Essays

Is Marxism Dead?

Joe Jervis • Oct 26 2011 • Essays

Marxism has been at the forefront of political thought ever since Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels published The Communist Manifesto in 1848. Although principles of Marxism can still be seen in Western left-wing politics today, the theory of Marxism as set out by Karl Marx is dead.

Political Transformation and Inequality: Afghanistan and South Africa

Alexander Ward • Oct 26 2011 • Essays

The comparative use of both Afghanistan and South Africa allows the identification and assessment of the common themes relevant to the perennial nature of inequality and the difficulties of political transformation in alleviating it.

Is NEPAD an effective development organisation?

Joseph Morbi • Oct 26 2011 • Essays

In this essay I will examine the areas in which NEPAD (the New Partnership for Africa’s Development) has been both praised and criticised whilst also inspecting its successes and failures, by which I mean to show that despite not being perfect NEPAD has the capacity to provoke real change on the continent.

Islam and Political Power

Evan Ritli • Oct 25 2011 • Essays

Following 9/11 and more recently the Arab Spring, the relationship between Islam and politics has faced renewed attention. In contemporary Islamic states, religion theoretically guides the exercise of political power but in practice it is used and employed as a tool of realpolitik.

The Middle Kingdom and the Promise of Growth

Henri Rapson • Oct 23 2011 • Essays

A trinity of difficulties will lead to a systemic economic breakdown of the Chinese economy. This will constitute a violation of the social contract. A delegitimization of the Chinese Communist Party will occur, unleashing the potential for socio-political instability. The likelihood of social and political turmoil following an economic crisis is extremely high, and the possibility of regime change is also correspondingly great.

Shared Identity: New Threats for Old Solutions

Alexandra Matei • Oct 21 2011 • Essays

Indigenous identity is problematic because it is grounded on the politics of difference, especially on the existence of a prior identity. This essay argues that indigenous security implies the identification and security of the vulnerable shared identity from the dominant one, which then results in the creation of indigenous peoples as a threat.

National Humiliation in China

Ryan Kilpatrick • Oct 20 2011 • Essays

For the last century, the narrative of national humiliation has been an enduring framework through which scholars and common people alike have interpreted China’s recent history. Looking to the future, whether or not China will ever again feel confident and hopeful enough to repudiate the angry indignation of national humiliation is one of the most significant questions shaping the rise of 21st century China.

Power in the Modern Age

David C. Weinczok • Oct 18 2011 • Essays

Political and economic power must be recognized as being inextricably linked. As hegemony grew in its sophistication over the centuries, economic power has complimentarily entrenched itself in ever more embedded and socialized ways into political life, while political power continues to provide the essential structure for the evolving regime of accumulation.

Is there an Emerging Muslim Constituency for Islamic Feminists in the West?

Nicholas Glover • Oct 17 2011 • Essays

On the basis of Euro-American Feminist and popular discourse on Muslim women in the west, Islamic Feminism seems to be somewhat of an oxymoron. Likewise for many Muslims the label Feminism is often construed as a Western project, carrying with it historical and ideological baggage.

Faith-Based Diplomacy and the Case of Somalia

Luke M. Herrington • Oct 14 2011 • Essays

Traditional approaches to international relation, such as liberalism, realism, and realpolitik, have failed in Somalia. As policymakers determine what to do about Somalia, they should consider employing faith-based diplomacy jointly with traditional military operations and Track I diplomatic efforts.

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