New Paul Mason book

Any idea what's the books called or when it will be published?

Whatever it is on its finished. Also form twitter: "Voted 13th in totalpolitics blogging poll - book finished so will be blogging more..."

I heard this book was ghost written by Tommy Ascaso ;)

Few chapters in, decent so far and I like his writing. Early impressions are I'm a bit put-off by the uncritical way he engages with the stuff in Egypt. Maybe it gets better, but early on a year ago, there were lots of people saying how handing over to a military rule rather than Mubarak was no real revolution and that's borne out by recent interviews with participants a year on:

"I came on 25th last year, I've been here throughout the difficult times in the past year, and I'm here again because things haven't improved. In fact they got worse," declared Shaimaa Zain, dressed in tight jeans and sunglasses.
"There is a conspiracy between the extremists and the military council."

I guess being there and interviewing people at the time might have given a rose-tinted view.

The coverage he did of the factory occupation and hospital self-management stuff was cool though so I'm not having a go as such.

I read it, and think it succeeds on its own terms -- as decent journalism. This said, I think "Meltdown" is still his best book, and I found the 'reportage' parts of "Why....." (especially the later chapters on the USA & the slums in Manila) a bit painful. Like those "Sunrise over the slums, and has already been working for 2 hours" things you get in the Guardian magazine.

I agree Meltdown is his best book, and this doesn't change that. I think it's a bit over excited about the most recent wave of uprisings, but a decent overview none the less, and an interesting companion piece to "Live Working..."

Just downloaded his novel, which Iooks quite funny, Wayne crossed with Wu Ming.

[youtube]7WsmWEt0RK0[/youtube]

Here's a review of [em]Why It's Kicking off Everywhere: The New Global Revolutions[/em]:

must admit yet to read the book, but when to an interesting talk by Paul Mason (about the book and related ideas) at the Bath Literature Festival :)

he had some interesting analysis of the crisis and of organisation and opposition to austerity as well, he also spoke about the ideals of capitalism having failed many people (the american dream no longer exists kinda line), which was interesting, I think he is good, but is also worth being aware of the fact that he is a Keynsian rather than an Anarchist/Socialist.

I've published a very long review and discussion of 'Why its kicking off everywhere' at http://anarchism.pageabode.com/andrewnflood/kicking-off-everywhere-paul-mason-review

IMHO its well worth reading and has a lot of useful insights even if politically there are some pretty big problems. I'm actually finding his politics quite hard to get my head around as they seem quite contradictory

Was Paul Mason not a member of Workers Power?
I was put off seeking out his writing by the association because I found Workers Power to be the most unreadable of all Leninist papers- I have heard him doing the interview circuit promoting this book and I am trying to get hold of a copy- it sounded interesting.

He was but I think that was some time ago. Haven't read any of his stuff but I'm not surprised to see people saying the new book is a bit at odds with itself. When I saw him at the bookfair doing a talk a couple of years back, he basically advocated that left wing parties take power because if they don't, right or far right parties will.

Yea he was in Workers Power in the early 2000's. See here.

I wouldn't let his one time membership of Workers Power put you off, you have to look pretty hard to find any traces of it in his writings today. There are a couple of echos which I mention but the political problems mostly come from other sources.

He was in Workers Power from the 80's through to the late 90's pretty sure he had left by 2000, though not sure as I left the same group just after a couple of ex-AWG members joined in the early 90's.

I wouldn't let his one time membership of Workers Power put you off,

I was put off on stylistic grounds- I have a learning disability and remember trying to read a copy of Workers Power in order to discuss it with a friend- it was such turgid prose and terrible layout and I have to read and re-read things in order to absorb the content; my eyes bled!

Ah well then no worries, its the most readable theory book I've ever read by a very long way indeed

Mason is just another capitalist hack who serves up just what they want but in 'radicalish' guise. I was astonished that he reported just after the demo last spring in London that people in the black bloc had been talking to him: why would anyone do this? His reporting on Greece at the time of the mass assemblies etc did not mention this at all. Yes he produces interesting books about the conditions of the working class etc but he is still a capitalist hack, and all the more dangerous for his radicalism.

I didn't read all the comments - when is it going to be published? I did check out the video, good stuff.

mariajones

when is it going to be published?

It came out a few weeks ago.

The graduates of 2012 will survive only in the cracks of our economy

Six quick notes on Paul Mason’s piece on the ‘Graduate Without A Future’

There was a Novara discussion today on Paul Mason's piece and The Guardian are doing a series on 'the graduate without a future', which includes the following article by Nina Power:

Absurd student debt has ended mass inclusion – our future is at risk

I caught that talk a couple of days ago, makes for an interesting listen. I think it raised some interesting points about how identity can be influenced by an increasingly networked way of life. I may go ahead and get Castells book once I've got a bit of book money floating around. I'd be interested to hear from anyone that has read it already.

Indigo, save your money and get a shitload of books by Castells for free here: http://libgen.info/search.php?search_type=magic&search_text=manuel+castells&submit=Поиск (just click on a title and then click "Get!").

Thanks jura, thats my day off sorted! :O

Sorry about that ;)

Novara: Series 2, Episode 23 - 'Why It's Still Kicking Off Everywhere'

On this week's show James Butler and Aaron Peters are joined by Paul Mason, economics editor for BBC Newsnight, as they discuss some of the issues in the second edition of his book 'Why It's (Still) Kicking Off Everywhere'

BBC Radio 4 Great Lives: Paul Mason on Louise Michel

TV journalist and writer Paul Mason talks to Matthew Parris about the 19th Century French anarchist, Louise Michel, heroine of the Paris Commune. They're joined by historian Carolyn Eichner who says that Michel "expounded action and aggression with a theatrical, infectious elegance."

He can only join SF if he's willing to organise Channel 4.

(Or write for Direct Action.)

wojtek

BBC Radio 4 Great Lives: Paul Mason on Louise Michel

TV journalist and writer Paul Mason talks to Matthew Parris about the 19th Century French anarchist, Louise Michel, heroine of the Paris Commune. They're joined by historian Carolyn Eichner who says that Michel "expounded action and aggression with a theatrical, infectious elegance."

Good program that. A bit surprised by his choice.

I'd have thought he was much closer to a modern day De Leonist than any sort of anarchist as he is pretty supportive of the party form and electoralism as part of an overall strategy - or at least that's how I have read him.

Some people maybe interested in this response from the Communist Workers' Organisation to Paul Mason's new book.

Post-capitalism via the Internet (According to Paul Mason) – Dream or Reality?

Introduction

The book “Postcapitalism – A Guide to our Future” by Paul Mason (PM) is creating a lot of interest amongst the political left in general and in particular amongst the anarchist and left-communist milieu. The book tries to identify the forces which have shaped capitalist society in the past and which at present are determining its future. It argues that Internet Technology (IT) is a route to a society beyond capitalism. This central claim is a provocative challenge to Marxism which he condemns as having failed the test of history. The book contains a lot of interesting historical details and facts about the contemporary world together with discussions of ideas of economic and political thinkers. It is written in an accessible journalistic style and so is it easy to read.

Paul Mason’s central thesis can be outlined as follows. Industrial capitalism has evolved, since its inception in the late 18th century, in a series of long term cycles, called Kondratieff cycles 1 or waves, each lasting approximately 50 years. There have been 4 such cycles and we are now entering the 5th cycle. However because neo-liberalism has been so successful in shattering the resistance of the working class, the 4th cycle has been extended beyond the 50 year period. In addition because neo-liberalism has broken the resistance of the working class, the capitalist class cannot develop a new paradigm of exploitation as occurred at the start of the previous cycles. The 5th cycle cannot, therefore, take off and we are in a period of stagnation. Capitalism has reached the limit of its capacity to adapt. In addition capitalism has invented a technology, in the internet and Information Technology (IT), which it cannot control and which is undermining capitalist relations. IT is, PM claims, undermining the working of the capitalist market, leading to social production and so opening the way to a post-capitalist society. We are therefore at the start of a transition period to post-capitalism; a transition in which post-capitalism coexists with capitalism as a parallel system of production; a transition which could take centuries. However, because of a number of existential threats, such as climate change, demographic change in global population and sovereign debt, humanity does not have the time to let this transition run its course. Therefore, although post-capitalism is happening anyway, we need to mobilise the state to speed up the transition.