The “Orange revolution” and the “sacred” birth of a civic-republican Ukrainian nation

The article analyzes the “sacred” dimension of the Ukrainian “Orange revolution”, its festive or carnivalesque quality, and properties of a communal ritual. The author argues that Ukrainian citizens who protested against the stolen elections in Kyiv found themselves in the liminoid situation of temporary egalitarian utopianism. This situation resulted in the emergence of communitas, and engendered a powerful feeling of the birth of a civic-republican Ukrainian nation. The festive nature of the “Orange revolution”, sanctioned by the overwhelming confidence in fighting for the rightful democratic cause, reinforced the impression of renewing the society along Western liberal democratic patterns.     

Why revolution ain’t easy: violating norms,re‐socializing society

Society is not only structured by major hierarchical institutions, but also by the unwritten rules, called norms, that govern the practice of daily life within those institutions. Peoples’ unreflective observance of these norms helps to perpetuate inequality and domination in society. Norms are transmitted through a process of socialization, by which every member of society is subtly trained to appreciate and follow these norms. While disobeying norms, or deviance, is possible, it is also fraught with problems and challenges. Ultimately, many things prevent the creation of new, anarchistic norms. Still, even with formidable obstacles in their path, anarchists have attempted to re‐socialize themselves and others in order to adhere to more egalitarian, horizontal, and cooperative norms.     

Parliamentary Elections Egypt 2011： A Multi-Stakeholder Groups Assessment

This study aimed at conducting a multi-stakeholder assessment of the recent Egyptian parliamentary elections that took place after the Egyptian January 25, 2011 revolution. Using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, it outlines the directions of different stakeholder groups＇ perceptions toward the elections. The qualitative analysis, based on a review of the literature and an examination of published and online media, emphasized the divergent opinions of the groups studied. The quantitative analysis focused on the results of an online survey distributed to a sample of 299 resident Egyptians representing the different demographic features of the eligible voting community. A valid and reliable scale was used to assess the perception of respondents to six different aspects of elections governance. The empirical study pointed to an overall negative perception of elections. The direction of respondents＇ perception was negative toward elections administration, information access, manipulation, and fairness. On the other hand, the respondents＇ perception tended to be neutral toward freedom and reference the new parliament＇s empowerment and tendency to complete its term. The study concluded with a number of proposed strategies for improving efficiency and enhancing fairness and freedom. Soon Egypt shall witness a new parliamentary election by 2014, and there will be an opportunity to learn from past mistakes.     

建国后党在农村变革中的功能考察——以主导改革功能为视角

中国共产党执政后,以暴风骤雨式的革命力度改造了农村社会,使中国农村发生了前所未有的巨变.十一届三中全会后,中国共产党开始了顺应时势和农民意愿的改革.21世纪初,中国共产党开始了社会主义新农村建设,其主导改革的功能由于世情、国情变化而有了新的特点.     

西方马克思主义文化批判理论的意义与幻像

西方马克思主义关注资本主义的社会变革和发展,它们从总体性原则出发,阐释出文化革命、文化领导权和文化批判的具体策略,开辟出一条不同于传统马克思主义的社会批判路径,并由此对20世纪人类社会图景产生了重要影响,但文化批判理论的逻辑终局也使其理论思想逻辑的局限性显现出来。     

试论间谍文化革命的影响及背景

从古到今,各国之间的谍报战层出不穷。在上世纪末与本世纪初,国际谍报战出现了一种全新的趋向和革命性的变化,各谍报机关和组织之间正在进行中的＂间谍文化革命＂,一方面是间谍手法的高科技化使间谍活动的外表越来越趋于公开化,另一方面是对人权和隐私权的严重侵犯。     

Oil's Colonial Residues: Geopolitics,Identity, and Resistance in Venezuela

This article argues oil occupies a central role in the discursive universe of Venezuelan underdevelopment, producing anxieties of vulnerability and dependency. These anxieties are internalised and reproduced in what I describe as the coloniality of oil. Coloniality naturalises, hides, and rewrites maldevelopment – a process in which the developed world stymies growth elsewhere through the machinations of hard or soft power – as underdevelopment – a neutral category suggesting the developing world need only to catch up to the North Atlantic. Animated by the formation of new political subjectivities, the Bolivarian Revolution has attempted to break with this coloniality of oil.     

Letters of love and loss in a time of revolution

While significant attention has been paid to migrant letters, usually as part of a correspondence over time, the single letter has received little attention as it has been suggested that it cannot reveal a depth of psychological insight. However, at times of crisis such as the upheaval of revolution, a single letter may provide insight into the confluence of revolution and family life. Three letters written by different members of one family present firstly, the chaos of family where the whereabouts of family members remain unknown and use coded references to family and friends as the ending of the 1956 revolution created an exodus from Hungary. The letters, written by family remaining in Hungary to a refugee mother and her young daughter, address loneliness and loss across the generations and provide evidence of the irrevocable loss of family ties and friends at the time, as an amnesty for those who left only came into effect in 1963. The letters present linguistic issues in relation to translation, ethics and the position of researcher/recipient with reference to the analysis of the letters which presents personal knowledge of their writers in the form of biographical information.     

Bureaucratic Stagnation Versus the New Hope of the President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo

The process of bureaucratic services that is slow and complicated, is an administration malpractice even up to bureaucratic stagnation. An interesting phenomenon is done by the populist government leader Joko Widodo, the President of the Republic oflndonesia, when serving as the Governor of Jakarta to carry out supervision by way of ＂blusukan＂. This method attracted the attention of one of the richest men from the United States, the founder of ＂Facebook＂--Mark Zuckerberg. When he came to Indonesia to meet Joko Widodo in October 2014, he was invited by Joko Widodo to perform ＂blusukan＂ to Tanah Abang market. ＂Blusukan＂ is a surveillance method to the field on the right target and directly provide solutions to any problems that are found. The blusukan inspired him with the making of various policies such as health cards, smart cards, and others. The method of direct supervision on the fields is a quite powerful way to cut off the stagnation of bureaucracy. Joko Widodo who has started his steps as the President of the Republic of Indonesia, gives new hope to the people through the mental revolution and Trisakti doctrine policies in order to improve the welfare of the people toward the great Indonesia.     

对《恩格斯“同时胜利论”质疑》的质疑——就无产阶级革命同时发生设想与郑异凡先生商榷

无产阶级革命同时发生设想是马克思和恩格斯关于无产阶级革命理论的重要思想。郑异凡先生认为这一思想的发明者不是马克思和恩格斯,并且,郑异凡先生认为1850年后马克思和恩格斯没有重提这一设想。郑异凡先生的这些观点值得商榷。虽然马克思和恩格斯在1850年后没有明确使用“同时发生”这个词语,但是这一设想他们却多次表述。可以说,无产阶级革命同时发生的设想是贯穿马克思和恩格斯一生的思想。