Karl Marx and the economics of communism: anniversary recollections

This paper grew out of the author's Karl Marx studies and his practical knowledge of Soviet-type communist economies. It covers a broad spectrum of ideas and practices prevalent in those economies, which— rightly or wrongly—have become associated with Marx's teaching and predictions. Chapter I tries to explain the reasons for Marx's continuous popularity. Chapter II critically examines the validity of the claim about Marxian socialism being “scientific” as opposed to “utopian”. The article, especially in chapter III elaborates on a number of other Marxian ideas, like that of the so-called “anarchy of the market”, which for many decades exerted a negative influence on his followers—theoreticians and practitioners engaged in building what they believed to be a communist economy and society. One of the quintessential features of Marx's teaching, which he took over from Smith and Ricardo, was the labor theory of value and the “law of value” in particular. The latter, interpreted by Stalin as “the law of value under socialism”, was used by him for ideological and propaganda purposes, but after his death has in turn been utilized by Marxists, non-Marxists and anti-Marxists to discredit the Stalinist economic system, and to advance propositions ranking from profound, relevant and commendable to vague and frivolous. Tracing in Chapter IV the peripetia of this “law” provides a deeper insight into both the essential weaknesses of the Marxian theory and the acute dilemmas of the Soviet-type economies.     

新建企业工会的组建与集体合同制度

党的十五大以来 ,新建企业得到了前所未有的发展。如何把新建企业职工最大限度地组织到工会中来 ,已成为工会组织的一项重要而迫切的任务。目前 ,面对大量的以农民工为主体的弱势群体 ,为了切实维护好职工的合法权益 ,必须大力推行平等协商、集体合同制度。为此 ,应该加快维护集体合同的立法 ;正确认识集体协商谈判的目的与手段 ;加强工会自身的改革和建设 ,提高工会干部的素质。     

The target strikes back: explaining countersanctions and Russia’s strategy of differentiated retaliation

This article analyzes Russia’s retaliatory food embargo, explaining why the Russian government banned some imports from the West but refrained from banning a range of equally plausible others. I argue that Moscow was following a strategy of differentiated retaliation when selecting which imports to embargo. The countersanctions were not designed to mete out equal punishment on all members of the sanctioning coalition. Rather, Russia purposefully crafted the policy to inflict greater economic damage on some states than others. Utilizing an original data-set on all agricultural and food products that Russia imports, I demonstrate that, ceteris paribus, imports of sizeable commercial value to countries the Kremlin has long viewed as the mainstays of anti-Russian policies were far more likely to have been banned. In contrast, the evidence shows that Moscow stayed its hand in dealing with Europe’s major powers. This analysis both illuminates the policy objectives being pursued by a leading actor in world politics, as well as lays the groundwork for theoretically understanding the geostrategic, political, and economic drivers of countersanctions.     

The Zuma moment: between tender-based capitalists and radical economic transformation

ABSTRACT

The Jacob Zuma Presidency (2009–2017) was dogged by persistent allegations of corruption and the looting of State Owned Enterprises (SOE’s) by those allied to him. It led to allegations of state capture that placed the Gupta family at the centre of this project. These allegations have been highly contested, with Zuma supporters arguing that he has come under attack because of his support for the BRICS alliance (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), which they hold challenges Western imperial interests. Alongside this are those aligned to the Gupta family, arguing that the real culprits of state capture, both historically and in contemporary South Africa, is White Monopoly Capital (WMC), through its ability to determine macro-economic policy. At the heart of this contest is what has come to be known as tender-based capitalists who sought to use access to SOE’s for the accumulation of capital. This process has been defended on the basis that it has the potential to lead a radical economic transformation (RET) that that can challenge the power of WMC. Others have held that this argument is a mere fig leaf for the looting of state coffers, eroding its capacity for deeper developmental initiatives and fostering a parasitic class. This article that focusses on this debate that entered the heart of the African National Congress (ANC) and threatened to tear it apart takes the form of a conjunctural analysis; conjuncture defined as an amalgam ‘of circumstances, a convergence of events, an intersection of contingencies and necessities, a complex, overdetermined state of affairs-usually producing a crisis, leading to breaking point, driving to historic crossroads’ (Mowitt 2015 Mowitt, John. 2015. “In The Conjuncture.” In Cultural Critique. Vol. 89, 125–127. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. [Google Scholar], 125).     

浅析《德国民法典》的民法原则

文章以自由资本主义向垄断资本主义转型为背景 ,通过 180 4年《法国民法典》与 190 0年《德国民法典》的比较 ,揭示了190 0年《德国民法典》在物权、债权、侵权行为的归责原则等领域确立的崭新的民法原则 ,并阐述了《德国民法典》创立的一般条款体系。试图通过这些 ,从一个角度说明 190 0年《德国民法典》在民法发展史上的地位和重要性。     

浅析居民收入差距对我国经济发展的影响

随着经济的高速发展,我国居民收入水平普遍提高,但收入分配不均的程度也在日益加剧。我国城乡之间、行业之间、区域之间、城镇（或农村）内部的收入差距都不断扩大。收入差距扩大必将阻碍经济发展,必须采取有力措施,缩小收入差距,促进经济持续稳定发展。     

物业服务合同法律性质辨析

物业服务合同是典型的民事合同,是一种新类型的服务合同,是合同法上的无名合同和要式合同。正确分析物业服务合同的性质,理清物业管理中的法律关系,对引导物业管理活动中当事人的行为有着重要意义。     

构建经济法视野中的合同制度

从罗马市民社会到现代经济领域,经济发展的事实充分证明,人类经济活动大都与合同紧密相联,而且随社会的进步合同关系日愈复杂。我国现行合同法虽然较好地规范了商品流通中的合同关系,但受传统和时代的局限,许多新的合同关系在合同制度的视野中找不到完整答案。为进一步规范合同法体系,解决实践中存在的问题,本文分析了中外合同制度的时代特色和存在的问题,主张经济法视野中构建市场经济环境下的新型合同制度,并提出几点设想,以期完善我国的合同制度。     

从生态文明建设视域谈贵州经济社会发展

生态文明建设是落实科学发展观,实现贵州经济社会发展的正确选择,是贵州探索人与自然和谐发展的必然结论。因此,应该树立生态价值教育观,转变贵州经济发展方式,抓好节能减排工作,建立完善的政策和法律体系。     

贫困地区发展职业教育的几点思考

职业教育已成为我国教育体系的重要组成部分,是国民经济和社会发展的重要基础,是经济社会发展尤其是地方经济社会发展的主要力量。贫困地区如何发展职业教育,为经济发展服务,是值得认真思考的问题。