On the book of Erzsébet Szalai: Koordinátákon kívül. Fiatal felnőttek a mai Magyarországon [Out of Coordinates. Young Adults in Present-day Hungary], Budapest, Új Mandátum Kiadó, 2011

The first block of this issue of Eszmélet is addressing the nature of global capitalism, which shows more and more convincingly symptoms of the capital system, which cannot be cured without structural changes. The second important topic is the analysis of the neoconservative, neo-Horthyist state system developed by Orbán after the 2010 "system change". This shows the practical consequences of the global crisis on the semi-periphery of Europe. Third, a closer look is taken into the significant anti-regime, and radical anti-capitalist social movements of the year 2011, especially the shocking US movement of Occupy Wall Street!, whose significance mainly lies in the fact that public discussion finally started to address the system itself, the global crisis of capitalism. At the end, a comprehensive study is analysing the possibility of a democratic planning-based socialist society – beyond the market.

2011 was a good year – in a political sense – for the world left. They managed to change world discourse, moving it away from the ideological mantras of neo-liberalism. For the first time in a long time, ordinary people were discussing the very nature of the system in which they lived; they were no longer taking it for granted.

In fact, the 'second edition' of capitalism is being created in Russia rather than of its 'restoration'. While pre-revolutionary Russia, although feudal-capitalistic and underdeveloped, was progressing, the present, now capitalistic Russia in turn is losing its population, declining in culture and science. Assembly lines now are advancing in sectors requiring advanced technology and scientific background. Industries, which were regarded progressive 30-40 years ago now stagnate. The traditional collective cultural activities of the Soviet times have disappeared, and are replaced by passive, individual free-time activities made at home, which characterise atomised societies. It is a special second edition, as global capitalism placed Russia on the semi-periphery, launching regressive and degrading processes.

A special and unique form of capitalism has evolved in Eastern Europe after the post-socialist transformation. This form is characterised by the unusual weak SMEs sector, an agricultural sector with few efficient capitalist large farms and many weak small farms often producing for self-subsistence and very weak labour in general. In these new systems, in addition to multinational companies, technocrats have a large weight in the evolving domestic capitalist elite, coming from the second rank of the former nomenclature and often with inherited bourgeois cultural capital.