A strategy for Marxist Bourgeois revolution: Lenin and the peasantry, 1907–1916

Between 1907–1916, Lenin developed a programme for the capitalist development of the Russian countryside which was intended 1) to prepare the material and social foundations for socialism, and 2) to provide an alternative to the tsarist regime's pro‐capitalist efforts. During this period, he hoped for a Marxist‐led bourgeois revolution. In his view, a petty bourgeois peasantry inspired by archaic fantasies of social justice and a realistic hatred of gentry privilege and liberal compromise, were crucial to any Marxist success.     

Suspect Height Estimation Using the Faro Focus3D Laser Scanner

At present, very little research has been devoted to investigating the ability of laser scanning technology to accurately measure height from surveillance video. The goal of this study was to test the accuracy of one particular laser scanner to estimate suspect height from video footage. The known heights of 10 individuals were measured using an anthropometer. The individuals were then recorded on video walking along a predetermined path in a simulated crime scene environment both with and without headwear. The difference between the known heights and the estimated heights obtained from the laser scanner software were compared using a one-way t-test. The height estimates obtained from the software were not significantly different from the known heights whether individuals were wearing headwear (p = 0.186) or not (p = 0.707). Thus, laser scanning is one technique that could potentially be used by investigators to determine suspect height from video footage.     

Saudi Arabia's Policy Toward non-OPEC Countries

The 2008 energy crisis raises questions with regard to Saudi Arabia's status in the global oil market in general and within the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in particular. Over time, several circumstances such as disagreement amongst OPEC members, the challenge of the alternative energy industry, and the growing influence of petro-traders have restricted Saudi Arabia's influence on the oil market in general and within OPEC in particular. This commentary adds another dimension to the analysis of Saudi Arabia's status in the oil market, by defining the relations between Saudi Arabia and two leading and important oil exporters unaffiliated to any petroleum organisations: Russia and Norway.     

Difficult Partnerships: The World Bank, States, and NGOs

Since the early 1990s, World Bank officials in many countries have pressed their government borrowers to include nongovernmental organizations as development partners. What impact has this new partnership norm had in the bank's borrower countries, and why? This article investigates these questions through longitudinal analysis of three cases: Guatemala, Ecuador, and the Gambia. In their first iteration in the 1990s, these bank-sponsored efforts generally failed to take root; yet by the 2000s, NGOs and state actors were engaged in multiple partnerships. This article suggests that over time, bank officials' repeated efforts to embed these new ideas fostered a social learning process that led NGOs to adopt more strategic partnership practices and government officials to see NGO partners as useful. Several factors may affect this learning process: levels of professionalism and the growth of professional networks, the presence of effective “bridge builders,” and the level of historical conflicts.