The golden mediocrity - Miguel Amorós
Considerations on the political situation in Spain in 2015, with a brief historical survey of the origins of the civil society movement in the aftermath of the defeat of the workers movement in the eighties, the rise of postmodernism, the impact of the economic crisis, the sources of middle class discontent that gave rise to the civil society movement during the nineties, the new social democratic nostalgia and renascent regional nationalism, and the need to break out of the constraints imposed by the civil society movement in order to really fight for “an egalitarian social transformation of society”.
5 reasons to steer clear of the Labour Party bandwagon
Submitted by Phil on Sep 14 2015 16:32
After a campaign that seemed to drag on endlessly in the wake of the general election, Jeremy Corbyn has won the Labour Party leadership by a landslide. The most immediate consequence of this has been a surge in membership. Here are some reasons not to get caught up in the tide.
On America, part 4: I hate my job
Submitted by Chilli Sauce on Sep 6 2015 18:51
Disenchantment – Argelaga
An essay on political corruption in Spain published in May 2015, its impunity, its roots in the “partiocracy” that emerged from the “Transition”, its penetration of the Judiciary, and the resulting disenchantment of the population—awakened from its apathy regarding such chicanery now that the economic boom that accompanied the construction of the new Spanish State-form has come to an end—which has led to attempts by political opportunists to rehabilitate the party system by forming new, vaguely progressive “civil society” parties and regional separatist movements, rather than recognizing that “corruption is not the exception, but is inscribed in the very nature of the system”.
Capital Mafia: fascists, politicians, cooperatives and the Roman mob
Submitted by StrugglesInItaly on Dec 5 2014 21:57
An excellent in-depth analysis on recent revelations in Italy about the connections in Rome between the Mafia, the far-right and local politicians, both left and right-wing.
On Labour's pledge to axe the bedroom tax
Submitted by Phil on Sep 21 2013 11:06
Why the pledge from the Labour Party to axe the Bedroom Tax doesn't mean we've won and, if we take it at face value, could mean that we lose.
Like father, like son: Fascists of the 3rd Millennium in Italy
Submitted by Italy Calling on Apr 13 2013 22:18
Two policemen are under investigation for covering up a fascist brawl that involved Rome’s Mayor’s son, Manfredi Alemanno.
Get rich or lie trying: Why ANC millionaire Julius Malema posed as a radical
This article aims to explain, from an anarchist / syndicalist perspective, the rapid rise and fall of Julius Malema, the controversial and corrupt multi-millionaire leader of South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress’s (ANC’s) “youth league” (ANCYL). It is demonstrated that Malema’s posturing as radical champion of the black poor was simply a means to an end: rising higher in the ranks of the ANC, in order to access bigger state tenders and higher paying political office.
The middle class, the partocracy and fascism - Miguel Amorós
A discussion of “partocracy”, defined as “a modern type of developmentalist oligarchy” characterized by the abrogation of popular sovereignty by a political class largely based on the declining and insecure middle classes, which acts on behalf of the needs of economic expansion but is based on an extensive network of patronage relations, establishing a regime in which “fear is used as an instrument of government” to impose “a policy of resignation”, together with an analysis of how this regime differs (e.g., decentralized vs. centralized corruption) from fascism, despite certain similarities.
Iain Duncan Smith receives a warm welcome in Bootle
Submitted by working class s... on Jul 11 2012 13:23
Iain Duncan Smith recently slithered into Liverpool for a tour of the DWP offices. This is a brief account of his welcoming committee.
