The Logic of the Soviet Organisational Society

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 91-111
Author(s):  
Evelyn Moser

Abstract The paper describes and discusses the variant of societal differentiation that evolved under the Soviet regime. The argumentation starts with the conceptualisation of socialism as a program with a universal, function system-exceeding claim for validity. The implementation of the socialist program may be perceived as an effort to create structures which allow complete inclusion in the sense of an all-encompassing political addressability. In this regard, the political leadership tried to set up the society as a hierarchically structured organisation. The example of Soviet agriculture and the structures of Soviet villages, however, show that notwithstanding an all-encompassing degree of organisation, strictly ‘organised’ forms of economic communication coexisted with and were interrelated to ‘non-organisable’ and even ideologically deviant forms of agricultural production by personal smallholdings. Such niches of functional differentiation did not only provide compensation for the inability of the political leadership to cope with societal complexity, but also created connectivity in the world society and could hardly be oppressed without putting the stability of the regime at risk.

Author(s):  
Hallie M. Franks

In the Greek Classical period, the symposium—the social gathering at which male citizens gathered to drink wine and engage in conversation—was held in a room called the andron. From couches set up around the perimeter of the andron, symposiasts looked inward to the room’s center, which often was decorated with a pebble mosaic floor. These mosaics provided visual treats for the guests, presenting them with images of mythological scenes, exotic flora, dangerous beasts, hunting parties, or the specter of Dionysos, the god of wine, riding in his chariot or on the back of a panther. This book takes as its subject these mosaics and the context of their viewing. Relying on discourses in the sociology and anthropology of space, it argues that the andron’s mosaic imagery actively contributed to a complex, metaphorical experience of the symposium. In combination with the ritualized circling of the wine cup from couch to couch around the room and the physiological reaction to wine, the images of mosaic floors called to mind other images, spaces, or experiences, and, in doing so, prompted drinkers to reimagine the symposium as another kind of event—a nautical voyage, a journey to a foreign land, the circling heavens or a choral dance, or the luxury of an abundant past. Such spatial metaphors helped to forge the intimate bonds of friendship that are the ideal result of the symposium and that make up the political and social fabric of the Greek polis.


China Report ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 000944552110470
Author(s):  
Rudolf Fürst

Deepening globalisation and worldwide availability of free information and ideas raise concerns of the communist China’s political leadership about the stability of the regime and the sustainability of the state ideological orthodoxy. Therefore, the state’s tightening control of the public communication to curtail the domestic criticism and occasional public discontent is becoming framed and legitimised in terms of cultural security as a non-traditional security concern. This study argues that the restrictive impacts of the politicisation of culture in the centralised agenda of President Xi Jinping reinvigorate China’s anti-Western narratives and attitudes. The research focuses on the state’s cultural security-related and applicable strategy in the political and institutional agenda and media. Moreover, the study also traces the state cultural security policy in the field of the civic and non-governmental sector, religious and ethnic minorities policy, literature, film and audiovisual sectors. The findings assess the concern that the intellectually anachronistic, self-restraining and internationally hostile policy devaluates China’s cultural potential and complexity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 81 (1) ◽  
pp. 132-149
Author(s):  
James F. Keenan

This article considers the world at risk; in particular it focuses on the three topics covered at the international conference of Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church in 2018 in Sarajevo: climate change, its impact on marginalized populations, and the tragic banality of contemporary political leadership. The article turns to a proposal by Trinity College’s Linda Hogan to develop an ethics of vulnerability so as to respond to the triple crisis. After examining contemporary writings on both vulnerability and precarity by Judith Butler and others, it concludes by applying the ethics of vulnerability to other urgent cases as well.


2017 ◽  
Vol II (I) ◽  
pp. 64-72
Author(s):  
Shahid Iqbal ◽  
Jan Alam ◽  
Muhammad Zia-ur Rehman

In this paper, we examine the neighborhood especially Indian strategies for the region. The political philosophies and regional strategies related to developing economies in the region need synergy and strategically positive and constructive in nature. Their philosophy to rule and their foreign policy is different from all the other leadership. Indian Current Ruling Party seems involved in different terrorist activities, such Gujarat attack on Muslims and the incident of the Samjhota express. Indian Current Ruling Partys begins wrongdoing on the innocent Kashmiri, its forces also use pellet guns on Kashmiri Muslims. Indian economic strategy is to invest on Chahbahar Port and wish to side stop the economic mega project of CPEC. Indian influence increased in Afghanistan against Pakistan with the boycott of SAARC conference scheduled in Pakistan. The international community has found that Indian current political leadership is as one of the most influential negative political personality among the world leaders.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-30
Author(s):  
Lance Taylor

A “global saving glut” was invented by Ben Bernanke in 2005 as a label for positive net lending (imports exceeding exports) to the American economy by the rest of the world. This trading situation had already emerged around 1980, and led to the Plaza Accord in 1985. One common explanation is based on the Mundell-Fleming IS/LM/BP model. But this model cannot be valid, since the “BP” equation is not independent of “IS.” Other champions of this saving glut hypothesis rely on loanable funds theory, which is institutionally inadequate. More plausible analyses of the persistent trade imbalance can be derived from a two-country IS/LM set-up devised by Wynne Godley, a Kaleckian description of the political economy of East Asia and the United States, and dissection of the terms of trade due to W. Arthur Lewis and Luigi Pasinetti.


2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Edwards ◽  
Leonidas Montes

We analyze Milton Friedman’s two visits to Chile, in March 1975 and November 1981. We rely on a number of sources, including Friedman’s archives, press archives in Chile and the rest of the world, interviews, and the papers and recollections of some of those who accompanied Friedman during his meeting with Pinochet. Although Friedman’s 1975 visit has been widely discussed, his 1981 visit has been largely neglected. However, this visit was particularly important as it preceded a severe currency and banking crisis, stemming from an overvalued fixed exchange rate. The crisis put at risk the influence of the “Chicago Boys” and the political and economic liberalization process. We analyze Friedman’s views regarding Chile’s pegged exchange rate strategy followed between 1979 and 1982, and his position on economic and political freedom.


2021 ◽  
pp. 506-521
Author(s):  
Ronald W. Zweig

The creation of the State of Israel transformed the ties between the Jewish community there and the Jewish world at large. The World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency were supplanted by the institutions of the sovereign state. Similarly, prominent leaders of American Zionism, especially Abba Hillel Silver and Emanuel Neumann, became marginalized as the focus shifted to the politics of the Knesset and the political leadership of David Ben-Gurion. As the role of diaspora Zionism declined in importance, a new relationship of mutual interdependence emerged in the 1950s, as Israel and the diaspora collaborated in pursuing restitution, reparations, and indemnification for victims of the Holocaust. The non-Zionist Jacob Blaustein and the American Jewish Committee now defined the diaspora-Israel relationship.


1978 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 299-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanjaya Lall ◽  
Senaka Bibile

This paper describes the experience of Sri Lanka in reforming the structure of production, importation, and distribution of pharmaceuticals in the period 1972–1976. It highlights the actions and reactions of transnational pharmaceutical corporations to these reforms, and traces the achievements and problems of the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation which was set up to implement the reforms. The roles of political leadership in regulating the power of drug transnationals, and of the medical profession in resisting reform, seem to be of crucial significance. Developing countries wishing to lower the present high cost of drug delivery must proceed with great care and immense caution, since complex problems of quality control, bioequivalence, medical acceptance, and consumer reeducation are involved.


1986 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
JR McWilliam

This review examines the impact of drought and salinity on agricultural production in both the semi- arid and humid regions of the world. The frequency and nature of drought events and some recent approaches to drought prediction are discussed along with the distribution of salinity and the various factors leading to its occurrence under both irrigated and dryland conditions. Strategies to minimize the impact of drought and salinity on the rural community and on the stability of land resources have been developed largely in high-income countries. However, because of the high cost, little has been done in the developing world where extensive areas of valuable land are deteriorating, representing a serious threat to food security.


Author(s):  
Kemal Kurak ◽  
Hakan Büyükçelebi ◽  
Mahmut Açak

The 15th European Football Championship (UEFA) was hosted by France. Italy exhibited a different football from this previous tournament. Italy participated in the European Football Championship 8 times, played three finals and won this trophy in 1968. Before 2016, Italian football is a team that has adopted the strict defense principle. It is aimed to reach the result based on standing balls and individual actions. With the 5-4-1 and 4-5-1 game system, the defense is not at risk and few players are attacked. In the preference of players, players with good defense power are preferred. In EURO 2016, Italy football; Looking at the comments from around the world, it has changed the style and style of the game. It is seen that it applies new trends in football. We can summarize some of these trends as follows; there is a very tactically trained team that can play different systems. Different game systems have been applied in different matches. It was observed that they wanted to direct the game by owning the ball. When they lost the ball, oppression was set up instead of waiting for the opponent to make mistakes. Distance between locations has been established as 35-40 m. Instead of waiting behind the ball, the opponent was directed to the press area to create pressure against the ball. These situations caused the Italian football team to play an attractive football. <p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0745/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>


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