Bøker utgitt av Pluto Press

International analysts and commentators consider Pakistan's position in the global geo-political order.

The people of Colombia have, for the last fifty years, been subject to a specific form of violence: paramilitarism. An embodiment of the dark underbelly of global capitalist accumulation, this form of pervasive violence expresses the exacerbation of social inequalities and class formation under capitalism. In Paramilitarism and Neoliberalism, Jasmin Hristov theorises this extreme expression in light of forced displacement, labour repression, subjugation of social movements, decentralisation of violence, drug trafficking and the emergence of a variety of para-institutional armed actors across Latin America. *BR**BR*The activities of paramilitary groups in the post-demobilisation era, their involvement in human rights violations, and their multi-level support networks inside major state institutions are documented, with a particular emphasis on violent dispossession and illegal land appropriation that has benefited agroindustries and mining enterprises. Hristov engages in a Marxist political economy approach, combined with a global sociological perspective, allowing for an expansive and deep-reaching understanding of paramilitarism as a phenomenon with many faces, ultimately illustrating how it is increasingly becoming the coercive counterpart of global capital.

*Shortlisted for the Bread and Roses Prize, 2013* *BR**BR*The exposure of undercover policeman Mark Kennedy in the eco-activist movement revealed how the state monitors and undermines political activism. This book shows the other grave threat to our political freedoms - undercover activities by corporations.*BR**BR*Secret Manoeuvres in the Dark documents how corporations are halting legitimate action and investigation by activists. Using exclusive access to previously confidential sources, Eveline Lubbers shows how companies such as Nestle, Shell and McDonalds use covert methods to evade accountability. She argues that corporate intelligence gathering has shifted from being reactive to pro-active, with important implications for democracy itself.*BR**BR*Secret Manoeuvres in the Dark will be vital reading for activists, investigative and citizen journalists, and all who care about freedom and democracy in the 21st century.

Folk singer and folk music collector, writer, painter, journalist, art critic, whalerman, sheep station roustabout, Marxist, and much more - this is the story of A. L. (Bert) Lloyd's extraordinary life. *BR**BR*A. L. Lloyd played a key part in the folk music revival of the 1950s and 60s, but that is only part of his story. Dave Arthur documents how Lloyd became a member of the Communist Party, forceful antifascist, trade unionist and an important part of left-wing culture from the early 1930s to his death in 1982. Following his return from Australia as a 21-year-old, self-educated agricultural labourer, he was at the heart of the most important left-wing movements and highly respected for his knowledge in various fields. *BR**BR*Dave Arthur recounts the life of a creative, passionate and life-loving Marxist, and in so doing provides a social history of a turbulent twentieth century.

Jean-Paul Marat's role in the French Revolution has long been a matter of controversy among historians. Often he is portrayed as a violent, sociopathic demagogue. This biography challenges that interpretation and argues that without Marat's contributions as an agitator, tactician, and strategist, the pivotal social transformation that the revolution accomplished would not have occurred. *BR**BR*Clifford D. Conner argues that what was unique about Marat - setting him apart from all other major figures of the revolution, including Danton and Robespierre - was his total identification with the struggle of the propertyless classes for social equality. Fresh ideas surrounding the Champs de Mars Massacre, his assassination, the cult of Marat and the Legende Noire are all explored.

Christian Communist, leader of the Diggers movement and bete noire of the landed aristocracy, Gerard Winstanley (1609-1676) was one of the founders of a movement which fought for the redistribution of land and the abolition of wages and property under Oliver Cromwell.*BR**BR*John Gurney reveals the hidden history of Winstanley and his movement. As part of the radical ferment which swept England at the time of the civil war, Winstanley led the Diggers in taking over land and running it as 'a common treasury for all' - provoking violent opposition from landowners. Gurney also guides us through Winstanley's writings, which are among the most remarkable prose writings of his age.*BR**BR*Gurney proves that the Diggers, (or the New Levellers, as they called themselves) remain as an inspiration to many radical movements today.

Dubbed 'the poster girl of Palestinian militancy', Leila Khaled's image flashed across the world after she hijacked a passenger jet in 1969. The picture of a young, determined looking woman with a checkered scarf, clutching an AK-47, was as era-defining as that of Che Guevara.*BR**BR*In this intimate profile, based on interviews with Khaled and those who know her, Sarah Irving gives us the life-story behind the image. Key moments of Khaled's turbulent life are explored, including the dramatic events of the hijackings, her involvement in the Marxist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (a radical element within the PLO), her opposition to the Oslo peace process and her activism today.*BR**BR*Leila Khaled's example gives unique insights into the Palestinian struggle through one remarkable life - from the tension between armed and political struggle, to the decline of the secular left and the rise of Hamas, and the role of women in a largely male movement.

Despite Washington's military supremacy, its economic foundations have been weakening since the Vietnam war - accelerated by the great recession and credit-rating downgrade - and its global authority dented by the quagmires in Iraq and Afghanistan.*BR**BR*This book intervenes in the debates surrounding America's status as an empire. It analyses Immanuel Wallerstein and others who argue that the US is in decline, to those who maintain that it remains a robust superpower. By explaining how America's neo-imperial system of governance has been working since WWII, it links the US's domestic and foreign vulnerabilities. *BR**BR*The Fall of the US Empire argues that the time has come to understand the US empire not by its power but by its systemic vulnerabilities of financialisation, resource depletion and environmental degradation.

Dialogue on space, science and life between an eminent astronomer and leading Buddhist scholar

Rejects traditional 'top-down' approaches, arguing that the poor in developing countries must be deeply involved in their own liberation from poverty.

Was western intervention in Sierra Leone a genuine case of humanitarianism?

Critical assessment of the impact of the oil and gas industry on socio-economic development across the world. Draws on original research.

This is a history of the abuses suffered by Africa through colonial, imperial and capitalistic scrambles for oil that have plagued the continent for centuries. France, the US, Portugal, Spain and other western nations have continually plundered Africa's resources, leading to political corruption and the annihilation of democracy that continues to this day.*BR**BR*Extraordinary stories reach far into the depths of domination and control. Neo-colonialism in Gabon, Yankee Landlords of Cabinda and the World Bank in Chad are explored, as is the growth of kleptocracy, the rise of multinational corporations and the legacy of slavery. *BR**BR*Concluding with evidence of how Africans have refused to remain passive in the face of such developments, forming movements to challenge this new attempt at domination, this book challenges our understanding of Africa, raising questions about the consequences of our reliance on foreign resources.

Michel Foucault's Discipline and Punish is one of the best-selling works of critical theory and a key text on many undergraduate courses. However, it is a long, difficult text which makes Anne Schwan and Stephen Shapiro's excellent step-by-step reading guide a welcome addition to the How to Read Theory series.*BR**BR*Undergraduates across a wide range of disciplines are expected to have a solid understanding of Foucault's key terms, which have become commonplace in critical thinking today. While there are many texts that survey Foucault's thought, these are often more general overviews or biographical precis that give little in the way of robust explanation and discussion. *BR**BR*In contrast, Schwan and Shapiro take a plain-speaking, yet detailed, approach, specifically designed to give students a thorough understanding of one of the most influential texts in contemporary cultural theory.

Examines the failure of the money-based global economy and how we might live in more sustainable, equitable ways

Collection of the best writing from one of the world's most prestigious intellectual journals.

In an age of government imposed austerity, and after 30 years of neoliberal restructuring, the future of the welfare state looks increasingly uncertain. Asbjorn Wahl offers an accessible analysis of the situation across Europe, identifies the most important challenges and presents practical proposals for combating the assault on welfare.*BR**BR*Wahl argues that the welfare state should be seen as the result of a class compromise forged in the 20th century, which means that it cannot easily be exported internationally. He considers the enormous shifts in power relations and the profound internal changes to the welfare state which have occurred during the neoliberal era, pointing to the paradigm shift that the welfare state is going through. This is illustrated by the shift from welfare to workfare and increased top down control.*BR**BR*As well as being a fascinating study in its own right that will appeal to students of economics and politics, The Rise and Fall of the Welfare State also points to an alternative way forward for the trade union movement based on concrete examples of struggles and alliance-building.

An introductory collection to the drama of the Arab Spring

The Nile, the longest river in the world, is a both a resource for agriculture and industry and a mechanism of power. Drawing on decades of experience in the Horn of Africa, Seifulaziz Milas reveals the political nature of the 'Great River', recounting the history of disputes over its waters.*BR**BR*Herodotus wrote that 'Egypt was the gift of the Nile' and the relationship of the Egyptian regimes to the river, from colonial rule under Benjamin Disraeli to present, have been central in shaping the politics of the country and its foreign policy. Examining Egypt's central role in the river's politics, as well as its function for the ten other Nile countries, including Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia, Milas' study takes in quests for dominance, the impact of the Nile Basin Initiative that advocates for shared socio-economic benefits of the river, and the potential for conflict over ownership of the river. *BR**BR*In outlining the history of disputes and power struggle, Milas hopes the Nile countries can learn from past mistakes, and suggests a way forward, based on co-operation, peace and development.

In 1804 Haiti became the world's first independent black Republic following a slave revolution. 200 years later, ravaged by colonialism and violence, it was placed under UN military occupation.*BR**BR*Haiti's New Dictatorship charts the country's recent history, from the 2004 coup against President Aristide to the devastating 2010 earthquake, revealing a shocking story of abuse and indifference by international forces. Justin Podur unmasks the grim reality of a supposedly benign international occupation, arguing that the denial of sovereignty is the fundamental cause of Haiti's problems.

Brings together Palestinian and international activists in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Brings together Palestinian and international activists in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

What should we make of the culture of the protest movements of the 21st century? From the Arab Spring to the 'indignados' protests in Spain and the Occupy movement, Paolo Gerbaudo examines the relationship between the rise of social media and the emergence of new forms of protest. *BR**BR*Gerbaudo argues that activists' use of Twitter and Facebook does not fit with the image of a 'cyberspace' detached from physical reality. Instead, social media is used as part of a project of re-appropriation of public space, which involves the assembling of different groups around 'occupied' places such as Cairo's Tahrir Square or New York's Zuccotti Park. *BR**BR*An exciting and invigorating journey through the new politics of dissent, Tweets and the Streets points both to the creative possibilities and to the risks of political evanescence which new media brings to the contemporary protest experience.

This book lifts the lid on the reality of Afghanistan's growing drug trade and the role played by the US military in its trajectory. *BR**BR*Where conventional accounts blame the Taliban for the expansion of drug production, Cruel Harvest shows that the US shares responsibility by supporting drug lords, refusing to adopt effective drug control policies and failing to crack down on drug money laundered through Western banks. *BR**BR*Julien Mercille argues that the best way to address drug problems is by reducing demand in consumer countries, not by conducting fruitless and damaging counter narcotics missions in Afghanistan.*BR*

This is a popular history of one of the world's most famous companies. Founded in 1600, the East India Company was the forerunner of the modern multinational. Starting life as a trader in Asian spices, the Company ended its days running Britain's Indian empire. In the process, it shocked its contemporaries with the scale of its violence, corruption and speculation.This is the first-ever book to expose the Company's social record. Robins reveals a hidden story of tragedy and intrigue. War, famine, stock-market bubbles and even duels between rival executives are all to be found in this new account. For Robins, the Company's legacy provides compelling lessons on how to ensure the accountability of today's global business.

Borderline Justice describes the exclusionary policies, inhumane decisions and obstacles to justice for refugees and migrants in the British legal system.*BR**BR*Frances Webber, a long-standing legal practitioner, reveals how the law has been (mis)applied to migrants, refugees and other 'unpopular minorities'. This book records some of the key legal struggles of the past thirty years which have sought to preserve values of universality in human rights - and the importance of continuing to fight for those values, inside and outside the courtroom. *BR**BR*The themes and analysis cross boundaries of law, politics, sociology, criminology, refugee studies and terrorism studies, appealing to the radical tradition in all these disciplines.

Is it possible to move beyond the male-female gender binary system? What happens to gender theory when we consider sex and gender identities as more than just 'male' or 'female'? Crucially, what are the implications of gender and sexual fluidity and multiplicity for social policy, citizenship, new social movements and democracy?*BR**BR*Gender Politics challenges ideas that we are all either male or female, and gay or straight. It explores the experiences of people who transgress these categories, and the social exclusion that they face. *BR**BR*Surya Monro addresses topical debates concerning gender, and looks at different ways of theorising gender pluralism. She explains how gender and sexuality relate to other social characteristics such as 'race', class, and disability. As well as providing a way into some of the key academic discussions in the field of gender and sexuality, Gender Politics is also a tool for activists. Monro analyses the way in which mainstream citizenship, social policy, and democracy can - or cannot - be changed to reflect the needs of marginalised groups. She explores the social implications of equality for transgender, intersex, lesbian, gay and bisexual people, and assesses the conflicts within these communities.

Examining the role of the modern nation state, Dexter Whitfield assesses the achievements, failures, costs and benefits of the neoliberal and 'third way' transformation of the state. *BR**BR*He demonstrates that private finance of infrastructure, marketisation of government and privatisation of the welfare state are accelerating the globalisation process and generating ever larger financial, social and environmental crises. Whitfield analyses current trends which are exacerbated by the marketisation and partnership agenda advocated by global bodies such as the World Bank, IMF and WTO. *BR**BR*He reveals how these policies further reduce the capacity of the state in the global economy, its ability to provide good quality public services and inevitably create a corporate welfare complex. Within a framework for understanding the extent, scale and impact of the transformation of the state, the author forecasts the implications of the continuation of current policies.

Using an historical perspective, Narotzky highlights the interdependent nature of the contemporary world economy, and includes case studies of Western societies. She gives special emphasis to current issues such as the anthropology of work, the informal economy, and the cultures of industrialisation.

Combines the first full synopsis of social movement theory with an integrated account of social movement activity in Latin America