archive

We are all Communists now

Charles Thorpe (UCSD) and Ian Welsh (Cardiff): Beyond Primitivism: Towards a Twenty-first Century Anarchist Theory and Praxis for Science and Technology. From PUP, the introduction to After Anarchy: Legitimacy and Power in the United Nations Security Council by Ian Hurd; and the first chapter from Punishing the Prince: A Theory of Interstate Relations, Political Institutions, and Leader Change by Fiona McGillivray and Alastair Smith. From Ephemera, Jason Del Gandio (Temple): Global Justice Rhetoric: Observations and Suggestions; a review of The Dictionary of Alternatives by Martin Parker, Valerie Fournier and Patrick Reedy (and more); a review of The Resources of Critique by Alex Callinicos; and we are all Communists now: A review of The Beginning of History: Value Struggles and Global Capital by Massimo De Angelis. Strange Maps on a world government plan: Aliens to police USA. Three books from a century ago suggest that then — as now — fear, paranoia and concern over new technology ruled the day. From Prospect, the idea of "good character" sounds old-fashioned and patronising, but it may be the key to some of our most entrenched social problems. Nice day, isn't it: What's the best way to talk to a stranger? From Slate, an slideshow on industrial-strength art: The photographers who found beauty in the factory.