism, anti-colonialism and anti-fascism. All of these
new transnational networks form a controversial part of the
contemporary history of international organisations. Like the
Comintern these international organisations had an ambigious
character that does not fit nicely into the traditional typologies
of international organisations as they were neither international
governmental organisations nor international non-governmental
organisations. They constituted a radical continuation of the
pre-First World War Left and exemplified an attempt to implement
the ideas and movements of a new type of radical international
solidarity not only in Europe, but on a global scale. Contributors
are: Gleb J. Albert, Bernhard H. Bayerlein, Kasper Brasken, Fredrik
Petersson, Holger Weiss.
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