Category Archives: Former issues

Former issues

56 defeated in 1957 and in 1990

The preface of the booklet containing the contributions to the conference "The positive heritage of 1956: the workers councils" has pointed out that the spirit of the 1956 workers councils threat any party regime. Thus the one-party regime of the Kádár era and the multi-party regime after the system change both – as they well-conceived joint interest – repressed workers councils, which were fighting for ownership rights.

The article is only available in Hungarian. You can order a copy of the issue.

Former issues

No. 72 | (Winter 2006)

Having the 50th anniversary of the 1956 uprising, this issue of Eszmélet focuses on interpreting its events. The selection of articles was influenced by the fact that almost all aspects of official commemorations failed to mention the anti-capitalist, socialist and self-governing colour of the events. Books published, conferences and events organised for the anniversary – to serve the legitimation of the present system – emphasized the role of bourgeois, openly anti-socialist forces and classified them as "revolutionary". Because of this, our articles probably present a more differentiated picture both in political and theoretical sense. The one dimensional presentation of the "sorrowful October events" whether we call it revolution, counter-revolution or (popular) uprising does not led to proper theory and methodology. Eszmélet has the mission to show the colours not presented or distorted by others. On the one hand, the official classification in the Kádár regime was a "fascist counter-revolution" exaggerating the events on Köztársaság square, on the other hand, recently only bourgeois democratic elements are emphasized or even the current lead by Mindszenty is put in the front as it were part of the democratic movements. Eszmélet wants to present parts of the whole and the whole in parts.
Further articles address different issues ranging from social policy through the ideology of the (extreme) right political forces in the Baltic states, the 1981 Polish crisis to the Hungarist devotedness of the " rediscovered" Transylvanian writer count Albert Wass.
Table of contents
  1. Tütő László : 1956 as a language problem
  2. Mark Pittaway : Rethinking the Hungarian Revolution: Industrial Workers, the Disintegration and Reconstruction of Socialism, 1953-1958
  3. Krausz Tamás : About the 1956 workers councils
  4. Dobos Gábor : Reasons of the soviet military intervention based on documents of CPSU Central Committee
  5. Dömény János : 1956 and the Hispanic world
  6. Lugosi Győző : 1956 and interstate relationships in the cold war system On Charles Gati: Failed Illusions: Moscow, Washington, Budapest and the 1956 Hungarian Revolt
  7. Bartha Eszter : The film on Mansfeld and those who reject it
  8. Thoma László : An accurate handbook On Political transition in Hungary 1987-1990 by Zoltán Ripp
  9. Kéri Elemér : Capitalism – Japanese style On Japanese road /conditions/ I-II by Bertalan Pethő)
  10. Marcello Musto : Karl Marx: indiscreet fascination of the unfinished On Marx-Engels-Gesamtausgabe
  11. Mitrovits Miklós : The eve of introducing the martial law in Poland, December 1981 (a historic document: the “notebook” of General Viktor Anoshkin)
  12. Artner Annamária : Chances of employment policy in respect of labour market laws
  13. Ékes Ildikó : Economic theories and the changing world
  14. Efraim Zuroff : Eastern Europe: anti-Semitism in the wake of holocaust-related issues
  15. Nagy László : Albert Wass and hungarism
  16. Polonyi Péter : Dear editors,
Former issues

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
  1. 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
  2. Henry Veltmeyer, James Petras : Bad government, good governance – civil society versus social movements
  3. Claus Leggewie : Supranational movements and the question of democracy
  4. Szigeti Péter : Civil Society
  5. 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
  6. Farkas Miklós : Further comments to the Spanish Civil War
  7. Harsányi Iván : Popular Front, Spain, anarchists Comments to the Popular Front section of Eszmélet No.70
  8. Konok Péter : ARENA (Asian Regional Exchange for New Alternatives) – Asian Exchange
  9. Vámos Péter : Is the dragon sick? Internal problems of China and solution attempts
  10. Lau Kin Chi : Environment for intellectuals’ criticism in China
  11. Wen Tiejun : Reflections at the turn of the century on “Rural issues in three dimesions”
  12. Huang Ping : China: Rural problems and uneven development
  13. Chen Xin : New development of consumerism in Chinese society in the late 1990s
  14. Gerald Horne : Made in China? The Crisis of US Imperialism
  15. Hegyi Gyula : Socialism is possible
Former issues

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.