Listening to the Constitution of the Law
Imagine standing outside the marble steps of the Supreme Court, watching the doors swing open as nine justices file in-each carrying the weight of the Constitution and the hopes of millions. You wonder: What really happens behind those closed doors? How do these men and women, with families and flaws like yours, decide the cases that shape your rights, your children's future, and the very meaning of freedom in America? This book pulls back the curtain on the nation's highest court, revealing the human stories, fierce debates, and daily pressures that never make the headlines. You'll walk through the halls with justices as they wrestle with the toughest questions of law and life, balancing their duty to the Constitution with the demands of parenthood and the pull of ordinary American life. You'll see how landmark decisions are made-not by distant figures, but by real people facing impossible choices. Whether you're a student, a parent, a teacher, or simply someone who cares about justice and democracy, this book gives you the inside story you've always wanted. It explains the Court's work in plain language, strips away the myths, and shows why the original meaning of the Constitution still matters for every generation. Don't settle for soundbites or secondhand opinions. Step inside the Marble Palace and discover the truth for yourself. If you want to understand how the Supreme Court shapes your life-and why its decisions will echo for decades-this is the book you can't afford to miss. Buy your copy now and see the Constitution come alive like never before.
Promise and Performance
This is the first comprehensive review of the Albanese Labor Government. It seeks to provide a critical but balanced assessment of the Albanese Government's first term. The academic and expert contributors to this edited volume have been asked not just to review what happened but to assess whether the Albanese Government has made its mark on Australian government and if so in what ways. Was it 'reformist' in the Hawke-Keating style, or was it 'reformist' in the more traditional Labor mode like some regard the Whitlam Government? Is there a leading reform that has made life better for Australians in a measurable way? Was its successes or failures of its own making or the result of trends outside its immediate control?Contents Promise and Performance: An Introduction - Scott Prasser1 The Albanese Government's Election Performances - Malcolm Mackerras2 How Albanese and Chalmers have Created a New Narrative of Australian Politics - Greg Melleuish3 Labor's Federal Election Performance in Queensland - John Mickel4 The Dutton-led Opposition in Labor's First Term - Peter van Onselen5 The Public Service under Albanese - Paddy Gourley6 Creating a New Standards Regime and a Safer Workplace for Parliament - Maria Maley7 The Albanese Government's Public Inquiries: Targeting Political Opponents? - Scott Prasser8 The Australian Economy over the Albanese Government's First Term - Gene Tunny9 Fiscal Policy under the Albanese Government, 2022-2025 - Saul Eslake10 Perverse Productivity Policies: Rhetoric vs Reality - Gary Banks11 The Albanese Government's Industrial Relations Program - Richard Calver12 Energy and Environment Policy - Aynsley Kellow13 Aviation Policy: A Reluctance to Reform? - Peter Forsyth14 Labor's Higher Education Agenda: A La-La-Land Wish List- Salvatore Babones15 The Voice Debacle - Gary Johns16 The Drift of Australian Foreign Policy - Michael Easson17 Defence Policy - David Lee18 The Albanese Government Record on Government Services and Digital Transformation - Mike Kelly19 Religious Freedom: Always the Bridesmaid, Never the Bride - Mark Spencer20 Anyone for Footy? A Policy in Search of a Goal: The Albanese Government's PNG NRL Initiative - Andrea Wallace21 Lessons for the Future - Scott Prasser
Now What?
Commentator Gene Nichol offers inspiration and ideas for blazing a progressive path forward in North Carolina, a decidedly purple state.In the 2024 election cycle, there was good news and bad news for North Carolina progressive politics. The people elected a Democratic Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, and managed to obtain a tiny toehold with the General Assembly. However, Trump prevailed in the state and nationally--leaving a large number of progressives with a lot of political energy and no place to go. So, what now? What next? Gene Nichol writes to those who are well aware of the issues that North Carolina and the country at large now face. This book tackles the all-important question of how progressives can continue to move the state forward, tackling the opposition and their own flagging spirits.
The Responsibility of Intellectuals in the Age of Fascism and Genocide
The Responsibility of Intellectuals in the Age of Fascism and Genocide is Boston Review's 50th anniversary issue. This milestone issue features many of our longtime contributors, including Robin D. G. Kelley, Vivian Gornick, and Elaine Scarry, and celebrates classics from our archive. In this issue, historian and Boston Review contributing editor Robin D. G. Kelley revisits Noam Chomsky's landmark 1967 essay, "The Responsibility of Intellectuals," published near the height of the Vietnam War. The essay's dissident injunction--that those in privileged positions have a duty to "speak the truth and expose lies"--remains a powerful call to conscience, Kelley argues, but the anti-fascist and anti-colonial struggles of even earlier decades reveal its limits, and they show how to refuse and resist complicity in our own age of fascism and genocide. Political philosopher Martin O'Neill, Palestinian human rights lawyer Jennifer Zacharia, and historian David Waldstreicher expand on what this moment requires--of intellectuals, of journalists, and of us all. Also in the issue, Vivian Gornick reviews Shulamith Firestone's Airless Spaces, Elaine Scarry challenges the wisdom that Plato banished the poets, Brandon M. Terry interviews political scientist Cathy Cohen about social movements and the future of Black politics, Joelle M. Abi-Rached exposes the contradictions of the liberal international order over Gaza, Samuel Hayim Brody reviews three memoirs on the Arab Jewish world destroyed by colonialism, David Austin Walsh explains what Zohran Mamdani's triumph means for the future of the Democratic Party, and Sandeep Vaheesan looks to the New Deal to assess the "abundance" agenda. Plus, seven writers reflect on notable essays from our archive in a special anniversary feature: Susan Faludi on Vivian Gornick and anti-feminism Naomi Klein on William Callison + Quinn Slobodian and the global right Jay Caspian Kang on Ol繳fẹ́mi O. T獺穩w簷 and identity politics Ryu Spaeth on Merve Emre and the personal essay Lea Ypi on Joseph Carens and amnesty Nathan J. Robinson on Noam Chomsky and U.S. foreign policy Rick Perlstein on Elaine Scarry and democracy after 9/11
Michigan's Con-Con 11
Michigan's Con-Con 11 highlights the contributions of the eleven female delegates to the 1961-1962 Michigan Constitutional Convention. As the first female delegates to a state of Michigan constitutional convention, these pioneers demonstrated that women were more than capable of helping to revise Michigan's highest law. Their examples encouraged other women to enter politics during a time when few women held state or federal public office. Following the women's Con-Con journey over seven and a half months, the book offers a general overview of what a state constitutional convention is and what it means to be a delegate. Michigan's Con-Con 11 both educates the reader on constitution-making and sheds new light on an exciting moment in Michigan political history.
The New Censorship
A ground-breaking guide to how the media's self-censorship in the face of populist politics threatens democracy. 'Riveting' - Arash Azizi, The Atlantic 'Exceptional' - Michael Hauser-Tov, Haaretz 'Profound, compelling, and fascinating' - Emily Maitlis, The News Agents 'A must-read' - Professor Silvio Waisbord, former president of the International Communication Association As we find ourselves in a time of democratic decay all over the world, with relentless attempts to undermine truth and facts and unprecedented technological tools to spread disinformation and incite violence, brave journalism is needed more than ever. In The New Censorship esteemed academic, former journalist and activist Ayala Panievsky focuses on the unfortunate and unexpected mechanisms through which today's media has inadvertently amplified the anti-democratic movement that looms over our societies. From the birth of 'the strategic bias' to weaponising liberal norms against liberal democracy, the populist right has found a way to exercise a more effective and socially acceptable type of silencing and manipulation. Instead of banning stories, they spread flows of disinformation, which take hours and days to debunk. Instead of silencing, they shout louder. Instead of blue-pencilling, they employ fake users, bots, and outrageous smear campaigns to dominate the conversation. Heavy-handed censorship is unnecessary when one can manipulate people to censor themselves, or simply stop listening. Based on cutting-edge empirical research, personal experience in newsrooms and parliament corridors and a decade of living under populism in power in Israel, Panievsky will not only explain how we got here but also lay out what we all could (and should) do to restart the conversation and protect our right to know. Reviews Don't miss this fascinating, rivetingly written book! -- Arash Azizi, The Atlantic Ayala Panievsky's new book is exceptional. It's almost the only text that delves into the question of what journalists can actually do to better deal with populists - and to my great surprise, it will be as compelling to journalists' viewers and listeners. -- Michael Hauser-Tov, Haaretz Ayala puts the public's right to know at the heart of her argument. And she shows that failure 'to know' can, literally, kill you. [...] Her arguments are profound, compelling, and fascinating. And as ever, I read her words with awe, and a deep gratitude I can call her my inspiration - but also, my friend. -- Emily Maitlis, The News Agents The New Censorship is a thoughtful, well-researched and compellingly personal analysis of the playbook for tyranny. As Ayala Panievsky makes clear, the media is far too often complicit in its own destruction, largely by treating the destabilizing propaganda of right-wing regimes as legitimate press. That failure to recognize and counter an existential challenge has grave consequences for more than one nation. -- James LaRue author of On Censorship Panievsky's book is an important, necessary, masterful study of how anti-democratic movements persecute and censor media dissent, and how journalists respond to attacks. With original insights and lively writing, the book closely examines common threads across countries, and delivers a persuasive argument on how the 'new censorship' works. A must-read for anyone interested in understanding the multiple challenges that contemporary journalism confronts. -- Professor Silvio Waisbord, former president of the International Association of Communication
A Real Right to Vote
Why it's time to enshrine the right to vote in the Constitution Throughout history, too many Americans have been disenfranchised or faced needless barriers to voting. Part of the blame falls on the Constitution, which does not contain an affirmative right to vote. The Supreme Court has made matters worse by failing to protect voting rights and limiting Congress's ability to do so. The time has come for voters to take action and push for an amendment to the Constitution that would guarantee this right for all. Drawing on troubling stories of state attempts to disenfranchise military voters, women, African Americans, students, former felons, Native Americans, and others, Richard Hasen argues that American democracy can and should do better in assuring that all eligible voters can cast a meaningful vote that will be fairly counted. He shows how a constitutional right to vote can deescalate voting wars between political parties that lead to endless rounds of litigation and undermine voter confidence in elections, and can safeguard democracy against dangerous attempts at election subversion like the one we witnessed in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election. The path to a constitutional amendment is undoubtedly hard, especially in these polarized times. A Real Right to Vote explains what's in it for conservatives who have resisted voting reform and reveals how the pursuit of an amendment can yield tangible dividends for democracy long before ratification.
Progressive Stage Imprisonment
Progressive stage imprisonment requires prisoners to advance through reformative phases, with the goal of ultimately returning inmates to society better equipped to avoid criminal behaviour and positively contribute to their communities. This system was likely first proposed in the 1779 Penitentiary Act and implemented in Gloucestershire. Since then, it has taken various forms in different contexts, including a hybrid model recommended for nationwide adoption in an 1811 parliamentary committee report, combining successful elements from the Gloucester Penitentiary and Nottinghamshire House of Correction systems. Thus far, while the system has achieved only partial success, failures appear attributable to problematic implementation rather than intrinsic faults. After nearly a century s dormancy, an evolved form of progressive imprisonment is proposed going forward. This book provides a comprehensive history of the system s iterations from local to global scales, analysing prospects and limitations. It charts the chequered past of progressive incarceration while laying the groundwork for its potential future success.
The Civic Bargain
A powerful case for democracy and how it can adapt and survive--if we want it to Is democracy in trouble, perhaps even dying? Pundits say so, and polls show that most Americans believe that their country's system of governance is being "tested" or is "under attack." But is the future of democracy necessarily so dire? In The Civic Bargain, Brook Manville and Josiah Ober push back against the prevailing pessimism about the fate of democracy around the world. Instead of an epitaph for democracy, they offer a guide for democratic renewal, calling on citizens to recommit to a "civic bargain" with one another to guarantee civic rights of freedom, equality, and dignity. That bargain also requires them to fulfill the duties of democratic citizenship: governing themselves with no "boss" except one another, embracing compromise, treating each other as civic friends, and investing in civic education for each rising generation. Manville and Ober trace the long progression toward self-government through four key moments in democracy's history: Classical Athens, Republican Rome, Great Britain's constitutional monarchy, and America's founding. Comparing what worked and what failed in each case, they draw out lessons for how modern democracies can survive and thrive. Manville and Ober show that democracy isn't about getting everything we want; it's about agreeing on a shared framework for pursuing our often conflicting aims. Crucially, citizens need to be able to compromise, and must not treat one another as political enemies. And we must accept imperfection; democracy is never finished but evolves and renews itself continually. As long as the civic bargain is maintained--through deliberation, bargaining, and compromise--democracy will live.
The War on Tariffs
In The War on Tariff, readers embark on a compelling journey through the complex landscape of global trade, illuminating how tariffs serve as both tools of economic policy and instruments of political power. This thought-provoking work delves into the historical context of tariffs, revealing their dual nature, their potential to bolster domestic industries, and the unintended consequences that can ripple through economies, sparking inflation and disrupting international relations. The book explores the rise of nationalism and its intersection with tariff policies, illustrating how economic measures can inflame tensions and lead to authoritarian regimes, with fascism often lurking in the shadows of economic despair. By examining case studies from around the world, this narrative unveils the delicate balance between protecting local economies and fostering global cooperation. Richly researched and rigorously argued, The War on Tariff offers vital insights for policymakers, business leaders, and concerned citizens alike. It challenges readers to rethink their perceptions of international trade, revealing that understanding tariffs is essential to navigating an increasingly polarized world. Discover the profound implications of tariffs on our shared future. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the intricate dance of economics and politics.
Penthouse 2 Whitehouse;cave House 2 Presidential Palace
In a world where global dynamics shift with each passing day, the intricate dance between nations plays out on the grand stage of international relations. "Penthouse to Whitehouse; Cave House to Presidential" offers a gripping exploration into the labyrinthine corridors of power, where ambition, espionage, and diplomacy intermingle in a high- stakes game of survival and supremacy. As the subtitle suggests, this is a tale of three monumental deals, each with the potential to alter the course of history. At the heart of this narrative lies a Chinese spy with an unexpected allegiance-a figure who, against the backdrop of traditional enmity, finds admiration in the most unlikely of places: the leadership of Donald Trump. Through the eyes of this enigmatic operative, readers are plunged into the hidden world of covert operations and strategic maneuvers that often go unnoticed by the public eye.The story unfolds against the backdrop of an increasingly tense geopolitical landscape, where the specter of silent invasion looms large. With the stakes higher than ever, the delicate balance between trade, war, or wipeout becomes a pivotal theme.
U.S. Government and Politics Simplified
Become a more informed citizen with this clear and comprehensive guide to the founding principles of American government and the political processes that shape everyday life. The American political system can be challenging to navigate. In a time when the political climate can be contentious, understanding our system of government is more important than ever. This comprehensive guide covers the basics of U.S. politics in clear, easy-to-follow format, beginning with the founding principles of government and concluding with a nonpartisan look at today's political parties, elections, and public policy. It covers: The origin of the U.S. Constitution and other key documents. The distribution of power in American democracy and the responsibilities of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.Present-day politics and the role of the media and special interest groups in shaping public policy.Learn about the underlying processes that affect all Americans, including the establishment of civil liberties, the role of the Electoral College, and how policy decisions are made. Suitable reading for supplement coursework in high school government or civics classes or college political science classes, U.S. Government & Politics Simplified covers everything you need to know about the American political system.
The War on Tariffs
In The War on Tariff, readers embark on a compelling journey through the complex landscape of global trade, illuminating how tariffs serve as both tools of economic policy and instruments of political power. This thought-provoking work delves into the historical context of tariffs, revealing their dual nature, their potential to bolster domestic industries, and the unintended consequences that can ripple through economies, sparking inflation and disrupting international relations. The book explores the rise of nationalism and its intersection with tariff policies, illustrating how economic measures can inflame tensions and lead to authoritarian regimes, with fascism often lurking in the shadows of economic despair. By examining case studies from around the world, this narrative unveils the delicate balance between protecting local economies and fostering global cooperation. Richly researched and rigorously argued, The War on Tariff offers vital insights for policymakers, business leaders, and concerned citizens alike. It challenges readers to rethink their perceptions of international trade, revealing that understanding tariffs is essential to navigating an increasingly polarized world. Discover the profound implications of tariffs on our shared future. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the intricate dance of economics and politics.
Crisis and Leviathan
Crisis and Leviathan is Higgs' masterwork on how government grows in size, scope, and power in response to real or imagined "crises." From war to economic upheavals, government overreach endures long after each crisis has passed, impinging on civil liberties and fostering extensive corporate welfare. Few topics are as timely as the growth of government. To understand why government has grown, Robert Higgs asserts, one must understand how it has grown. This book offers a coherent, multi-causal explanation, guided by a novel analytical framework firmly grounded in historical evidence. More than a study of trends in governmental spending, taxation, and employment, Crisis and Leviathan is a thorough analysis of the actual occasions when and the specific means by which Big Government developed in the United States. More than an abstract account, it names names and highlights the actions of significant individuals. The author examines how 20th-century national emergencies--mainly wars, depressions, and labor disturbances--have prompted federal officials to take over previously private rights and activities. When the crises passed, a residue of new governmental powers remained. Even more significantly, each great crisis and the subsequent governmental measures went hand in hand with reinforcing shifts in public beliefs and attitudes toward the government's proper role in American life. Integrating the contributions of scholars in diverse disciplines, including history, law, political philosophy, and the social sciences, Crisis and Leviathan makes compelling reading for all those who seek to understand the transformation of America's political economy over the past century.
Letters from a Living Utopia
A love letter to liberation, from Palestine to the ground beneath your feet.When you think of freedom, where are you? And where are you headed? Letters from a Living Utopia invites readers to engage with utopia as both a destination and a lived reality starting with the ground beneath our feet. Dreaming of freedom from the displaced and occupied realities of Palestine, Mx Yaffa builds bridges between the historical struggle for liberation and self-determination and the everyday, intimate, and interconnected ways that we build freedom where we are, through care, healing, and bonds of solidarity. Letters from a Living Utopia is a remarkable journey to a world in formation, emergent in our resilience and our repair, our spiritual grounding and our non-attachment, our love and joy, and our sustainable and sustaining relations to the earth in its abundance.
Wake Up America
In 1968, civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer called for Americans to "wake up" if they wanted to "make democracy a reality." Today, as Black communities continue to face challenges built on centuries of discrimination, her plea is increasingly urgent. In this exhilarating anthology of original essays, Keisha N. Blain brings together the voices of major progressive Black women politicians, grassroots activists, and intellectuals to offer critical insights on how we can create a more equitable political future.These women draw on their diverse experiences and expertise to speak to three core themes: claiming civil and human rights, building political and economic power, and combating all forms of hate. We hear from Black Lives Matter cofounder Alicia Garza, who argues that Black communities must organize to wield increased political power; EMILYs List president Laphonza Butler, who spells out ways to fight for women's reproductive rights; and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who delineates practical, thorough steps toward tangible reparations. Additional incisive essays include those by former Ohio State Senator Nina Turner; prison abolitionist Mariame Kaba; disability rights activist Andra矇a LaVant; Boston's first woman and first Black mayor, Kim Michelle Janey; and others at the forefront of the ongoing fight for social justice.In addressing our most pressing issues and providing key takeaways, Wake Up America serves as a blueprint for the steps we can take right now and in the years to come.
Ungoverning
How a deliberate dismantling of political institutions undermines the essential work of government In this unsettling book, Russell Muirhead and Nancy Rosenblum trace how ungoverning--the deliberate effort to dismantle the capacity of government to do its work--has become a malignant part of politics. Democracy depends on a government that can govern, and that requires what's called administration. The administrative state is made up of the vast array of departments and agencies that conduct the essential business of government, from national defense and disaster response to implementing and enforcing public policies of every kind. Ungoverning chronicles the reactionary movement that demands dismantling the administrative state. The demand is not for goals that can be met with policies or programs. When this demand is frustrated, as it must be, the result is an invitation to violence. Muirhead and Rosenblum unpack the idea of ungoverning through many examples of the politics of destruction. They show how ungoverning disables capacities that took generations to build--including the administration of free and fair elections. They detail the challenges faced by officials who are entrusted with running the government and who now face threats and intimidation from those who would rather bring it crashing down--and replace the regular processes of governing with chaotic personal rule. The unfamiliar phenomenon of ungoverning threatens us all regardless of partisanship or ideological leaning. Ungoverning will not be limited to Donald Trump's moment on the political stage. To resist this threat requires that we first recognize what ungoverning is and what it portends.
How to Interpret the Constitution
From New York Times bestselling author Cass Sunstein, a timely and powerful argument for rethinking how the U.S. Constitution is interpreted The U.S. Supreme Court has eliminated the right to abortion and is revisiting other fundamental questions today--about voting rights, affirmative action, gun laws, and much more. Once-arcane theories of constitutional interpretation are profoundly affecting the lives of all Americans. In this brief and urgent book, Harvard Law School professor Cass Sunstein provides a lively introduction to competing approaches to interpreting the Constitution--and argues that the only way to choose one is to ask whether it would change American life for the better or worse. If a method of interpretation would eliminate the right of privacy, allow racial segregation, or obliterate free speech, it would be unacceptable for that reason. But some Supreme Court justices are committed to "originalism," arguing that the meaning of the Constitution is settled by how it was publicly understood when it was ratified. Originalists insist that their approach is dictated by the Constitution. That, Sunstein argues, is a big mistake. The Constitution doesn't contain instructions for its own interpretation. Any approach to constitutional interpretation needs to be defended in terms of its broad effects--what it does to our rights and our institutions. It must respect those rights and institutions--and safeguard the conditions for democracy itself. Passionate and compelling, How to Interpret the Constitution is essential reading for anyone who is concerned about how the Supreme Court is changing the rights and lives of Americans today.
The Rainbow Chaser
"This is a superb book--beautifully written, engaging, and punchy. It tells Bob Livingston's own great American story, gives an inside view of historical events, and provides a trenchant analysis of two phenomenon that are corrupting our justice system--Lawfare and the thuggish behavior of a certain prosecutors fixated on headhunting rather than justice."--WILLIAM P. BARR, former Attorney GeneralFORMER CONGRESSMAN BOB LIVINGSTON HAS A WARNING FOR ALL AMERICANSLAWFARE IS A WEAPON THAT IS DESTROYING THE UNITED STATES AND RUINING PEOPLE'S LIVESTHE POLITICIZATION OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM MUST END NOWLawfare has been with us since the inception of the country. Both Democrat and Republican prosecutors and investigating agents have misused their authority to pursue otherwise innocent victims over time. But with the arrival of Hillary Clinton at the White House, the practice was refined in tandem with her efforts to pursue all those who offered public criticism about her husband and the Clinton Administration. She was and is as corrupt as anyone in American politics. Her "war rooms" in the White House, the Senate, and at the State Department sowed the seeds for ongoing corruption within the Department of Justice.Former Attorney General Merrick Garland, once denied a seat on the Supreme Court, adopted the practice of incredible abuse of the American judicial system with relish to accommodate the horribly corrupt Biden presidency and the Democrat agenda. AG Garland was unrestrained in his persecution of innocent Americans, be they protestors at school board meetings, religious and right to life advocates, non-violent January 6'ers, current and former Republican Members of Congress, and last but certainly not least, the past and current President of the United States. In THE RAINBOW CHASER, former Congressman Bob Livingston lays-out the abuses of power and the weaponization the judicial system that almost destroyed him, his company and staff, his family, and many more innocents, and offers solutions to this national disgrace, including pushing Congress to waive all immunity from prosecutors or investigators who without probable cause target and persecute individuals for personal or political reasons. And once provided full due process, such persons should be held accountable civilly or criminally for misusing their awesome power of state over an individual.Livingston's much praised first book, The Windmill Chaser, is a gripping and inspirational memoir recounting his life and work through his days in Congress and work with the Robert Livingston Group. And THE RAINBOW CHASER serves as its worthy sequel, and an indictment of corrupt political warfare being waged on the innocent, and rejection of abuses by specific individuals in the Democrat Party who transgress the American Constitution for political and personal ends. As a former prosecutor and assistant U.S. Attorney at the DOJ in New Orleans - who worked with the FBI--Livingston is the right person to wage a war of righteous integrity on abuses of the judicial system and bring those guilty of breaking the law for personal gain to justice.
Let Not My Country Die. The Harsh, Prophetic Reality of Old and New Apartheid
The world claims that apartheid ended in South Africa more than 30 years ago, but it never truly left. Instead, it is spreading, and life for South Africans is now becoming worse than it was during the old apartheid years. The time to heal is about to expire. South Africa is an autocratic backsliding democracy, and is on the brink of a major collapse. Credo Mutwa prophesied about South Africa's future and its possible coming "Armageddon of Africa." However, the African National Congress (ANC) and the communists labeled Mr. Mutwa as a supporter of old apartheid. They dismissed his belief that people of various cultures and religions should be free to be "apart" from other people, tribes, and religions, while still connecting to each other with love and support.Mr. Mutwa said: "I call your attention to the sordid spectacle of what is happening in Soweto at this moment, and ask you whether what is happening in Soweto is in South Africa's interests or not-especially in these days when conflict shows every sign of escalating in our country. I call on you to abolish the councils everywhere in South Africa and replace them with groups of people who would have the interests of their people at heart, and who would take an oath in public to run clean administrations in the Black townships." Indaba, with love, must start NOW. South Africa needs to become a country of self-governing states (well-governed states, like Florida and Texas in the USA), or through Balkanization, or become separate countries; otherwise, South Africa, forcing communism-jihadi to its people, will be forced it into a civil war, a starvation war, that will turn it into the worst "apart hate" place and the last one on the African continent. Read Credo Mutwa's 1986 book, his widely regarded prayer for South Africa, after the Introduction, the essays, and the forthcoming commented editions of his call to save our country, South Africa. The introduction, chapters, his recent prophecies, and the following essays will provide commentary to help you think deeply and consider the precise options. The chapters illustrate what South Africa was like during the era of "old apartheid" over 40 years ago. The commentary and essays compare those times to the current situation under what is referred to as "new apartheid," which must be eliminated.
Electoral Politics in India
Electoral Politics in India: Dynamics and Democratic Dilemmas is a timely and incisive edited volume that provides a comprehensive analysis of India's evolving electoral democracy. Synthesising a wide range of scholarly contributions, this work examines the historical evolution, current challenges, and future prospects of democratic practice in India. Grounded in both classical and contemporary democratic theory, it engages with foundational thinkers such as James Bryce, Robert Dahl, Joseph Schumpeter, Giovanni Sartori, and Arend Lijphart, alongside prominent Indian scholars like Rajni Kothari, Yogendra Yadav, and Christophe Jaffrelot. A key strength of the volume is its intersectional and multidisciplinary approach, examining how caste, religion, region, gender, and class influence electoral outcomes, alongside the impact of social media, campaign finance, and digital technologies on democratic participation. Crucially, the book does not refrain from confronting the pressing concerns of democratic regression. It provides a trenchant critique of the post-2014 political landscape, marked by majoritarian populism, centralised authority, and institutional erosion and evaluates the 2024 general election as a potential turning point in resisting authoritarian trends. The inclusion of comparative perspectives, particularly on women's political representation in India and Sri Lanka, further enhances the analytical richness of the volume. The volume not only documents the current state of democracy but also calls for civic vigilance, inclusive participation, and institutional renewal to safeguard India's constitutional ethos. Overall, this edited book is a valuable academic contribution for scholars, students, policymakers, and anyone interested in the state of democracy in India.
Electoral Politics in India
Electoral Politics in India: Dynamics and Democratic Dilemmas is a timely and incisive edited volume that provides a comprehensive analysis of India's evolving electoral democracy. Synthesising a wide range of scholarly contributions, this work examines the historical evolution, current challenges, and future prospects of democratic practice in India. Grounded in both classical and contemporary democratic theory, it engages with foundational thinkers such as James Bryce, Robert Dahl, Joseph Schumpeter, Giovanni Sartori, and Arend Lijphart, alongside prominent Indian scholars like Rajni Kothari, Yogendra Yadav, and Christophe Jaffrelot. A key strength of the volume is its intersectional and multidisciplinary approach, examining how caste, religion, region, gender, and class influence electoral outcomes, alongside the impact of social media, campaign finance, and digital technologies on democratic participation. Crucially, the book does not refrain from confronting the pressing concerns of democratic regression. It provides a trenchant critique of the post-2014 political landscape, marked by majoritarian populism, centralised authority, and institutional erosion and evaluates the 2024 general election as a potential turning point in resisting authoritarian trends. The inclusion of comparative perspectives, particularly on women's political representation in India and Sri Lanka, further enhances the analytical richness of the volume. The volume not only documents the current state of democracy but also calls for civic vigilance, inclusive participation, and institutional renewal to safeguard India's constitutional ethos. Overall, this edited book is a valuable academic contribution for scholars, students, policymakers, and anyone interested in the state of democracy in India.
Not Your Victim
Empire and race have become the most discussed - and most problematic - subjects in political and historical discourse. It is now an unquestionable orthodoxy both in academia and in progressive political discourse that European colonial empires - particularly the British - were uniquely evil, the West's 'original sin', and that their legacy continues to underpin systemic racism, injustice, and oppression.Marie Kawthar Daouda, a Moroccan and French academic who now lives in Britain, argues that this narrative is dangerously wrong. Weaving her personal experience with erudite reflection on history, literature, and politics, she argues that we are all heirs of complex waves of immigration, conquest, and colonization. A closer look at French and British history belies a simplistic worldview wherein all the evil in the world is the result of the peculiarly vicious nature of white, Western colonizers. Indeed, she argues, such a perspective nurtures the very prejudices it claims to fight by valorizing victimhood above individual or collective agency and by denying ethnic minorities any sense of responsibility.A coruscating attack on the perverse solipsism, moral blindness, and historical illiteracy of 'decolonizing' progressive elites, this book upends our tired debates over colonialism, empire, and immigration. It offers a more nuanced, hopeful vision of our historical self-understanding.
The Great Realignment
The re-election of Donald Trump has illustrated in spectacular fashion the extent to which politics all over the world is in a state of continual flux. Old political configurations and parties are under unprecedented strain, with new forces, particularly on the hard right, challenging the status quo everywhere.Rejecting stale analyses based on moralistic panics about 'populism' or social media, political commentator Steve Davies shows how we are going through a deep-seated process of realignment rooted in underlying structural trends. We are transitioning, he argues, from an era where the key political division was over the economic structure of society to one where the primary division is between a vision rooted in national identity and sovereignty, and an essentially post-national cosmopolitanism. This change upends the ideological and electoral alliances that have structured our political systems for decades.No-one who wishes to truly understand the crises currently roiling the political status quo can afford to miss this stunning panoramic analysis of how this process works and how it is playing out across the world, from the USA and Germany to Argentina and India, and beyond.
Wise Men not so Wise
The nine "Wise Men" (called "Sages" in France) of the Constitutional Council are responsible for censoring legislation that does not comply with the Constitution. Yet the presidents of the Republic, the Senate and the Assembly legally appoint these judges for nine non-renewable years, without requiring the slightest competence or experience. Welcome to the madhouse!These nine septuagenarians are former politicians or senior civil servants appointed simply for political cronyism. In fact, the work of these "Wise Men" is carried out discreetly by a dozen or so competent and experienced senior civil servants. This "stiflers' club" imposes a terrible silence, from both right and left, on.For the sake of convenience, journalists and humorists have dubbed them the "Wise Men" ever since General de Gaulle created the Council. This label is an illusion, a chimera. It masks the incredible and multiple dysfunctions of a veritable sinecure. Our investigation reveals that 56% of the "Wise Men's" remuneration is illegal. It depends on the executive, which in turn produces the majority of the laws examined by the Council. When, at any time, the State can withdraw this illegal allowance, what independence and impartiality can we expect from those who are supposed to be the guarantors of the Constitution, the rule of law and French freedoms?
The Social Contract
With an Introduction by Derek Matravers. In The Social Contract Rousseau (1712-1778) argues for the preservation of individual freedom in political society. An individual can only be free under the law, he says, by voluntarily embracing that law as his own. Hence, being free in society requires each of us to subjugate our desires to the interests of all, the general will. Some have seen in this the promise of a free and equal relationship between society and the individual, while others have seen it as nothing less than a blueprint for totalitarianism. The Social Contract is not only one of the great defences of civil society, it is also unflinching in its study of the darker side of political systems.
The Backup Plan Portfolio Diversify with gold, real estate, and crypto for protection
What if everything you ve worked for your savings, your home, your future could vanish with the next market crash, government freeze, or digital glitch? In a world of rising inflation, eroding trust in institutions, and financial systems built on sand, you don t just need investments. You need a backup plan. This book is your lifeline a powerful, no-nonsense guide to asset protection strategies that will help you build an unshakeable fortress around your wealth. It doesn t promise fantasies. It delivers clarity, direction, and a blueprint for inflation-proof wealth through three timeless, high-conviction asset classes: crypto and gold investing, real estate for financial freedom, and decentralised financial planning designed to thrive even when the system breaks. Whether you're just starting your journey or already have significant assets, this book gives you the tools to protect your money from collapse, diversify intelligently, and regain control over your financial destiny. Learn how to navigate offshore investing for beginners without confusion, and how to craft your own backup plan portfolio that s legally sound, globally resilient, and emotionally empowering. But this isn t just about money it s about peace of mind. It s about having something no government, bank, or crisis can take from you. It s about becoming the kind of person who knows exactly how to survive economic collapse not by chance, but by choice. If you ve ever felt that quiet, gnawing fear that your current strategy won t hold when the storm hits this book was written for you. Read it. Rethink everything. Reclaim your freedom
American Carnage
A gripping narrative of federal workers caught in Trump's second-term purge, and the devastating consequences for American democracy. American Carnage follows eleven federal workers, in eight government agencies, from the time they were told they were fired in the early weeks of Donald Trump's second presidential administration through to the summer of 2025. With Trump having empowered the world's richest man, Elon Musk, and his Department of Government Efficiency, to make dramatic cuts to many of the country's most important agencies, what unfolded in these months was a cascading tragedy of historic proportions. Their stories, which show a country in a profound moment of crisis and dislocation, are America's stories. What happened to them-the bullying, the intimidation, the deliberate removal of financial stability--also happened to hundreds of thousands of other employees. A fierce reckoning with the intimate and far-reaching effects of these layoffs, both on the individuals who lost their jobs and on the millions of Americans who found their access to basic government services curtailed, American Carnage is the first book-length account of how these cuts dulled and denuded our city on the hill, leaving a morally impoverished landscape in their wake.
I Used to Like You Until...
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A "whip-smart" (USA TODAY) exploration of the dangers of binary thinking and how it threatens to take over our institutions, relationships, and freedoms--alongside hilarious and illustrative personal stories from New York Times bestselling author Kat Timpf. We've become a society of non-thinkers. After all, we've largely limited ourselves to just two options when it comes to complex issues. As an independent, libertarian voter who has spent the last ten years at Fox News, Kat has faced this phenomenon too many times to count. She's learned that surprising things can happen when you refuse to choose a team, especially when you work at a place some people call an existential threat to America. Binary thinking is much more than just the enemy of critical thinking, it's also an immediate danger to our political discourse, our institutions, our way of consuming news, our relationships, our creativity, and even to our freedoms. All too often, we will let a single difference in viewpoint, an assumption, or an association be enough to write off another person entirely. We miss out on opportunities to connect and collaborate, all while the people in power benefit from our division. Through humorous examples from her own life and insight only someone in her bizarre position can possess, Kat reminds us that the world doesn't have to be so black and white. In her signature witty voice, Kat inspires us to lean into thoughtful consideration, genuine conversation, vulnerability, and only hating people when they really deserve it.
The Tesla Files
A whistleblower. A 100-GB-leak of confidential internal documents. A corporation in crisis A riveting tale of journalistic enterprise, ethics, and the courage to follow the evidence where it leads The 1st major work about Elon Musk and Tesla since Musk inserted himself directly into presidential politics and, through DOGE, into the lives of millions of Americans When an anonymous whistleblower and former Tesla employee approached Germany's business newspaper Handelsblatt in November 2022, the newsroom was stunned. The allegations were astounding. Months of relentless investigation confirmed them to be true. In The Tesla Files, Handelsblatt journalists S繹nke Iwersen and Michael Verf羹rden tell the full story. Drawing on 23,000 leaked documents, 100 gigabytes of confidential data, and hundreds of interviews with employees and customers, they deliver an unprecedented look inside the world's most secretive automaker. This is a portrait of a company that values hype over substance, and a CEO who demands devotion while ruling through fear. It also traces Elon Musk's ascent into the highest echelons of politics--marked by a pattern of obfuscation and manipulation.
Fractured Mirrors
Fractured Mirrors is not just a collection of essays-it is an act of defiance.Across seventy probing reflections, Balvinder Ruby unmasks the unseen architecture of our lives-where democracy is reduced to spectacle, identity is commodified, and algorithms shape our very thoughts. From climate deception to the illusion of choice, this work exposes the systemic forces that keep us scrolling, spending, and surrendering agency.With a voice that blends philosophical depth with poetic clarity, Ruby draws on political economy, sociology, and media theory to illuminate the fractures within modern civilisation. These essays challenge the reader to question consensus, resist manipulation, and reimagine a world where people matter more than profit. This is not a book for the passive. Fractured Mirrors is for thinkers, resistors, and those ready to reclaim meaning from the chaos.
If There Is No God
One of the most important conservative voices of the last century takes on the dangers of secularism, perhaps the most important issue in our lives.Your beloved dog and a stranger are drowning. Who do you try to save first?Every time famed radio host, New York Times bestselling author, and Co-founder of PragerU, Dennis Prager, has asked this question, one-third of the audience voted for the dog, one-third for the stranger, and one-third was not sure. We live in an era when people increasingly make moral judgments based on their emotions. But if feelings determine what is right and wrong, then whether murder, rape, and theft are wrong is no more than an opinion. Why are those who riot and destroy property wrong, especially if they feel their behavior is justified? Prager explains that without objective morality, the world will descend into chaos, with every individual engaging in any behavior they feel is right.For fifty years, Dennis Prager, one of the best-known public intellectuals in the Western world, has explored the vital role Judeo-Christian values play in shaping individual lives and entire societies. In If There Is No God, he engages in provocative and sometimes heated exchanges with questioners who offer some of the greatest challenges he has faced concerning how one determines good and evil and why one's feelings can be life-enhancing yet morally unimportant.If God exists, why doesn't He punish the unjust? Why does He allow the innocent to suffer? How can religion better the human condition when so many of the religious are often immoral? These timeless questions are in urgent need of answers. The reader need not be religious or even believe in God to find the arguments and debates in this book compelling and meaningful. All one needs is reason to appreciate the ideas Prager presents.Thought-provoking, important, and accessible for the devout and the skeptic, If There Is No God is a guide for anyone seeking clarity in a morally troubled age.
I Went to Prison So You Won't Have to
They locked him up to send a message. This book sends one right back. When senior Trump White House advisor Peter Navarro refused to kneel before the Democrats' rigged J6 witch hunt, they came for him with guns and handcuffs. Ambushed by five armed FBI agents at Reagan airport, shackled in leg irons, and strip-searched, Navarro became the first ever top presidential aide in US history to be put in federal prison for defending the Constitution. I Went to Prison So You Won't Have To presents Peter's raw, unfiltered account of what really happens when the American justice system is weaponized for political revenge. Told through a powerful exchange of personal letters between Peter and his fianc矇e, this book pulls back the curtain on a corrupt and bloated federal prison system in which Trump-era reform laws are ignored, taxpayer dollars are wasted by the billions, and families are torn apart. This isn't just Navarro's story. It's a warning to every American: If rabid partisans can weaponize our justice system to imprison a senior White House official for doing his job, no citizen is truly safe. Candid, defiant, and deeply personal, I Went to Prison So You Won't Have To delivers a searing indictment of the Left's lawfare machine--and a stirring defense of freedom, love, and constitutional principle in the face of overwhelming injustice. If they can come for Peter, they can come for you. Read this book. Before it's too late.
Unhyphenated America in Transition
The upper South - starting in the Appalachian Mountains and stretching west across the Ohio and Tennessee River Valleys and into Arkansas - has its own culture and history distinct from the Deep South. It also has its own distinct political realignment that has pushed the region toward the right starting in the mid-1990s.The region is defined by concentrations of unhyphenated Americans - whites who trace their ethnicity not to the European country of their ancestors, but directly to the United States. Examining counties with concentrations of these American ethnic identifiers, the book uses election data to show the region's rapid shift to the Republicans. Public opinion data shows the region was pushed to the Republicans by its conservatism on issues such as abortion, guns, and the environment, and the increased national salience of racial issues prompted by the emergence of Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
The Origin of Politics
Societies that ignore social disintegration and collapsing birth rates are putting their future in peril. So why are we ignoring the signs??In The Origin Of Politics, Nicholas Wade explains how our political systems compete with a more ancient set of rules for organizing society--those developed by evolution. Modern ideologies are in constant tension with structures inherent in human social behavior, such as the family, the tribe, and male-dominated institutions. This tension plays out in various ways. Sometimes nature prevails over politics, as in the proposal by Marx and Engels to eliminate the family, the basic unit of society. The founders of the kibbutz movement put this radical idea into practice, only to find that the conflict with human nature was unsustainable. In other cases, culture has successfully modified evolutionary behaviors, replacing polygamy with monogamy and dissolving the bonds of tribalism to make way for modern states. But the evolutionary framework of human societies is not infinitely flexible. The nation-state, especially in the case of the United States, is prone to disintegration if disruptive ideologies are allowed to undermine the cohesive affinities that hold its disparate cultures together. The worldwide decline in fertility in most countries except those in Africa signals a severe derangement in the behaviors evolution has devised for ensuring that a population will maintain itself. If the causes of this disruption cannot be understood and reversed, human societies will embark on an unsought path to extinction. Other fraught issues in which human biology and politics conflict include the innate specializations of the sexes, the stratification of society by ability, and the mismatch between the inequalities of wealth-creating societies and the egalitarian ethic inherited from our hunter-gatherer ancestors.We live in an iridescent bubble, the intoxicating richness of modern culture. Shielded from the natural world, we have lost our awareness of the evolutionary forces that still guide our motivations and shape the foundations of our societies. The Origin of Politics explores the risks of underestimating evolution's fundamental role in human affairs. Why do modern political systems so often fail when they conflict with the ancient blueprints of our own biology?Politics and Evolution: A critical look at how modern ideologies are in constant tension with the social structures--family, tribe, kinship--that evolution has wired into our species.The Family Unit: The revealing story of the Israeli kibbutz, where a utopian attempt to abolish the family ultimately failed against the powerful, innate bonds between parents and children.Tribalism to Nation-State: How societies successfully modified deep-seated behaviors, replacing polygamy with monogamy and dissolving ancient tribal bonds to pave the way for the modern state.Inherited Behaviors: An examination of the conflicts over innate sex specializations, social stratification, and the mismatch between modern inequality and the egalitarian ethic from our hunter-gatherer ancestors.
Marxist Left Review 29
Marxist Left Review 29, August/Winter.Issue title: Socialists against the streamEditorial: Trump ushers in a more barbaric capitalism - Omar HassanMarxism and National Liberation - Mick ArmstrongThe rise and fall of the Palestinian Fronts - Vashti FoxWhy socialists should oppose the sex industry - Emma NortonA socialist view on the India-Pakistan conflict: Interview with Imran Kamyana - Jordan HumphreysWhat is liberalism? - Luke HockingReview: The rise and fall of union power in the Pilbara - Liz RossReview: The origins of the modern police force and the socialist case for their overthrow - Jasmine Duff
Constitution of the United States (America 250 Edition)
Elegantly stamped in celebration of America's 250th and printed in America, this beautiful gift edition contains the complete text of the United States Constitution, as well as all of its amendments.The landmark legal document of the United States, the U.S. Constitution comprises the primary law of the Federal Government. Signed by the members of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787, the Constitution outlines the powers and responsibilities of the three chief branches of the Federal Government, as well as the basic rights of the citizens of the United States.
American Insomniac
American Insomniac: Reflections on the future of a dying democracy is a compilation of academic articles, blog pieces, other writings, and op-eds written during the first years of the twenty-first century about current political, economic, cultural, and social events which are shaping our reality. The author, Jim Smith, has a unique perspective stemming from his childhood experiences of growing up on the carnival, living in a rural area, experiencing poverty and homelessness, and then radicalization through the anti-war and civil rights movements of the 1960's and 1970's.The writings are about the great challenges facing the future of democracy, the struggle for equality and equity, and will, hopefully, add to a civil discourse on the solutions to the social, economic, and cultural problems that are interwoven within the times we live in. These issues and concerns have kept thinking people awake at night trying to figure out how we got here, how to reach a consensus for solutions for the common good, and how to protect the gains made in the prior century from the forces at work to deconstruct and destroy them currently. Hence the title, American Insomniac.The problems and challenges are complex. The forces at work on all sides are equally complex, with intentions that are both noble and immoral. No perspective is purely evil or purely altruistic. But there is still truth, facts, and progress to oppose lies, fiction, and barbarism. This is one person's attempt to add to this conversation.
The Price of Peace
What if the world isn't broken by accident-but by design?This eye-opening investigation reveals how global chaos has quietly become one of the most lucrative business models of our time. From defence contractor analysis to the hidden strategies behind NGOs in conflict zones, this book pulls back the curtain on the economic machine that thrives not on resolution, but on disorder.Forget what you thought you knew about peacekeeping. In a system where corporate war profiteering is standard operating procedure and where geopolitical instability investment is tracked like weather patterns, the old narratives of heroism and diplomacy collapse. In their place lies a sprawling ecosystem of security firm profit motives, data brokers' conflict analytics, and governments addicted to the revenue of risk.You'll discover why the military-industrial complex critique barely scratches the surface-and how conflict economy has evolved into a subscription-based model of engineered emergency. Whether you're a policymaker, investor, journalist, or simply a citizen trying to make sense of the headlines, this is your map to the financial anatomy of endless war.With chilling clarity and urgent relevance, this book doesn't just expose the business of global unrest-it challenges you to rethink what "peace" really means in a world where stability is no longer profitable.
Borders of the Mind
What if everything you believed about where you belong-your identity, your homeland, your people-was a story someone needed you to believe?This provocative and eye-opening book reveals how the very idea of "us" and "them" was invented by states to control the minds of millions. Through gripping history and sharp psychological insight, it shows how governments have used national identity manipulation, political control through belonging, and the emotional roots of nationalism to shape not just borders, but the deepest parts of our self-perception.You'll discover how passports, myths, and schoolbooks became tools of power, how nations create enemies not out of necessity, but narrative. And how your sense of pride, fear, and loyalty may not be your own-but a design handed down through generations of control.This is not just a book about politics. It's about you.- Understand the real purpose behind identity and nationalism- Learn how imagined communities were engineered-and why they still hold sway- Explore the psychological machinery behind "othering" and mass obedience- Begin to deconstruct national myths and reclaim authorship of your own identityPerfect for readers of history, psychology, philosophy, and political thought, this book is for anyone who has ever wondered why we belong to nations-and what it would mean to live beyond them.If you've sensed that something about your cultural identity doesn't quite feel like a choice... you're not alone. This book is your invitation to break the trance, question the script, and see beyond the psychological history of borders.Because once you see the lines in your mind, you can begin to erase them.
The Price of Peace
What if the world isn't broken by accident-but by design?This eye-opening investigation reveals how global chaos has quietly become one of the most lucrative business models of our time. From defence contractor analysis to the hidden strategies behind NGOs in conflict zones, this book pulls back the curtain on the economic machine that thrives not on resolution, but on disorder.Forget what you thought you knew about peacekeeping. In a system where corporate war profiteering is standard operating procedure and where geopolitical instability investment is tracked like weather patterns, the old narratives of heroism and diplomacy collapse. In their place lies a sprawling ecosystem of security firm profit motives, data brokers' conflict analytics, and governments addicted to the revenue of risk.You'll discover why the military-industrial complex critique barely scratches the surface-and how conflict economy has evolved into a subscription-based model of engineered emergency. Whether you're a policymaker, investor, journalist, or simply a citizen trying to make sense of the headlines, this is your map to the financial anatomy of endless war.With chilling clarity and urgent relevance, this book doesn't just expose the business of global unrest-it challenges you to rethink what "peace" really means in a world where stability is no longer profitable.
