Power and the State

Articles

A global war on labour? by Vittorio Longhi (November 2007)

The number of trade unionists killed, arrested or ‘just’ dismissed in the pursuit of their members rights has increased alarmingly over the past year, according to a survey by the International Trade Union Confederation. Italian labour journalist Vittorio Longhi, interviews ITUC general secretary Guy Ryder about this and other issues facing the international trade union movement

Red questions seeking green answers by Mary Mellor (October 2007)

Mary Mellor poses some socialist questions for greens

Power to which people? by Steve Kingston (October 2007)

The government is promising ’devolution right to the doorstep’ as a means of reinvigorating local democracy. A pilot participatory budget making project, whereby people can ’have a direct say’ in how their taxes are spent, has been running in Salford. Stephen Kingston questions its democratic credentials

The roots of terror by Terry Eagleton (September 2005)

Some form of terror lies at the origin of most political states, writes Terry Eagleton, but this fact is cast into the political unconscious. Only by confronting it, rather than repressing it, can we hope to get beyond it

Power and the State by John Holloway (November 2004)

The following is a transcript of John Holloway’s speech to the European Social Forum in London in October 2004.

Challenge the state, don’t reclaim it by Sarah Young (November 2004)

Hilary Wainwright has criticised John Holloway for a too pessimistic analysis of the state. Sarah Young responds.

Change the World by Transforming Power - Including State Power! by Hilary Wainwright (November 2004)

I’ve been puzzling over John Holloway’s book. I say puzzling because on the one hand, there is a lot I agreed with in his critique of the traditional left - Leninist and social democratic - in particular their fixation with seizing or taking state power. I agreed too with his emphasis on recognising our own creative power: both our power of refusal and our power of transformation; and his focus on the ways that we can change society ourselves through collective and co-operative action rather than look to the state or the party to achieve change on our behalf.

Ten tumultuous years by Fiona Osler (May 2003)

‘Red Pepper, breaking a decade; New Labour, broken and decayed,’ suggested a wit in the office. But now is not the moment for narrow triumphalism (beyond celebrating the larger font size and the monthly miracle performed in getting the magazine out at all).