Jacques Hersh

Understanding Capitalism: crises and passive revolutions

This article has two objectives: First, it attempts to provide a framework for understanding capitalisms resilient adaptability through analysing the roles of liberal democracy and ecological environmentalism. Both are conceptualised as capitalisms passive revolutions in response to emerging crises – processes of constituting and reconstituting conditions for production and reproduction. Liberal democracy is seen as a political restructuring strategy aimed at producing social control with less coercive measures as well as depolitising social contradictions and economic crises. Ecological environmentalism is argued to be capitalisms ecological restructuring attempt at the economic level in order to rescue an economic system at an impasse and to resolve the contradictions between production relations/forces and the externalities of production. Second, the article aims to conduct a critical analysis of what are considered to be passive revolutions taking place within capitalism in order to uncover their hidden mystifications, contradictions and distortions in the promotion of certain policies, practices, values, cognitions and symbols which are considered to be supportive of the existing capitalist political and economic system. The working assumption is that, due to capitalisms modus operandi which is primarily based on capital accumulation, democratic principles and environmental concerns will eventually have to submit to this inherent imperative.

Neoliberal globalization: Workfare without welfare

Abstract This article presents a critical review of capitalist variants, their historical foundations and functional perspectives, and the way they have been co-opted by contemporary neoliberalism. This is related to the twin strategies of industrial paths and social policies which set the scene for the different models and strategies to promote capitalism. Subsequently, the analysis attempts to provide a coherent understanding of the historical and contextual embeddedness of the differences between the various forms of capitalism. The focus is on the interactions of state, capital and labour in advanced societies in the context of the international system. The article contributes to establishing a specific typology by identifying differences and similarities between the two most successful variants of modern capitalism: the welfare state and the developmental state models. Finally, the counter-attack of neoliberalism and the need for alternatives to both the workfare and welfare models of capitalism are discussed.

Faux Internationalism and Really Existing Imperialism

If truth is the first casualty of war, military intervention in the name of humanitarian ideals should likewise be the subject of skepticism. Such an approach is called for as the discourse of the Responsibility to Protect civilian populations is becoming a doctrinal principle in the West’s foreign policy toolbox. The notion that these big powers have the right to intervene in other (weak) countries’ internal affairs threatens to transform the foundation, if not the praxis, of international law.… Simultaneously, the ideology of “humanitarian interventionism,” which stands almost uncontested, can be interpreted as legitimizing a hidden political agenda. It has the potential of blurring existing ideological and political differences between neoconservatives, liberal internationalists in the United States and Europe, and a large section of left-wing forces around the world. All these currents have found common grounds in vindicating NATO’s military violations of the principle of national sovereignty. This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website , where most recent articles are published in full. Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.

Paradoxes in the political economy of détente

One of the most influential world developments since the establishment of the USSR is taking place relatively unnoticed. To understand the significance of the current transformation in East-West relations it is necessary to analyze its effect on the stability of various parts of the world as well as the contradictions and conflicts it engenders. The following is an attempt to approach this problem from the standpoint of the world market.

Retooling Peace Philosophy: A Critical Look at Israel's Separation Strategy

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a source of enduring tension in the Middle East. Its resolution would go a long way in creating a semblance of stability in this volatile region. Pitting occupant against occupied, Israel, as the foremost military power, holds the key to such resolution. Therefore the focus of this analysis will be on Israeli strategic thinking and policy making with regard to the Palestinian question.

The Myth of Imperialism Lite

William Blum, Killing Hope: U.S. Military & CIA Interventions since World War II (Monroe, Maine: Common Courage Press, 2003), 469 pages, paper

East Europe: Between Western Europe and East Asia. Squaring the Circle?

24.95. For most Americans, awareness of their country’s role in the world is severely limited. This is largely due to the elite’s ideological hegemony within the education systems and the media.This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.

After the Meltdown of Soviet-Type Socialism: Presenting the Issues

As the world is heading towards the next millennium, the contradictions facing the international community are being accentuated by the evolution of post-socialist societies. One of the main objectives of this book has been to discuss the relevance of the East Asian model for Eastern Europe. In this connection, the changing opportunities and constraints of the international environment can hardly be ignored.

The Reorganisation of the Postwar World System and the Imposition of ‘Benevolent’ Hegemony

According to mainstream wisdom a few years ago, the collapse of communism signified that free market capitalism now represented the pinnacle of social evolution. However, since the end of the ‘Cold War’ which occurred in conjunction with the implosion of Soviet-type socialism, serious difficulties and problems have emerged in the capitalist world system.

International Political Economy in the Twilight Zone

The chaotic situation which arose as a consequence of the Second World War contributed to the creation of an association of core nations. This so-called ‘Western alliance’ was to endure longer than its historical predecessor, the Holy Alliance of the nineteenth century. The postwar arrangements transformed the relationship of the countries involved. Under American leadership, friends and defeated foes became united in a new alliance, while the former wartime ally, the Soviet Union, became the adversary.