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This book argues that the Arab states in the Middle East have failed to provide security for their citizens or define themselves along the lines of traditional nation states. Due to continuous war, they have been unable to foster development and prosperity.The author argues that these failures have led to the development of an Islamic political theory which is based around the non-territorial concepts of the Umma and Dawla. Each concept is explored in detail and the author explains how crucial they are in explaining the difference between Western policy and the priorities and the identity of the Arab world.This unique book should be required reading for students of Middle East international relations and Islamic political theory.This book argues that nationalisms in the Arab Middle East were colonial constructs to legitimize the colonially created nation states. Such states were structured in a manner that guaranteed their behavior as colonies after their independence. There dependence was in fact the condition for their formal independence. The book contrasts these colonially introduced national identities to the pre colonial Islamic identity the revolved around the concepts of Umma and Dawla. Both concepts have not yet been adequately dealt with in English and have usually been mistranslated into nation and state respectively. The Book provides a thorough explanation of these concepts by studying canonical Sunni and Shiite Islamic texts of political theory and jurisprudence. The Book also shows that understanding such concepts might explain how public opinion is formed in the Middle East and how Arab governments gain and loose legitimacy. Finally the book traces the local elites failed attempts to reconcile the colonially introduced identity that revolves around the colonially created nation state and the native culture that sets political allegiance in the whole Muslim community. Such a failure allowed the Dawla, a non-territorial, non-sovereign form of organization whose allegiance lies with the whole Muslim Umma, to reemerge as a means of social, political in sometimes military, form of organization, thus the variety of non state Islamic actors throughout the region. This unique book should be required reading for students of Middle East international relations and Islamic political theory.

American history is not often truthfully told. Dispelling the myths that have bolstered national myth making, Paul Atwood attempts to show Americans that their history is one of constant wars of aggression and imperial expansion.*BR**BR*From the declaration of Independence to present day, War and Empire takes a panoramic view of US military history, explaining US actions in every major war, from early combat with aboriginal nations, imperialist conflicts with Spain, to the war on terror. The book shows that, far from being dragged reluctantly into foreign entanglements, America's leaders have always picked its battles in order to increase their influence and power, with little regard for the American soldiers and 'enemy' civilians killed or made to suffer in the process.*BR**BR*This book is an eye-opening introduction to the American way of life for undergraduate students of American history, politics and international relations.

Critically examines the responses of the working classes to the challenges of the neoliberal global economy.

--Annual report from a leading anti-hunger NGO--This is the first annual report from leading NGO, Action Against Hunger. It presents an accessible, jargon-free account of the causes and consequences of acute malnutrition around the world. It is the most up to date account which will be valuable to journalists, policy makers and anyone working in international development.The report assesses the problem of acute malnutrition worldwide. Beginning with the immediate causes of hunger (inadequate diet and disease) it progresses to study the larger structural and social factors that perpetuate it. Case studies include the impact of HIV/AIDS, conflict, weak markets, mortality and malnutrition. The report recommends that a shift in traditional emergency objectives needs to be considered as part of a holistic approach to persistent hunger.

Neoliberals often point to improvements in public health and nutrition as examples of globalisation's success, but this book argues that the corporate food and medicine industries are destroying environments and ruining living conditions across the world. *BR**BR*Scientist Stan Cox expertly draws out the strong link between Western big business and environmental destruction. This is a shocking account of the huge damage that drug manufacturers and large food corporations are inflicting on the health of people and crops worldwide. Companies discussed include Wal-Mart, GlaxoSmithKline, Tyson Foods and Monsanto. On issues ranging from the poisoning of water supplies in South Asia to natural gas depletion and how it threatens global food supplies, Cox shows how the demand for profits is always put above the public interest.*BR**BR*While individual efforts to 'shop for a better world' and conserve energy are laudable, Cox explains that they need to be accompanied by an economic system that is grounded in ecological sustainability if we are to find a cure for our Sick Planet.

Venezuela has become a huge source of hope and inspiration for the Left throughout the world. Some see it as a shining example of how to begin building a successful socialist state, but Western leaders see it as a dangerous enemy and accuse Chavez of being a dictator. This book reveals the truth by examining the country from the ground up. *BR**BR*Iain Bruce explores the political changes underway in Venezuela at the level of the lives of ordinary people. Through grassroots investigations and extended interviews, he explores a series of key transformations in Venezuela: a new social economy around a network of co-operatives; workplace democracy; popular education; radical agrarian reform; participatory budgets and community planning. The result is a clear picture of everyday life in Venezuela.*BR**BR*No other book on the country has this level of detail; it will be a key text for students of Latin American politics and social movements and of interest to anyone following the fortunes of the Bolivarian Revolution.

AIDS kills over two million people every year and nearly 33 million people are infected with HIV worldwide. However, HIV prevention has slipped down the international agenda and meaningful attempts to tackle it are hampered by religious ideology and power struggles.*BR**BR*This book brings together stories from around the world that explore and expose the underlying 'politics of prevention' which deny millions of people life-saving education. The larger issues and trends in the global fight against AIDS are also studied, including the rise of the controversial abstinence-only movement in the US, which is now being exported to Africa.*BR**BR*In response to the unfavourable political climate, those worst affected by the crisis are becoming politicised in order to overcome the inertia in the international community and take truly effective action against AIDS.

What connects Marxism and Sci-fi?

This book compares Islamic and Western political formulations, highlighting areas of agreement and disparity. Building on this analysis, the author goes on to show that political Islam offers a serious alternative to the dominant political system and ideology of the West.*BR**BR*Sabet argues that rather than leading to a 'Clash of Civlizations' or the assimilation of Islam into the Western system, a positive process of interactive self-reflection between Islam and liberal democracy is the best way forward.*BR**BR*Beginning this process, Sabet highlights key concepts of Islamic political thought and brings them into dialogue with Western modernity. The resulting synthesis is essential reading for advanced undergraduate and graduate students of Islamic and Middle Eastern politics, political theory, comparative politics and international relations.

Thoroughly revised and updated edition of this comprehensive survey of resource depletion.

For as long as the world has had rulers, there have been plots to assassinate those at the top. Violent death is usually associated with dictatorships and tinpot regimes. Few people know that Britain also has a history of political assassination. This book brings to life the forgotten story of assassination over the last 200 years in Britain. *BR**BR*From Prime Ministers and politicians to princes, lords and officials of all kinds, Britain's assassination attempts cover a wide variety of figures in some key moments of history. Hernon examines the motivations of the assassins - from political ideologies to simple mental instability. He shows how most attempts originated from isolated individuals or minority groups, rather than broad political will. *BR**BR*A fascinating account of how the will of the individual has occasionally and dramatically intervened into the lives of those in power.

This book celebrates the centennial anniversary of Public Services International.

Fair trade is widely regarded as a universal good. This fascinating anthropological study takes a closer look at a coffee-growing community and cooperatives in Costa Rica - and subjects the fair trade movement to critical scrutiny. *BR**BR*As with conventional coffee, Western demand for organic fair trade produce is largely met by more affluent individuals with larger landholdings. As a result, it is caught up in the conflicts of interest and resentments that are part of the coffee industry as a whole. Ultimately fair trade fails to escape divisions that characterise other forms of production and consumption.*BR**BR*All growers are united in their criticism of the high margins accumulated by regional and transnational processors and exporters. Sustainability, just rewards and social cohesion have formed part of the world view of these agricultural communities for decades. This book shows how there is much common ground between the worlds of the commodity grower and the priorities of the fair trade movement - if not necessarily always in the ways we might suppose.

Fidel Castro's most original contribution to revolutionary and radical thought has been his development of an explicit ethical position on one of the most controversial issues of our time: violence. This book explores the evolution of Castro's political thinking - and in particular how he philosophically reconciles violence, political power and morality.*BR**BR*This book makes a timely intervention into the question of Castro's historical role and contribution. The author argues that Castro's doctrine of armed struggle is the logical development of his idea of the ethical liberation fighter. At its core is an unremitting emphasis on the ethical use of violence.

'The best book so far about Derrida's politics of the future.' J. Hillis Miller, University of California

The book explores what characterises a 'good life' and how this idea has been affected by globalisation and neoliberalism.

George W. Bush calls them an 'alternative set of procedures', vital tools needed 'to protect the American people and our allies'. American Torture reveals how torture became standard practice in today's War on Terror.*BR**BR*'Tools' including being forced standing for up to forty hours, sleep deprivation for weeks on end and dousing naked prisoners with ice are undeniably torture, and they are used by the United States of America. Long before Abu Ghraib became a household name, the US military and CIA used torture with impunity at home and abroad. Billions of dollars were spent during the Cold War studying, refining, then teaching these techniques to American interrogators and to foreign officers charged with keeping Communism at bay. This book writes the history of these methods and their invention and adoption by US military personnel.

Ireland is going through a period of unprecedented economic and cultural growth and renewal. These changes are due in part to neoliberal policies that have attracted foreign investment. *BR**BR*The globalization of Ireland's economy has had major social consequences. Living standards are rising quickly. Emigration has reversed. Catholicism has been secularized, laws on divorce and sexuality have been liberalized and Ireland has become an urban society for the first time. *BR**BR*But there is stark inequality and social exclusion; epidemics of depression, alcoholism, and obesity; traditional values and community are declining; and there is deep ambivalence towards immigrants. Ireland's economy is globalized, but is Irish society cosmopolitan? Wealth has increased, but has quality of life improved? The authors explore the developments of the last 15 years, capturing the intensity of the debates that make up the new cosmopolitan multi-cultural Ireland.

Examines art and censorship in the current political climate

Rayna and her husband Bill edited the Kuomintang's English-language newspaper in Wuhan. Rayna's account of her intimate involvement in the Chinese Revolution brings to life the eventful Wuhan years of 1926-27, which shaped the revolution's course. Her letters illuminate from a personal angle the battle for China's future and include remarkable portraits of some of the people who shaped the Communist and Nationalist movements of the time.*BR**BR*The book consists of letters Prohme wrote to her closest friend and her husband in the period immediately before, during and after the Wuhan interlude. Her reporting brought her into contact with many major political figures including Madam Sun Yat-sen (a prominent figure in the opposition to Chiang Kai-shek) and Mikhail Borodin (a chief Soviet advisor in China). *BR**BR*This book provides an unusual and often moving insight into a fascinating period in modern Chinese history.

A comprehensive guide to the various leftist governments and movements in the region, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay and Venezuela.

A radical guide to ethical and sustainable living.

-- A passionate critique of Milosevic's trial and the PR machine at the heart of international justice -- 'Study this story. ... The truth is hard to find, but in John Laughland we are fortunate to have a man blessed with the freedom to seek all facts, and the desire to find the truth.' Ramsey Clark, from the ForewordSlobodan Milosevic died in prison in 2006 during a four-year marathon trial at The Hague for war crimes. John Laughland was one of the last Western journalists to meet him. He followed the trial from the beginning and wrote extensively on it, challenging the legitimacy of the Yugoslav Tribunal and the hypocrisy of 'international justice' in the Guardian and The Spectator.In this short and readable book Laughland gives a full account of the trial -- the longest criminal trial in history -- from the moment the indictment was issued at the height of NATO's attack on Yugoslavia to the day of Milosevic's mysterious death in custody. 'International justice' is supposed to hold war criminals to account but, as the trials of both Milosevic and Saddam Hussein show, the indictments are politically motivated and the judicial procedures are irredeemably corrupt. Laughland argues that international justice is an impossible dream and that such show trials are little more than a propaganda exercise designed to distract attention from the war crimes committed by Western states.

Is the EU Constitution dead in the water?Although it may have disappeared from the headlines, right-wing European leaders have not given up on pushing through a binding EU text providing total freedom for goods, services and capital but few advantages for Europeans. A more neo-liberal anti-democratic document than the one rejected by the French and the Dutch may be hard to imagine, but the new reform treaty tries hard. What do they have in store for us? What should European people be fighting for?Leading writer and alter-globalisation activist Susan George explains what is at stake for all peoples of Europe. What must we reject and how will such a document affect our lives? Who will it really empower--corporations or ordinary Europeans? What kind of future do we want to build together as Europeans? Written with clarity and authority, We the Peoples of Europe will help you make up your own mind.

This book provides the first detailed examination of the role played by former loyalist and republican prisoners in grass roots conflict transformation work in the Northern Ireland peace process. It challenges the assumed passivity of former prisoners and ex-combatants. Instead, it suggests that such individuals and the groups which they formed have been key agents of conflict transformation. They have provided leadership in challenging cultures of violence, developed practical methods of resolving inter-communal conflict and found ways for communities to explore their troubled past. In analysing this, the authors challenge the sterile demonisation of former prisoners and the processes that maintain their exclusion from normal civic and social life. *BR**BR*The book is a constructive reminder of the need for full participation of both former combatants and victims in post-conflict transformation. It also lays out a new agenda for reconciliation which suggests that conflict transformation can and should begin 'from the extremes'. *BR**BR*The book will be of interest to students of criminology, peace and conflict studies, law and politics, geography and sociology as well as those with a particular interest in the Northern Ireland conflict.

An expose of what really goes on behind the closed doors of state power

A close insight into the Moussaoui trial from an anthropological perspective

This book lays out a comprehensive vision for a new world order based on cooperation between the developing world and leading Left countries in Latin America. *BR**BR*Arguing that the ravages of corporate capitalism are unsustainable, Terrence E. Paupp presents an energetic critique of the problems of empire, and looks ahead to a global countermovement against the IMF and US hegemony.

Iraq stands on the edge of civil war. As sectarian killings escalate, and troops become more deeply entrenched, is there any prospect of an exit strategy? Into the Long War examines events in Iraq since May 2005 and how they impact on other countries including Afghanistan, Iran and the wider Middle East. *BR**BR*Bringing together the extensive analysis of the renowned Oxford Research Group, the book charts a tumultuous period in the conflict, including a wider international perspective on the terrorist attacks in London and Sharm al Sheik, and an assessment of how US public opinion has changed as the war drags on.*BR**BR*Rogers offers a clear and compelling account of an invasion that was meant to take a matter of weeks - and that now threatens to engulf an entire region for many years to come.

An examination of Antonio Negri's unique thought and its relevance to contemporary politics