The practice of recently proliferating civil society organisations raises several questions, including the ‘democracy paradox', that is the substantial contradiction between the final aim of these organisations at developing democratic structures of the country in which they operate and the internal structure of these organisations, which are in practice non-transparent and can hardly be called democratic. A further problem is harmonising the operation of civil organisations and democratically elected bodies. The study attempts to find a solution for this legitimacy crisis.
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Made in China? The Crisis of US Imperialism
US elites more and more regard the quickly developing China as an economic and political rival. That is why the US makes increasing attempts to curb Chinese exports by administrative measures, and isolate China in international relations. It seems both attempts will fail. The offensive of Chinese diplomacy hinders the hegemony of US imperialism in an increasing number of regions in the world.
Civil Society
Bad government, good governance – civil society versus social movements
The chapter values the work of non governmental organisations (NGO) in Latin America mostly from a political angle, presenting the tendency that community-based and grass-root organisations are gradually replaced by operational and professional ‘development agencies', which in fact promote the agenda of globalisation and neoliberalism. While left-wing movements aim to change the structure of social injustice, NGOs prefer keeping the poor away from politics and see the solution in investing in personal human capital.
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