Chinatown as home base

Abstract

During the recent U.S.-China friendship celebrations in San Francisco there was a struggle between the pro-China groups in Chinatown and the Chinese Six Companies over the use of Portsmouth Square, a key locale in Longtime Californ’. The old establishment of Chinatown succeeded in preventing a celebration in the historic park on the twenty-fourth anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, and on the eve of October First the Square was encircled with strings of Kuomintang flags while on the same day a pro-China rally was held at St. Mary's Square several blocks away. Despite the recent developments in U.S.-China relations, the friction of past years between two political Chinatown factions continues as before.     

The consequences of the US DOJ’s antitrust activities: A macroeconomic perspective

Do the antitrust law enforcement activities of the US Department of Justice act as exogenous “technology shocks” or as “markup shocks” limiting market power and promoting economic growth? We analyze annual time series data from 1947 to 2003 on three measures of federal antitrust intervention: the ratio of the Antitrust Division’s budgetary expenditures to GDP as well as the numbers of civil and criminal antitrust cases instituted. We find that changes in the levels of these policy variables act like negative technology shocks and that the negative effects are transitory; antitrust policy generates no subsequent offsetting increases in productivity.     

‘Debating the Morality and Legality of Medically Assisted Dying’. Critical Notice of Emily Jackson and John Keown, Debating Euthanasia. Oxford: Hart Publishing, 2012

In this Critical Notice of Emily Jackson and John Keown’s Debating Euthanasia, the respective lines of argument put forward by each contributor are set out and the key debating points identified. Particular consideration is given to the points each contributor makes concerning the sanctity of human life and whether slippery slopes leading from voluntary medically assisted dying to non-voluntary euthanasia would be established if voluntary medically assisted dying were to be legalised. Finally, consideration is given to the positions adopted by the contributors in relation to the legalisation of voluntary medically assisted dying.     

Adorno and Marcuse at the Barricades?: Critical Theory,Scholar-Activism,and the Neoliberal University

When Marx proclaimed the importance of not just interpreting the world but actually changing it, he initiated an important imperative that has existed within all forms of critical theory up to today. Drawing upon the work of Theodor Adorno and Herbert Marcuse, we use their unique way of looking at the theory/praxis couplet as an avenue to rethink the role of critical theory as a form of “scholar-activism.” Theory, to paraphrase Adorno, lives on because the moment to realize it was missed; and it is because of this lack of immediate utility that theory occupies a space of resistance. Nonetheless, as Marcuse avered, theory itself may retreat into the privileged space of scholastic philosophy if it does not constantly engage activist movements that challenge the historical and social conditions of human oppression. In the first part of the essay, we will look at Adorno and Marcuse’s critical theories as well as their own political engagements to clarify the concept of critical theory as scholar-activism. In the second part of the essay, we will demonstrate the importance of this particular kind of scholar-activism in the context of (and against the logic of) the neoliberal university.     

Seeking ontological security through the rise of China: New Zealand as a small trading nation

Maintaining global peace as China rises is a key strategic goal of Western liberal democracies. Compared to other western liberal democracies, New Zealand's response to the ‘rise of China’ is notable for its absence of security and political frictions and for the achievement of a series of diplomatic ‘firsts’. Can this be explained only by material concern over the national economic interest as China's role in the global economy increases or do ideational factors also underlay how New Zealand engages China? This paper employs the ontological security framework to demonstrate how New Zealand identity as a ‘small trading nation’ and ‘good international citizen’ has shaped its turn to Asia and response to the ‘rise of China'. It first analyses the origins of New Zealand's outward facing identity and resultant foreign policy positions long before China became an important aspect of New Zealand trade policy. It then shows how New Zealand seeks ontological security as a ‘small trading nation’ and ‘good international citizen’ in its relations with China and how China has responded to this type of engagement. The paper illustrates the importance of ideational factors in Western liberal democracies’ responses to the ‘rise of China’.     

Commercialism in nonprofit social service associations: Its character,significance, and rationale

This article examines the commercial practices and sales income of national nonprofit social services associations in the United States. The associations span the fields of youth services, health charities, community and recreation services, and advocacy programs for older Americans and children. The commercial ventures of these associations reflect an important trend in the non-profit social services sector, which has implications for taxation, financing,and regulatory policies. The conceptual framework that defines nonprofit organizations as multiproduct economic organizations helps illuminate the relationship of commercial sales to the pursuit of the mission. In general, the commercial initiatives of the associations examined are not solely revenue-producing ventures in that they make direct contributions to the mission as well; indeed, pains are taken by association leaders to avoid activities that would damage their associations’ abilities to pursue their missions. Statistical analysis of the sales revenues of local affiliates of one association—the Jewish Community Centers Association—demonstrates that losses of external income from grants and contributions stimulate sales income whereas increases in memberships expand the markets within which these organizations can generate revenue from user fees.