Category Archives: Former issues

Policy and Security Implications of the Financial Crisis: A Plan for America

The chair of the international and non-partisan meeting in Paris on June 16-17, 2008 draws conclusions from the discussions. Whether a US- centred global financial system, and based on the dollar as a reserve currency, will continue for much longer is an open question. We must embark, from the beginning, on a directed, long-term strategy, initially based on public investment, while the fundamental issues are obscured by a superficial international regulatory discourse.

English text copyright © 2008 by M.E. Sharpe, Inc. Originally published in English as "Policy and Security Implications of the Financial Crisis: A Plan for America ," CHALLENGE, vol. 51, no. 6 (November/December 2008). Translated with permission of M.E. Sharpe, Inc. and the author.

In 1968, Structures Walked on the Streets – Will They Do it Again?

"1968" was long associated with the revolt against consumer capitalism and with the values of the new left but hegemonic capitalist ideology – as the winner – later appropriated it. The Slovene philosopher takes a unique angle in analysing the economic, social and ideological background of this shift. He also investigates what remains from the heritage of '68; the changing features of capitalism, whether the idea of communism remains valid in the contemporary "postmodern" world; and, if the answer is yes, then what is and how can an "up-to-date" criticism of capitalism be made.

The original article is under publication. (see)

No. 76 | (Winter 2007)

We have undertaken a big task in this issue to depict the main currents in the global Marxist revival. Of course this is the programme of Eszmélet but now the time has arrived for making an account. What happened to Marxism after the system change and the collapse of the Soviet Union? Hungarian Marxists first lamented that Marxism was declining, because it became a state supporting ideology. After it has lost its legitimising ideology role, the very same intellectuals have withdrawn their support for it saying that there was noting to expect from Marxists views. In fact it has been proven that Marxism as a critical theory and practice of the existing world order still today an indispensable critical tool for revolutionary thinking. Nevertheless, also the crisis and revival of Marxism hinges on the fate of movements rejecting the capitalist system, searching community values and an economic alternative to capitalism. It is questionable and should be debated whether the collapse of state socialism was also the collapse of Marxist dialectics or the fall of state socialism was caused by Marxist dialectics degenerating to a theoretical ‘skeleton'?

Among the causes and consequences of Marxism in history the factual examination of the Russian revolution and Lenin's heritage cannot be avoided. Our readers can find contributions also to this filed in the current issue. First of all the critical exploration and valuation of Lenin's historical performance is a hot topic these days. Authors of this issue search answers between old stile communist and new style capitalist apologies.

 

Table of contents
  1. Göran Therborn : After dialetics – Radical social theory in a post-communist world
  2. Krausz Tamás : The Marxism of Lenin – a summary
  3. Marcello Musto : A critique for our times: For the rediscovery of Karl Marx
  4. Pankovits József : Gramsci again – notes to the newest Gramsci research
  5. Balázs Gábor : A French passion: Trotskyism (Part 1)
  6. Michael Kelly : Marxism in France
  7. Bartha Eszter : Immature youth? – Walks of life in post-industrial society
  8. Eszmélet : In memoriam Sándor Kovacsek (1926-2007)
  9. Szarka Klára : Lajos Tabák (1904- 2007)
  10. Tütő László : Who milks profit? or can a milk bag fail? – Microeconomics for grown up children
  11. Nyina A. Dmitrijeva : Lenin and the Russian intelligentsia – Overview on the history of the “philisopher’s ship”
  12. orosz értelmiségiek : The relevance of October to us Russians and to the world
  13. BAL : 56 defeated in 1957 and in 1990