Politics

The book begins by defining spirituality for a modern audience of all faiths and beliefs, and goes on to consider the problems and necessities of true leadership. Drawing on a rich history of spirituality and activism it is both guide and inspiration for people involved in activism for social or environmental justice.

This thoroughly revised edition provides an updated introduction to a variety of issues in the Global South relating to international social work, including AIDS, forced labor and war and conflict. United Nations human rights documents are used as a framework to examine issues in their cultural contexts.

This work emphasizes the particularly American variant of this marginal youth movement and the damage it has caused to society.

Grand strategist and founder of modern Singapore offers key insights and controversial opinions on globalization, geopolitics, economic growth, and democracy.

A comprehensive introduction to the work of one of the outstanding intellectuals of the twentieth century.

Features a collection of essays, which explores questions such as the meaning of moral respect and the ways individuals relate to social collectives, together with issues like welfare reform, same-sex marriage, and drug treatment for pregnant women. This book draws upon ideas from both Anglo-American and Continental philosophers.

No Future Without Forgiveness is a quintessentially humane account of an extraordinary life. Desmond Tutu describes his childhood and coming of age in the apartheid era in South Africa. He examines his reactions on being able to vote for the first time at the age of 62 - and on Nelson Mandela's election, also his feelings on being Archbishop of Cape Town and his award of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. No Future Without Forgiveness is also his fascinating experience as head of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The latter was a pioneering international experiment to expose many of the worst atrocities committed under apartheid, and to rehabilitate the dignity of its victims. Tutu draws important parallels between the Commissioners' approach to the situation in South Africa with other areas of conflict such as Northern Ireland, the Middle East, Rwanda and the Balkans.

'If artists betray the social conscience and the basic principles of being human, where does art stand then?' Ai Weiwei - artist, architect, curator, publisher, poet and urbanist - extended the notion of art and is one of the world's most significant creative and cultural figures. In this series of interviews, conducted over several years with the curator Hans Ulrich Obrist, he discusses the many dimensions of his artistic life, ranging over subjects including ceramics, blogging, nature, philosophy and the myriad influences that have fed into his work. He also talks candidly about his father, his childhood spent in exile and his criticism of the Chinese state. Together, these extraordinary discussions give a unique insight into the outstanding complexity of Ai Weiwei's thought and work, and are an essential reminder of the need for personal, political and artistic freedom.

Path-breaking history of modern liberalism told through the pages of one of its most zealous supporters

A radical reckoning with the racial inequality of America's past and present, by one of the leading scholars of policing and mass incarceration in the US

Former Director of Central Intelligence R. James Woolsey and former Romanian acting spy chief Lt. General Ion Mihai Pacepa, who was granted political asylum in the U.S. in 1978, describe why Russia remains an extremely dangerous force in the world, and they finally and definitively put to rest the question of who killed President Kennedy on November 22, 1963. All evidence points to the fact that the assassination‿carried out by Lee Harvey Oswald‿was ordered by Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, acting through what was essentially the Russian leader‿s personal army, the KGB (now known as the FSB). This evidence, which is codified as most things in foreign intelligence are, has never before been jointly decoded by a top U.S. foreign intelligence leader and a former Soviet Bloc spy chief familiar with KGB patterns and codes. Meanwhile, dozens of conspiracy theorists have written books about the JFK assassination during the past fifty-six years. Most of these theories blame America and were largely triggered by the KGB disinformation campaign implemented in the intense effort to remove Russia‿s own fingerprints that blamed in turn Lyndon Johnson, the CIA, secretive groups of American oilmen, Howard Hughes, Fidel Castro, and the Mafia. Russian propaganda sowed hatred and contempt for the U.S. quite effectively, and its operations have morphed into many forms, including the recruitment of global terror groups and the backing of enemy nation- states. Yet it was the JFK assassination, with its explosive aftermath of false conspiracy theories, that set the model for blaming America first.

This book offers the first critical engagement with the political economy of the Middle East and North Africa. Challenging conventional wisdom on the origins and contemporary dynamics of capitalism in the region, these cutting-edge essays demonstrate how critical political economy can illuminate both historical and contemporary dynamics of the region and contribute to wider political economy debates from the vantage point of the Middle East.Leading scholars, representing several disciplines, contribute both thematic and country-specific analyses. Their writings critically examine major issues in political economy-notably, the mutual constitution of states, markets, and classes; the co-constitution of class, race, gender, and other forms of identity; varying modes of capital accumulation and the legal, political, and cultural forms of their regulation; relations among local, national, and global forms of capital, class, and culture; technopolitics; the role of war in the constitution of states and classes; and practices and cultures of domination and resistance.Visit politicaleconomyproject.org for additional media and learning resources.

Sociologist Mike Savage shows how economic inequality aggravates cultural, social, and political conflicts, challenging the framework of liberal democracy. By fracturing social bonds, inequality turns back the clock, reviving conditions we have struggled for centuries to escape, including empire, dynastic elitism, and explosive ethnic division.

The story of the six-day battle that began the War in Afghanistan and how it set the scene for twenty years of conflict.

A moving investigation that exposes the impact of international intervention, both joyful and tragic, on the lives of African sexual minorities and their loved ones

With a unique narrative combining moving life stories and scholarly insight, this book offers a radical re-appraisal of Indian politics. The book demonstrates why Indian democracy is of global importance and why its pathologies are a cause for alarm: as much for India as for the future of democracy the world over.

This textbook introduces political ecology as an interdisciplinary approach to critically examine land and environmental issues.

Covid-19 is reshaping and challenging governments, societies and economies in previously unimaginable ways--but gangsters and profiteers have adapted. They have found new routes for illegal commodities, from narcotics to people. Shortages, lockdowns and public attitudes have brought the underworld and upperworld closer together, as criminals strive to meet needs, maximise opportunities and fill governance vacuums. Unscrupulous fraudsters are touting fake remedies to desperate people: counterfeit drugs, and trafficked wildlife used in traditional medicine. Social distancing and restrictions have seen online transactions and cyber-ops replacing or supplementing physical shipments, opening opportunities for scammers and hackers. Heavy-handed state responses have created new illicit markets by prohibiting the sale of particular goods and services, while some elites have capitalised on the pandemic for personal or political gain. Covid has cast a long shadow over the rule of law. Criminal Contagion uncovers its extraordinary impacts on the global illicit economy, and their long-term implications.

"At a moment when democratic traditions are under assault, this book could hardly be more timely. The story of Myles Horton and Highlander reminds us that the late twentieth-century movements for social justice were often movements of democratic aspirations, committed to developing the untapped potential of the oppressed."--Charles M. Payne, author of I've Got the Light of Freedom: The Organizing Tradition and the Mississippi Freedom Struggle "As a former staff member of Highlander, I had the privilege of learning from and with Myles Horton over two decades. This well-researched book captures the Highlander Center's unique approach to using popular education to deepen democracy and strengthen struggles for social justice--a story that is both instructive and inspirational for our times."--John Gaventa, author of Power and Powerlessness: Quiescence and Rebellion in an Appalachian Valley "In this absorbing biography, Stephen Preskill transports us to another era. Miles Horton, a great humanitarian who lived and worked in a strikingly relevant time and place in America, spent his earliest days among the poorest people of the South. Told through his monumental contributions to our labor and civil rights movements, the story unfolds in colorful detail. As we now face an uncertain tomorrow, it is more important than ever to explore the troubled waters of the past to guide our future, and with this book, Preskill provides a useful sextant to help us navigate."--Mick Caouette, filmmaker "This book is important. It should have a wide readership among educators from multiple settings, social activists, organizers, and leaders."--Stephen Brookfield, Distinguished Scholar, Antioch University

What do ordinary citizens really want from their governments?

The untold story of China''s rise as a global superpower, chronicled through the diplomatic shock troops that connect Beijing to the world.China''s Civilian Army charts China''s transformation from an isolated and impoverished communist state to a global superpower from the perspective of those on the front line: China''s diplomats. They give a rare perspective on the greatest geopolitical drama of the last half century. In the early days of the People''s Republic, diplomats were highly-disciplined, committed communists who feared revealing any weakness to the threatening capitalist world. Remarkably, the model that revolutionary leader Zhou Enlai established continues to this day despite the massive changes the country has undergone in recent decades. Little is known or understood about the inner workings of the Chinese government as the country bursts onto the world stage, as the world''s second largest economy and an emerging military superpower. China''s Diplomats embody its battle between insecurity and self-confidence, internally and externally. To this day, Chinese diplomats work in pairs so that one can always watch the other for signs of ideological impurity. They''re often dubbed China''s "wolf warriors" for their combative approach toasserting Chinese interests.Drawing for the first time on the memoirs of more than a hundred retired diplomats as well as author Peter Martin''s first-hand reporting as a journalist in Beijing, this groundbreaking book blends history with current events to tease out enduring lessons about the kind of power China is set to become. It is required reading for anyone who wants to understand China''s quest for global power, as seen from the inside.

The story of how America turned its back on the world...

How can we turn back the tide of post-truth politics, fake news, and misinformation that is damaging our democracy? First, by empowering citizens to recognize and resist political lies and deceptions: Using cutting-edge neuroscience research, we show you the tricks post-truth politicians use to exploit our mental blindspots and cognitive biases. We then share with you strategies to protect yourself and others from these threats. Second, by addressing the damage caused by the spread of fake news on social media: We provide you with effective techniques for fighting digital misinformation. Third, by exerting pressure on politicians, media, and other public figures: Doing so involves creating new incentives for telling the truth, new penalties for lying, and new ways of communicating across the partisan divide. To put this plan into action requires the rise of a Pro-Truth Movement - a movement which has already begun, and is making a tangible impact. If you believe truth matters, and want to protect our democracy, please read this book, and join us. Dr. Gleb Tsipursky and Tim Ward have teamed up to help citizens learn to protect themselves from lies, and empower them to put truth back into politics.

Verso's classic Mapping series, published in association with New Left Review, collects the most important writings on key topics in a changing world and delineates the controversies among the most important scholars in each field.