The Hi-jacking of Global Society? An Essay

Abstract

Globalization is producing a global society of some sort. Three leading forms are on offer: Global Civil Society, Global Islam and Global America. This essay presents an analysis of globalization as a process, and then a discussion of each of the three possible forms, while recognizing that contingency prevails in history. With this said, the odds are against Global Islam succeeding. Rather, the most likely outcome seems to be the ‘hijacking’ of Global Civil Society by the US. The reasons for this are given, plus a glance at alternative possibilities.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Books reviewed in this article: Multiculturalism and Britishness BERNARD CRICK Multicultural Politics: Racism, Ethnicity and Muslims in Britain, by Tariq Modood No Rock ‘n’ Roll for Joschka Fischer Arne Hofmann Die Rückkehr der Geschichte: Die Welt nach dem 11. September und die Erneuerung des Westens (The Return of History: The World after September 11 and the Reconstruction of the West), by Joschka Fischer Russia and the Kosovo Crisis Vassilis Fouskas Collision Course: NATO, Russia and Kosovo, by John Norris with a Foreword by Strobe Talbott Patten's Progress Mark Garnett Not Quite the Diplomat: Home Truths about World Affairs, by Chris Patten Civil Society: The Historian's View Matthew Grant Civil Society in British History: Ideas, Identities, Institutions, edited by Jose Harris Not Quite Lawless Pavlos Eleftheriadis Lawless World: America and the Making and Breaking of Global Rules, by Philippe Sands The Meanings of Genocide Lars Fischer The Killing Trap: Genocide in the Twentieth Century, by Manus Midlarsky The Meaning of Genocide (Genocide in the Age of the Nation State I), by Mark Levene. I. B. Tauris The Rise of the West and the Coming of Genocide (Genocide in the Age of the Nation State IT), by Mark Levene. I. B. Lauris Beyond Camps and Forced Labour: Current International Research on Survivors of Nazi Persecution, edited by Johannes‐Dieter Steinert and Inge Weber‐Newth Down with Political Parties? Paul Webb The Party's Over: Blueprint for a Very English Revolution, by Keith Sutherland What To Do with the USA? Richard Briand Taming American Power: The Global Response to US Primacy, by Stephen M. Walt. Norton Imperial Delusions: American Militarism and Endless War, by Carl Boggs The 2005 Election Reassessed Richard S. Grayson The British General Election of 2005, by Dennis Kavanagh and David Butler Britain Votes 2005, edited by Pippa Norris and Christopher Wlezien Neither Left nor Right? The Liberal Democrats and the Electorate, by Andrew Russell and Edward Fieldhouse The Importance of the Opponent Yannis Stavrakakis On the Political, by Chantal Mouffe     

Intellectual emigration from Hitler’s Germany

His books include Higher Civil Servants in American Society; Work and Authority in Industry; Max Weber: An Intellectual Portrait; National Building and Citizenship; Embattled Reason: Essays in Social Knowledge; Kings or People: Power and the Mandate to Rule; Force, Fate, and Freedom;and From Berlin to Berkeley.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Books reviewed in this issue. The Casual Cruelty of the Tabloids
JOHN LLOYD Journalism for Democracy, by Geraldine Muhlmann, translated by Jean Birrell. ‘Who now remembers the Circassians?’
Jad Adams ‘Let Our Fame Be Great’: Journeys among the Defiant People of the Caucasus, by Oliver Bullough. A meaty slab of Supermac
Peter Catterall Supermac: The Life of Harold Macmillan, by D. R. Thorpe. Hamas: good works in Gaza
Victoria Brittain Hamas and Civil Society in Gaza: Engaging the Islamist Social Sector, by Sara Roy. The minister as a hero of our time
Ben Yong Learning to be a Minister: Heroic Expectations, Practical Realities, by Patrick Weller and Anne Tiernan. The incoherence of market freedom
Geoff Kennedy The Invention of Market Freedom, by Eric MacGilvray. Chav‐hate and the ‘children of pride’
Richard Mullender Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class, by Owen Jones. The slippery world of democracy
Richard Bourke Contesting Democracy: Political Ideas in Twentieth‐century Europe, by Jan Werner‐Müller.     

Three themes on Austrian politics

Der Österreicher und seine Nation. Ein Lernprozess mit Hindernissen. By Felix Kreissler. Vienna: Böhlau, 1984. Pp.733. Ös. 800.

Adolf Schärf. Mensch, Politiker, Staatsmann. By Karl R. Stadler. Vienna: Euro‐paverlag, 1982. Pp.563. Ös. 520.

Österreich und die deutsche Frage im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert. Probleme der politisch‐staatlichen und soziokulturellen Differenzierung im deutschen Mitteleuropa. Edited by Heinrich Lutz and Helmut Rumpler. Wiener Beiträge zur Geschichte der Neuzeit, Band 9. Vienna: Verlag für Geschichte und Politik, 1982. Pp.348.

Perpspektiven und Tendenzen in der Sozialpolitik. Oswin Martinek zum 60. Geburtstag. Edited by Gerhard Botz, Karl R. Stadler and Josef Weidenholzer. Vienna: Europaverlag, 1984.

Modern Austria. Edited by Kurt Steiner. Palo Alto: Society for the Promotion of Science and Scholarship, 1981. Pp.xxv + 527. $26.00.

Tradition and Innovation in Contemporary Austria. Edited by Kurt Steiner. Palo Alto: Society for the Promotion of Science and Scholarship, 1982. Pp. vi + 222. $12.00.

Corporatism and Change. Austria, Switzerland and the Politics of Industry. By Peter J. Katzenstein. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1984. Pp.331. $35.00.

Die Paritätische Kommission. Aufgeklärter Technokorporatismus in Österreich. By Bernd Marin. Vienna: Internationale Publikationen, 1982. Pp.457. 6s. 496.

Zwischen Koalition und Konkurrenz. Österreichs Parteien seit 1945. Edited by Peter Gerlich and Wolfgang C. Müller. Vienna: Braumüller, 1983. Pp.xiv + 378. Ös. 248.

Continuity and Change in Austrian Socialism. The Eternal Quest for the Third Way. By Melanie Sully. New York: Columbia University Press, 1982. Pp.xiv + 288. $25.00.

Das politische System Österreichs. Edited by Heinz Fischer. 3rd edition, Vienna: Europaverlag, 1983. Pp.686. 6s. 248.

The Viennese Enlightment. Edited by Mark Francis. London: Croom Helm, 1985. Pp. 170. £15.95.

Unbehagen im Parteienstaat: Jugend und Politik in Österreich. By Fritz Plasser and Peter A. Ulram. Vienna: Böhlau. Pp.208.     

On Sugar,Capitalism, and Socialism

Elinor G. K. Melville: A Plague of Sheep: Environmental Consequences of the Conquest of Mexico . New York: Cambridge University Press, 1994

Douglas Murray: Cultivating Crisis: The Human Cost of Pesticides in Latin America ,Austin: University of Texas Press, 1994

Wes Jackson: Becoming Native to this Place . Lexington: University of Kentucky Press, 1994.

Jeremy Brecher and Tim Costello: Global Village or Global Pillage: Economic Reconstruction From Ground Up .Boston: South End Press, 1994.

Wolfgang Sachs, editor: Global Ecology: A New Arena of Political Conflict . London and New Jersey: Zed Books and Halifax, Nova Scotia: Fernwood Publishing, 1993.

John Walton: Western Times and Water Wars: State, Culture, and Rebellion in California . Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1992.

Brendan Prendiville: Environmental Politics in France . Boulder, Co.: Westview Press, 1994.     

Book Reviews

Books reviewed in this issue. The Doubting President
SELINA CHEN The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama. Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance, by Barack Obama. Old age and new economics
David Metz The Age of Aging: How Demographics are Changing the Global Economy and Our World, by George Magnus. Vindicating the state
Gianfranco Pasquino In Government We Trust: Market Failure and the Delusions of Privatisation, by Warvick Funnell, Robert Jupe and Jane Andrew. Italian communists and the USSR
Maud Anne Bracke Palmiro Togliatti: A Biography, by Aldo Agosti. Antisemitism in the hall of mirrors
Brian Klug Globalising Hatred: The New Antisemitism, by Denis MacShane. Taking on the sceptics
Rosemary Bechler Global Justice: A Cosmopolitan Approach, by Gillian Brock. Financial scandals: the lessons from France
Robert Boyce Shades of Indignation: Political Scandals in France, Past and Present, by Paul Jankowski: Berghahn. Fewer Willys but more consensus
Matthew Grant Seeking a Role: The United Kingdom, 1951–1970, by Brian Harrison. The crunching of classical economics
Paul Auerbach The Subprime Solution: How Today's Global Financial Crisis Happened and What to Do about It, by Robert J Shiller. Animal Spirits: How Human Psychology Drives the Economy, and Why It Matters for Global Capitalism, by George A. Akerlof and Robert J. Shiller.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this article: R. H. Leach. Interstate Relations in Australia Bruce Mansfield. Australian Democrat: The Career of Edward William O'Sullivan Morris Janowitz. The New Military: Changing Patterns of Organization Peter Heydon. Quiet Decision: A Study of George Foster Pearce Roger Grégoire. The French Civil Service Prevention of Cattle Diseases     

A world view of cultural diversity

Among his books are Affirmative Action Reconsidered; Civil Rights: Rhetoric and Reality; Classical Economics Reconsidered; Compassion versus Guilt; A Conflict of Visions; Economics and Politics of Race;and Education, Assumption versus History.     

Book Reviews

Dionne, E.J. Jr. They Only Look Dead: Why Progressives Will Dominate the Next Political Era Gitlin, Todd The Twilight of Common Dreams: Why America is Wracked by Culture Wars Hochschild, Jennifer L. Facing Up to the American Dream: Race, Class and the Soul of the Nation Kozol, Jonathan Amazing Grace: The Lives of Children and the Conscience of a Nation Foster, Christopher D. and Plowden, Francis J. The State Under Stress Barberis, Peter The Elite of the Elite: Permanent Secretaries in the British Higher Civil Service Porter, Norman Rethinking Unionism: An Alternative Vision for Northern Ireland English, Richard and Walker, Graham (eds) Unionism in Modern Ireland: New Perspectives on Politics and Culture Clarke, Peter Hope and Glory: Britain 1900–1990 Harrison, Brian The Transformation of British Politics 1860–1995 Radice, Giles (ed) What Needs to Change? New Visions for Britain King, Preston (ed) Socialism and the Common Good: New Fabian Essays Perryman, Mark (ed) The Blair Agenda Stone, Diane Capturing the Political Imagination: Think Tanks and the Policy Process Denham, Andrew Think Tanks of the New Right Klein, Rudolf, Day, Patricia and Redmayne, Sharon Managing Scarcity: Priority Setting and Rationing in the National Health Service Lawson, Richard Bills of Health Disney, Richard Can We Afford to Grow Older? Brown, Alice, McCrone, David and Paterson, Lindsay Politics and Society in Scotland The Constitution Unit Scotland’s Parliament: Fundamentals for a New Scotland Act The Constitution Unit Regional Government in England     

Book review

Civil liberties, repression and the law

Richard Polenberg: Fighting Faiths: The Abrams Case, the Supreme Court, and Free Speech (New York: Viking Penguin Inc., 1987.)

Richard O. Curry, ed., Freedom at Risk: Secrecy, Censorship and Repression in the 1980's. (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1988.)     

Book Reviews

Books reviewed in this article: Refining Regulatory Regimes: Utilities in Europe David Cohen and Adrienne Heritier (eds) Civil Service Reform in the United States: Personnel Policy and Politics at the Subnational Level J. Edward Kellough and Lloyd G. Nigro (eds) Measuring Corruption Charles Sampford, Arthur Shacklock, Carmel Connors and Fredrick Galtung (eds) Francis De Groot. Irish Fascist. Australian Legend Andrew Moore Recognising Aboriginal Title: The Mabo Case and Indigenous Resistance to English‐Settler Colonialism Peter Russell     

Book Reviews

Books reviewed: Graham K. Wilson, Only in America? The Politics of the United States in Comparative Perspective Bent Flyvbjerg, Rationality and Power: Democracy in Practice Bo Rothstein, Just Institutions Matter: The Moral and Political Logic of the Universal Welfare State Carles Boix, Political Parties, Growth, and Equality: Conservative and Social Democratic Economic Strategies in the World Economy Peter M. Lewis, Pear T. Robinson and Barnett R. Rubin, Stabilizing Nigeria: Sanctions, Incentives, and Support for Civil Society     

Eco‐citles and red green politics

Jay Gould: The Enemy Within: The High Cost of Living Near Nuclear Reactors. New York: Four Walls Eight Windows, 1996.

Don Fitz, ed.: Dioxin: The Orange Resource Book (A special issue of Synthesis/Regeneration), 1995.

David Abram: The Spell of the Sensuous. New York: Pantheon Books, 1996.

Sheldon Krimsky and Roger Wrubel: Agricultural Biotechnology and the Environment: Science, Policy and Social Issues. Urbana/Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1995.

Jeremy Rifkin: The End of Work: The Decline of the Global Labor Force and the Dawn of the Post‐Market Era. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1995.

Roy Morrison: Ecological Democracy. Boston: South End Press, 1995.

Andrew Rowell: Green Backlash: Global Subversion of the Environment Movement. New York, NY: Routledge, 1996.     

Book Reviews

Books review: Daniel Cohen, The Wealth of the World and the Poverty of Nations Peter J. Taylor, The Way the Modern World Works: World Hegemony to World Impasse Anton Zijderveld, The Waning of the Welfare State: The End of Comprehensive State Succor Bill Jordan, The New Politics of Welfare: Social Justice in a Global Context Leonard E. Burman, The Labyrinth of Capital Gains Tax Policy TheConstitution of Iran, Asghar Schirazi. James C. Scott, Seeing Like a State Wolfgang Reinicke, Global Public Policy: Governing without Government? Peter Trubowitz, Emily O. Goldman, and Edward Rhodes, eds. The Politics of Strategic Adjustment: Ideas, Institutions, and Interests Frederick W. Mayer, Interpreting NAFTA: The Science and Art of Political Analysis J. Nicholas Ziegler, Governing Ideas: Strategies for Innovation in France and Germany Pietro S. Nivola, Laws of the Landscape: How Policies Shape Cities in Europe and America     

Book Reviews

Books reviewed: John Gray, False Dawn: The Delusions of Global Capitalism Kanishka Jayasuriya, (ed.) Law, Capitalism, and Power in Asia: The Rule of Law and Legal Institutions Philippe C. Schmitter, How to Democratize the European Union ... and Why Bother?     

BOOK REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this article: Crosland Was Wrong The Future of Socialism, by Anthony Crosland, Introduction by Dick Leonard, Foreword by Gordon Brown, Afterword by Susan Crosland. Who represents what? Representative Democracy: Principles and Genealogy, by Nadia Urbinati. Morgan's Foot Michael Foot, by Kenneth O. Morgan. No consensus on consensus Welfare Policy under New Labour: Views from inside Westminster, by Hugh Bochel and Andrew Defty. Englishness revisited The English National Character: The History of an Idea from Edmund Burke to Tony Blair, by Peter Mandler. Does oil lead to war? Oil Wars, edited by Mary Kaldor, Terry Lynn Karl and Yahia Said. Global health inequalities Governing Global Health. Challenge, Response, Innovation, by Andrew F. Cooper, John J. Kirton and Ted Schrecker. Charity without rationality? After Identity, by Jonathan Rutherford.     

Reviews & notes

Pierre Rosanvallon L'âge de l'autogestion (Paris, 1976, Editions du Seuil).

Daniel Zwerdling, Democracy at Work: A Guide to Workplace Ownership, Participation and Self‐Management Experiments in the United States and Europe (Washington, D.C.: Daniel Zwerdling, 1978). Distributed by Association for Self‐Management, c/o 1414 Spring Road, NW, Washington, D.C. 20010 ($5.50 for individuals/$10.50 for institutions).

Benjamin I. Page, Choices and Echoes in Presidential Elections: Rational Man and Electoral Democracy. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1978. 336 pp. $17.50).

Richard Barnet and Ronald Muller, Global Reach (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1974)

Giovanni Arrighi, “International Corporations, Labor Aristocracies and Economic Development in Tropical Africa,” in Arrighi and Saul, Essays on the Political Economy of Africa (New York: Monthly Review, 1973).

Henry Landsberger, “The Labor Elite: Is it Revolutionary?,” in Lipset and Solari (eds.), Elites in Latin America (New York: Oxford University Press, 1967).

Jürgen Habermas, Communication and the Evolution of Society, trans. Thomas McCarthy (Boston: Beacon Press, 1979. Pp. xxiv, 239. $5.95 paper).

Marshall Sahlins, Culture and Practical Reason (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1976. Pp. xi, 252. $4.95 paper).

Leszek Kolakowski's long‐awaited survey of Marxism [Main Currents of Marxism: Its Rise, Growth and Dissolution, 3 volumes, translated from the Polish by P. S. Falla, Oxford University Press, 1978].     

Reviews

Books Reviewed: Betts, Katherine, The Great Divide: Immigration Politics in Australia Bennett, Tony, Emmison, Michael and Frow, John, Accounting for Tastes: Australian Everyday Cultures Elliot, Lorraine, The Global Politics of the Environment Gabbitas, O. and Eldridge, D., Directions for State Tax Reform     

Book reviews

Gray Brechin, Imperial San Francisco: Urban Power, Earthly Ruin. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999.

Michael Goldman, ed., Privatizing Nature: Political Struggles for the Global Commons. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1998.