No. 97 | (Spring 2013)
This issue of Eszmélet presents the lessons from the defeat of the socialist left and the workers' movement in new contexts. This defeat has not eased the internal crisis of capitalism and the capital system but weakened the strength of forces opposing the system for a humanist alternative. In the light of recent research results, the link between the European and global scale cannot be more ignored. While bourgeois ideology is speaking about the death of Marx for decades, after a retreat he is returning in Eastern Europe as well in many different ways. The death of Eric Hobsbawm deprived Marxist history writing from its last man of encyclopedic knowledge but his work remains us inspiring.
The heo-Horthyst ideological climate around the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the catastrophe of the Hungarian army in the WW II is also presented in this issue. Our contribution to the national remembrance is recalling memories on the war crimes committed by the Hungarian occupation forces. This is also part of the fight to change the world, even though if this process is far more complex than that was imagined by earlier generations of Marxists.
Table of contents
- Eric J. Hobsbawm : History: a New Age of Reason
- Göran Therborn : Class in the 21st Century
- Samir Amin : Implosion of Contemporary Capitalism. Audacity, More Audacity in Formulating an Alternative to the Existing System
- Samir Amin : Implosion of the European System
- Michel Aglietta : The European Vortex
- Marchel van der Linden : Strikes will not wane but will gain importance, An interview by Raquel Varela
- Marchel van der Linden : Labour History Beyond Borders
- Tütő László : Revolutionary Conservatism. Marx vs. Marx
- Vázsonyi Dániel : What is Capitalism? A Civilization, a Production Mode, a Good Idea or Something Else?
- Tütő László : Resignation, ‘Better not to Know’, Being Busy Bees. Variations on Withdrawal No. 3 ‘The Freedom of Resignation’
- Garai László : The Identity and Identities of Attila József
- Szarka Klára : Photos of Zoltán Molnár Taken in Transylvania and Moldova
- Volunteers for Barbarism. Memories of Anatoly Tunin, Who was Five, When Cast in the Damned War.
History: a New Age of Reason
Everything is identical to its own history – why should history itself be an exemption? This paraphrase of Hegel can also be applied to Marxist history writing- shows the author. The once well known quote from Marx, "the philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways: the point, however, is to change it" is still valid but its validity is not self-explaining. The world has changed as well as its understanding, especially the understanding of changes, so "understanding" is also questioned, which might become a cliché together with the conclusion that changing the world is an illusion.
Class in the 21st Century
Now, when the term working class is used in Hungary by radical leftist circles only, this study is especially important, which gives an enjoyable review of the history of the working class in the 20th century as well as on its intellectual tradition, movements and world shaping revolutions, of course including the contradictory but in many respects positive revolutions in Russia and China. The author examines the reasons behind the defeat of the workers' movements, and sees the future of the left in crossing its Europe centrism in a world where consumption and growing middle classes have already crossed the national borders.
Implosion of Contemporary Capitalism. Audacity, More Audacity in Formulating an Alternative to the Existing System
In present-day capitalism, monopolies excise fuller control the production systems of the world than ever before. They launched a war on workers and nations for maintaining their monopoly profit. A new compromise is not possible, continuing capitalism leads only to barbarism. That is why the left should be courageous enough for setting radical goals. Such a vital goal is the confiscation and socialisation of monopolies, the establishment of the institutions of building democratic consensus. Countries embarking on this road, should delink from the present global system,installing national planning and South-South cooperation.
Transition Movement
The ultimate goal of the transition movement is to develop a social-economic form by practice, which is able to satisfy social needs for everyone in a sustainable way, in an environment of shortages created by the climate change and increasing energy prices, a consequence of the depleting oil reserves. This requires radical cut backs on globalised production and transport and also meeting food and energy needs mostly from local sources in global network of local communities talking to each other. This vision contradicts the logic of global capitalism, although the movement is making an attempt to establish parallel economic and social institutions without open confrontation.