Two Hundred Pharaohs booklet?

Submitted by Spikymike on March 26, 2019

Has anyone else come across and read this booklet; 'Two Hundred Pharaohs - five Million Slaves - manifesto' published first in 1999 and again in 2001 by maybe one Adrian Peacock?
I read it again recently and it started out as an interesting potted history of the evolution of modern capitalism from it's origins in European feudalism up to the modern era from a Marxist, Situationist influenced perspective, but then via a reference to Hegel's philosophy started on a less than coherent attack on both academia and what it's author perceived as the false political ideological opposition to capitalism including both the traditional left, anarchism and even Situationism. There were some references in there that I could vaguely see as applying to aspects of all of those today but the text seemed less than helpful in providing specific examples for that time. Not sure it would be worth anyone putting this in the libcom library although it does have a place in the history of UK Situationism. Couldn't find any critical reviews of it online.

Fozzie

5 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Fozzie on March 26, 2019

There were some good graphics slagging off squatters in the edition I had.

My memories of it agree with you Mike, it began well but then I lost patience with it. I vaguely remember seeing the text online at one point but probably on a website that is long gone.

I met Adrian at one point in the noughties through community activism in south Hackney. I think he may have run for the council as an independent at one point?

There is a PDF here so I might add that to the library:
http://www.lust-for-life.org/Lust-For-Life/TwoHundredPharaohs/TwoHundredPharaohs.pdf

Fozzie

5 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Fozzie on March 26, 2019

Sorted - now here http://libcom.org/library/two-hundred-pharaohs-five-billion-slaves-adrian-peacock

Spikymike

5 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Spikymike on March 26, 2019

Should say that I would also be critical of it's effort to situate the concept of 'democracy' as the critical link between different periods of the class struggle.

ajjohnstone

5 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by ajjohnstone on March 28, 2019

A Socialist Standard review (posted due to this topic thread)

https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2019/03/socialism-or-zombyism-2000.html