Ernest Mandel thus escapes from the
The Marxism of Ernest usual criteria of classification of both fields of study and fields of political
Mandel intervention.
This made the project that led to this book an especially challenging one, since
Pluto Press (1999)
its goal was precisely to pick apart the unity of Mandel's work and personality,
Francis Sitel wrote the by separating the theory from the following review of the French
"Mandel's theoretical production politics.
did not occur despite his involvement in edition for Rouge weekly.
militant revolutionary politics. It rather occurred because of this involvement, through all his
Already published in Japanese, Turkish,
French and English, The Marxism of publications"
, writes Achcar. "It is
Ernest Mandel will constitute a reference possible, however, even necessary, to separate the appraisal of Mandel's point for any future understanding of theoretical achievement from the
Mandel's indispensable work.
assessment of the militant endeavour that
The book aims to reach a broader motivated it."
audience than just Mandel's companions and disciples. The audience is also expected to be interested in the strictly theoretical side of Mandel's work: what
Electronic editor Gilbert Achcar calls Mandel's
"intellectual portrait"
Viewpoint
Challenges
The book's difficulties are not only pedagogical, or having to do with the
Some of the articles for the next issue of need to take a certain distance from a
International Viewpoint are already man who was both comrade and viewable at our web site. We are slowly adding a downloadable archive of
"master"... From this point of view, the articles published in previous issues desire to write something that both honours and criticizes Mandel is www.internationalen.se/sp/iup.html legitimately present in each of the
International Viewpoint is also distributed contributions. Behind the diversity of free by email. We also have lists in approaches, this gives a deep unity to the
French, German and Spanish. Subscripcollective work.
tion is free.
The problem is more fundamental. It
To add your name, send a message to:
has to do with the need to tackle the rich
<International_Viewpoint@compuserve.com> diversity of the theoretical labours of
32 International Viewpoint #310 April 1999
An
The challenge has been responded to brilliantly. Across the plurality of approaches, witnesses and questionings twe echo through the book in a way that inv reproduces, in fact, "the Marxism of acc
Ernest Mandel".
gen in t to t ener esti and this abo ofte futi app org dou
Ma din
Contributions refo
Difficult as it is to deny the value and importance of Mandel's economic analyses, it is tempting simply to take them for granted. One of the book's most valuable aspects is that it shakes off habitual readings in order to rediscover the analyses' original power.
For decades, in face of a dominant ideology that incessantly repeated that capitalism had overcome its contradictions, Mandel was able to keep alive a rigorous, always alert Marxist analysis.
Michel Husson's article on
Capitalism and Francisco Louca's on long waves testify to the fecundity of the developed.
Mandel's analysis of the phenomenon of bureaucracy is also shown to be one of his decisive contributions, both theoretically and politically. Charles Post
"Mandel, working from the foundation provided by Luxemburg and
Trotsky, has provided us with the most theoretically rigorous and empirically well-founded Marxian discussion of bureaucracy to date." Catherine Samary incorporates this problem into her overall study on problems of the transition, including the thorny issues around the concept of "degenerated workers' states"
Several authors, from their different points of view, converge in attributing not some of Mandel's mistakes to excessive tio optmism.
sul
The two texts by Mandel published edi for the first time in the book confirm that phi decisive issues are at stake here. His
"Material, Social and Ideological
Preconditions for the Nazi Genocide"
Li
(1988) illuminates considerably some
CO remarks made by Michael Lowy in his im article, article, as well as Norman Geras
"Marxists Before the Holocaust: Trotsky,
Deutscher, Mandel". Mandel's second ha
"Why I Am a Marxist"
text, gives an
Vi extraordinary synthetic picture of his wi thought.
ca
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R
An iron generation
As we reevaluate the history of the twentieth century in an atmosphere of invasive melancholy, we need to take account of a paradox: the fact that the generation that lived through "midnight in the century" showed such resistance to the horror and such revolutionary energy.
It almost suggests that they underestimated catastrophes like Auschwitz and Hiroshima.
Ernest Mandel is representative of this generation. Instead of complaining about the past, he preferred warnings, often apocolyptic warnings, about the future. They ring out like so many appeals to vigilance, struggle and organization.
This book's principal merit is doubtless to remind us that starting from Mandel's work is an indispensable dimension in any perspective of refounding an emancipatory project. *
DANIEN BENXAIDO
МАв
NGƯỜI VƯỢT TRƯỚC THỜI ĐẠI (SÁCH THAM KHẢG) MA KUAT BA Red pirates
Vietnam's publishing houses are notorious for their unauthorised translations of Western books. But we were suprised to come accross this pirate edition of Marx l'intempestif by French philosopher Daniel Bensaid.
The author is a lifelong anti-Stalinist and leading member of the "Trotskyist" Ligue communiste révolutionnaire. His co-thinkers in Vietnam have faced imprisonment and execution.
It now seems that Bensaid's articulation of a Marxism for the 21st century has caught the eye of critics within the Vietnamese Communist Party, frustrated with their autocratic regime and its pro-capitalist reforms. [JD] *
Coming
soon
Conference listing EuroMediterranean homosexualities Marseilles, France, 24-31 July
The 20th century is rich in lessons for lesbians and gay men in Europe and throughout the world. We have lived through brutal repression (fascism, Stalinism and other dictatorships), the rise of the women's movement, the spread of birth control and abortion rights, a (temporary?) decline in the power of religion, the AIDS epidemic, an explosion of global communication networks, lesbian and gay images on MTV and the Internet and much more.
Does this mean that there is no going back from the freedoms we have won? In fact no victory is necessarily forever: the forces fostering homophobia are still at work. We are there in the social landscape but have not really found our place in it. Many lesbians and gay men are ignorant of our history. In Europe and still more in the rest of the world our lives are not seen and treated on an equal footing. We are still favourite scapegoats: when things get worse in Europe and the Mediterranean, tensions increase, and racist crimes and violence multiply, then hypocrites and bigots are quick to attack us as well, and the police and courts are close behind.
The Euromediterranean Summer University will gather together the European experiences of recent decades, and express our solidarity with the other peoples of the Mediterranean. As well as enjoying the Mediterranean summer, our presence will be a challenge to the homophobic National Front municipal governments in Vitrolles, Magnane, Orange and Toulon. Workshops
Several parallel workshops will develop the Summer University's cycle of themes chosen by the programme committee, both on its own initiative and by outside proposal. Some workshops will continue every day throughout the Summer University, others may be more limited in time. The Euromediterranean groups, media outlets, researchers and writers, and accompanied by a film series.
• gays/knowledge - lesbian, gay, bi, transgender and transexual forms of expression — popular culture from the '20s to today - history - memories - transmission - archives - lesbian and gay studies
• identities - genders — sexualities portrayals of sexuality - practices pornography
• oppressions — repressions — discriminations — racism - sexism — lesbophobia - homophobia • subversions — integration — political stakes — grassroots organising — media
— strategies — political and social demands → militant actions individual and collective commitment impact of recent struggles (AIDS & domestic partnership • daily life — economic issues economic insecurity - citizenship social life - lifestyles — consumption - health — urban and rural life Last minute speaker proposals shold be sent to: Comine scientifique UEEH Intech chemin des Fontaines F. 84110 Vaison la Romaine, France Fax: 33-4-75 27 14 04 Email: intech.@wanadoo.fr The forums
The forums will gathering all the participants to hear particular speakers. They will take the form of round tables on the above themes. All participants will be encouraged to speak (there will be travelling microphones and translation to and from several languages). Outside guests prominent in political and intellectual life will also play a role. The forums will all be recorded for publication. The organisers
We are a coalition of women and men, lesbians and gays from various perspectives inspired by this project. Some of us took part in the past in the creation and five sessions of the Marseilles Gay and Lesbian Summer University (1979-1987), which brought together between 400 and 600 people for a week every two years.
We want to create an open forum for discussion and gatherings where the various sensibilities of the gay and lesbian community can come together on a basis of mutual respect, pluralism of thought and behaviour, friendship among peoples, and a common commitment to anti-sexist and anti-racist demands... As a rule men and women will both be welcome... This will not be a place for decision-making." (Excerpt from article 4 of
Co-ordination is ensured by a members' council, with 50% women. Registration
The fee for taking part in the Summe University is 850 FF. It is also possible nu reserve a room and meals in the unin sity restaurant for 900 FF. Reduced mate are available for students, unemploged and people with long-term illnesses
International Viewpoint #310 Apr 109 30
* events listing
German EuroMarches against
Register early — fees will go up after unemployment
April 1999.
There will be three marches accross
Registrations and requests for information can be sent,
Germany to: Université d'Eté des Homosexualités Intech Chemin des Fontaines 84110 Vaison la Romaine, France Tel:
• 11 May: Departure from Prague on
33-4-90 28 70 10 Fax: 33-4-90 36 19 63 Organizational bicycles following a route through contacts (tel/fax): 33-4-75 27 14 04 (Jacques Fortin)
Dresden, Leipzig, Hanover, Munster
Artistic programming: 33-4-91 47 29 52 (Verte
Fontaine)
to Cologne.
• 18 May: Departure from Munich to
Mannheim then Cologne.
Other events
• March across the Ruhr.
The German marches welcomes other
Brussels-Cologne EuroMarch
European marchers, but numbers are limited-please contact the organisers
24-28 May
Organisers hope to limit the march to before departure.
1,000 participants, to avoid logistical
Bundesburo Euromarsch c/o Bundnis Koln 99 problems. Delegates will assemble in
Kornerstr.69 D 50823 Koln Tel +49 221 9 52 00 08 Fax
+49 221 9 52 00 77 E-mail <koeln99@gmx.net>
Brussels on 24 May, and hold a general meeting that evening. The march will leave the next morning, stoping to sleep in Louvain, Liege, Aachen and arriving
Pan-European demonstration in Cologne on 28 May.
against unemployment
As well as the March itself and the
29 May, Neumarktplatz, Cologne demonstrations in each town en route, a number of "spectacular" actions will be
The object of the Cologne demonstracarried out under the responsibility of tion is to focus public attention on the unemployed and those with insecure jobs local Belgian and German associations.
throughout Europe, It will also be an
The federal structure of the Belgian important occasion to show the extent of
EuroMarch group allows for joint initiainternational convergence of struggles.
tives between collectives linked to trade
Participation by groups of undocuunions and autonomous groups.
mented immigrants (Sans Papiers) and a
Marchers must organise themselves as self-sufficient "villages" by geogralarge delegation of South American
Indian marchers will help broadening phical or organisational affinity before the message of the demonstration.
arrival. Contact your national EuroMarch representative before setting off! *
European Parliament of the
The Belgian secretariat is at 103 rue Potagere 1210 obless and secure Workers
Brussels. Tel: +322 223 35 33 Fax: +322 223 39 82 in Struggle.
This initiative of the European Marches network is an integral part of the
Indonesia/East Timor
Counter-summit. The objective is to create conditions for open and serious
Student solidarity day debates between grassroots activists and associations from different countries.
Major subjects to be debated include:
Saturday, May 22, one day after income and all forms of social rights the Indonesian student movement
(including women's rights); work (the forced the resignation of Suharto.
fight against precarisation; reduction in
Students are playing a vanguard working time, etc.); and the struggles for role at the moment: it is extremely the rights of populations with immigrant urgent to provide the maximum origins (including the question of free support for these two movements.
circulation of people), linked to the fight
Suggested themes include:
• Solidarity with Indonesian and against unemployment.
This "Parliament" will add to and
East Timorese students!
deepen the demands already adopted by
• Free East Timor! Freedom in the EuroMarch network. It should also generate momentum for future common
• Release all imprisoned and struggles, ending the situation where the disappeared students!
EuroMarch network remains in "suspen-
• Free Xanana, Budiman and ded animation" between EU summits and other institutional dates.
• End all military ties with the
Sleeping arrangements will probably
Habibie-Wiranto regime!
be on a camping site. Inscriptions must
Initiated by Resistance Socialist Youth Organisation, be made beforehand and participation
Australia. Supporters include Revolutionary Front for should be based on local level an Independent East Timor (FRETILIN), Australia;
discussions.
Students in Solidarity for Democracy in Indonesia
(SMID), Indonesia; Students and Peoples Committee for
Democracy (KOMRAD), Jakarta, Indonesia; Student
Pre-inscriptions to "Parliament" c/o Bundesburo
Solidarity for Indonesia (SSI), the Netherlands; Malang
Euromarsch c/O Bundnis Koln 99 Kornerstr.69 D
Student Committee (KMM), Indonesia, and; People's
50823 Koln Tel +49 221 9 52 G0 08 Fax +49 221 9 52
Struggle Committee for Change (KPRP), Indonesia.
00 77 E-mail <koeln99@gmx.net>
34 International Viewpoint #310 April 1999
Other European demonstrations
The European Marches network supports the 19 June Counter-summit demonstration in Cologne, as well as the 18 June Reclaim the Streets global day of protest against global neo-liberalism. A range of activities will be held in world capitals, including a "Bankquit" in London and carnevals in other financial centres.
The European Marches network also fully supports the "World March of Women To Eliminate Poverty and Violence Against Women, and intiatives such as the Intercontinental Caravan and the Brazil March of the Landless. Women and Political Action 18-19 June, London, Great Britain
This conference will bring together feminist researchers, political activists and policy makers to discuss and evaluate experiences of feminist campaigning C over a wide range of issues: Dealing with Difference • Single-issue campaigns • Women and the Law • Women in Conflict • Women in formal politics • Work and the Family • Poverty and Social Exclusion
Contributors include: Inez McCormack • Hilary Wainwright • Cynthia Cockburn • Cynthia Enloe • Nadje Al-Ali • Lynne Segal • Vicky Randall • Ruth Lister • Valerie Amos
Sponsored by: European Forum of Left Feminists, Pay Equity Project,
Fawcett Society and Conference of Socialist Economists Contact: Gender Research Centre, Middlesex University, Queensway, Enfield, Middlesex EN3 4SF, Great Britain. Tel: [+44 181] 362 5552. fax: 362 6404. E-mail: <j.gregory@mdx.ac.uk> International Meeting of Movements in Struggle Paris, France, 24-26 June This major event is a joint initiative of the European Marches network, ATTAC (International Movement for the Democratic Control of Financial Markets and ren their Financial Institutions), the Coordination against the Clones of IMA, World Forum Alternatives, and COCAD/ A CADTM. * For more information contact the EuroMarch secre- pr tariat, 104 rue des Couronnes, 75020 Paris, France. Fax: (+33) 01 44 62 63 45 <marches97@ras.eu.org> ISS London Anarchist Bookfair 16 October, London, Britain Contact: <m.peacock@unl.ac.uk> De Tel. 0171 247 9249. Participative democracy 10-13 November, Porto Allegre, Brazil An International Seminar on Participative Democracy, based on Porto Allegre's pioneer "participatory budget process" Working languages Portuguese, Spanish and (maybe) English. Contact the town hall, Praca Montevideo, 10, CEP 90010-170, Porto Allegre, Brazil. fax 051 228 8725, email <becker@gp.prefpoa.com.br>
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B