No. 71 | (Autumn 2006)
One of the main topics of this issue of Eszmélet is the actual operation of NGOs both in Hungary and abroad, especially focusing on the question how the capitalist system forms these organisations to follow its rule. Although problems in Europe and Latin America are different but the fundamental question for the political left is the same: can leftwing NGOs develop into a movement or remain the toy of the capital and the state. A further block of articles examines the basics of economic, cultural and social development of modern China – mostly publishing articles of authentic and system critical Chinese authors. Among the conclusions they also found that the fundamental feature of the Chinese development is that the Communist party itself promotes the basic structural forms of capitalist development. The debate on state socialism also continues, as well as two articles address again the Spanish Civil War and the history of the Popular Front.
Table of contents
- Krausz Tamás : What is next, which is best? Points to be discussed on features and the future of globalisation critical ‘civil movements’ – based on East European experience
- Henry Veltmeyer, James Petras : Bad government, good governance – civil society versus social movements
- Claus Leggewie : Supranational movements and the question of democracy
- Szigeti Péter : Civil Society
- Tütő László : Where democracy is, is it tyranny? Miracles expected by regime change – democracy of disillusions On Mária Vásárhelyi: Age of disillusions – Regime change from below
- Farkas Miklós : Further comments to the Spanish Civil War
- Harsányi Iván : Popular Front, Spain, anarchists Comments to the Popular Front section of Eszmélet No.70
- Konok Péter : ARENA (Asian Regional Exchange for New Alternatives) – Asian Exchange
- Vámos Péter : Is the dragon sick? Internal problems of China and solution attempts
- Lau Kin Chi : Environment for intellectuals’ criticism in China
- Wen Tiejun : Reflections at the turn of the century on “Rural issues in three dimesions”
- Huang Ping : China: Rural problems and uneven development
- Chen Xin : New development of consumerism in Chinese society in the late 1990s
- Gerald Horne : Made in China? The Crisis of US Imperialism
- Hegyi Gyula : Socialism is possible
Socialism is possible
The author suggests an interesting thesis in his contribution to the state socialism discussion – socialism is not an issue of the past but an actual question concerning the future of Europe. He regards the socialist-social democrat European political left capable of developing socialism. His starting point can be regarded as questioning the view of those authors who see no chance for the revival of the European social democracy.
What is next, which is best? Points to be discussed on features and the future of globalisation critical ‘civil movements’ – based on East European experience
The civil society in Hungary has already been integrated into the political system. Organisations, which were set up as left-wing movements have faded away and right-wing bodies show features of a political movement. System-critical forces of the civil society, which – in theory – maintain far reaching goals of social counter-power, cannot avoid uniting their forces.
No. 70 | (Summer 2006)
This issue of Eszmélet addresses two major and historically relevant topics: the popular front, of which actuality is given by the anniversary of the Spanish civil war, and the second is the so-called organisational issue that is unresolved internationally as we entered into the new era of globalisation. In order to contribute to raise the level of intellectual debates of the political left in Hungary, it is important to sum up the relevant aspects of the oeuvre of Lenin concerning this topic.
In Hungary, so far no unbiased analysis was made on the international support to the forces of the Spanish Republic, the division and reasons of the split in the Spanish left, the role of anarchists, the weight of Soviet help in the civil war etc. Conclusions from the articles published can be relevant to restore unity of the present left. The Leninist experience on the organisational issue can also be linked to this question. What are the traps to be avoided by the present left? What were the profoundly different structural features of party development before and after 1917? Have we faced the progressive heritage of pre-Stalinist Marxism? Have we wasted 18 years since the system change? On historically and theoretically analysing the past probably we have not but concerning lessons to be learned – certainly yes.
Table of contents
- Harsányi Iván : Popular front – looking back over 70 years
- Farkas Miklós : When World War II began? The military coup against the Second Spanish Republic broke out 70 years ago
- Mezei Bálint : Soviet officers in the Spanish Civil War
- Konok Péter : Is the enemy of my enemy my friend? The failure of the Spanish popular front in May 1937
- Zolcsák Attila : Anarchist federalism and Spanish regionalism
- Ana Bazac : Present-day popular fronts
- Bánki Éva : Europe − for cartoon heroes On Aleš Debeljak: Europe without Europeans
- Joaquín Bustelo : Critical remarks to the idea of “democratic centrism”
- Michael A. Lebowitz : The politics of assumption, the assumption of politics
- Krausz Tamás : Lenin and the “organisation question” – historical reconstruction
Popular front – looking back over 70 years
The new political thinking and practice, on which the idea and practice of the popular front was built, essentially opposed the general political thinking of its time. The Seventh World Congress of Comintern did not discuss ready-made thought-blocks and distilled ideas – it had to face the failure of the final-target oriented policy of communist parties in the political and social situation had developed by the 1930's. The antifascist popular front was both necessary political practice and a result of theoretical considerations.