PROKLA - Zeitschrift für kritische Sozialwissenschaft
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Poland’s Illiberal Revolution.
No full textThe recent populist wave that swept Eastern Europe put an end to the illusionary victory of liberal democracy across the region. This applies especially to Poland, the country with the most impressive civil society movement, Solidarnosz, and the frontrunner of radical market reforms. Despite the best economic performance of all post-communist countries, the populist party Law and Justice (PiS) came to power for a second time in 2015, only to impose its reactionary national-catholic model on the media, the law system, and the public sector. The success of PiS cannot be explained by the immanent strength of its populist rhetoric but points to the wilful neglect of its liberal predecessors of regional heterogeneity, precarious working conditions, and sharpened inequalities. While the electorate supports the valid points of PiS’s socio-economic programme, it is not inclined to follow its internally divisive and externally confrontational anti-EU ideology.The recent populist wave that swept Eastern Europe put an end to the illusionary victory of liberal democracy across the region. This applies especially to Poland, the country with the most impressive civil society movement, Solidarnosz, and the frontrunner of radical market reforms. Despite the best economic performance of all post-communist countries, the populist party Law and Justice (PiS) came to power for a second time in 2015, only to impose its reactionary national-catholic model on the media, the law system, and the public sector. The success of PiS cannot be explained by the immanent strength of its populist rhetoric but points to the wilful neglect of its liberal predecessors of regional heterogeneity, precarious working conditions, and sharpened inequalities. While the electorate supports the valid points of PiS’s socio-economic programme, it is not inclined to follow its internally divisive and externally confrontational anti-EU ideology
From money and beyond: An obituary for Heiner Ganßmann (1944-2018)
No full textVom Gelde und darüber hinaus. Ein Nachruf auf Heiner Ganßmann (1944–2018)From money and beyond. An obituary for Heiner Ganßmann (1944-2018
Soziale Gerechtigkeit in Zeiten der Globalisierung und Individualisierung: Zum Wandel parteipolitischer Konzepte
Get PDFThe fundamental concepts of DGB, SPD and CDU and their current debate of new programs are examined for the change in the concepts of social justice. Both large parties now define social justice in terms of subordination under the economic constraint of the labour market. The long overdue solutions for the change of the system of social security regarding equality of generations and gender and thus the draft of a modern conception of social justice is still pending
The Crisis of Turkish Economy and Limits of Dependent Financialization
No full text2018 war geprägt von wachsenden wirtschaftlichen Problemen für die Türkei. Die Wirtschaft wurde von einer Währungskrise getroffen, als sich die politischen Spannungen zwischen der Türkei und den USA im August verschärften. In der Debatte werden für die aktuelle Krise in der Türkei drei Hauptgründe genannt. Die erste geht davon aus, dass die beiden Hauptgründe für die aktuelle Krise die "falsche Politik" der AKP und der Regimewechsel zum exekutiven Präsidialsystem sind. Die zweite Erklärung ist eine ökonomische. Schließlich konzentriert sich die letzte Erklärung auf die internationalen Beziehungen und die geopolitische Dynamik. Der Artikel argumentiert, dass keine der genannten Erklärungen ausreicht, um eine umfassende Analyse der aktuellen Krise zu liefern. Stattdessen müsse sie als Krise des Akkumulationsregimes interpretiert werden, d.h. eine Krise der abhängigen Finanzialisierung.2018 was marked by growing economic problems for Turkey. The economy was hit by a currency crisis when the political tension between Turkey and the USA escalated in August. There are three main explanations in the popular debate for the reasons of the current crisis in Turkey. The first argues that the two main reasons for the current crisis are the ‘wrong policies’ of the AKP, and the regime change to the executive presidential system. The second explanation is an economical one. Finally, last explanation focuses on international relations and geopolitical dynamics. In this paper, I argue that none of the aforementioned explanations are sufficient to provide a comprehensive analysis for the current crisis. Instead, I suggest that Turkey is experiencing a crisis of regime of accumulation, that is the crisis of dependent financialization
Trevor Evans: The economic expansion in the US since 2009 and Donald Trump’s ambitions to ‘drain the swamp
No full textThe current economic situation in the United States can be seen as the result of three factors. The first is the long-term shift to a neo-liberal order. The second factor is the US business cycle. Periods of economic expansion in the 1980s, the 1990s and the early 2000s were each brought to an end by increasingly severe crises, the most recent of which in 2007-2009 came perilously close to causing a collapse of the US financial system. The most recent expansion, which began in mid-2009, has been unusually weak, and is already relatively long by comparison with other recent expansions.The third factor is the presidency of Donald Trump which began in January 2017. Despite a populist rhetoric and the dependence of his electoral victory on mobilising white working-class support, in government he has pursued an unashamed series of measures which primarily benefit the very richest sectors of US society.The current economic situation in the United States can be seen as the result of three factors. The first is the long-term shift to a neo-liberal order. The second factor is the US business cycle. Periods of economic expansion in the 1980s, the 1990s and the early 2000s were each brought to an end by increasingly severe crises, the most recent of which in 2007-2009 came perilously close to causing a collapse of the US financial system. The most recent expansion, which began in mid-2009, has been unusually weak, and is already relatively long by comparison with other recent expansions.The third factor is the presidency of Donald Trump which began in January 2017. Despite a populist rhetoric and the dependence of his electoral victory on mobilising white working-class support, in government he has pursued an unashamed series of measures which primarily benefit the very richest sectors of US society
Zeiterfahrung und Gesellschaftsform
Get PDFDie Zeit vergeht im Fluge, und trotzdem gibt es Menschen, die genug Zeit haben, um sie totzuschlagen. Wir gehen mit der Zeit, aber die Zeit läuft uns davon. Je mehr Zeit wir sparen, desto weniger Zeit haben wir; die Zeit zerrinnt uns zwischen den Fingern. Wir jagen den verlorenen Stunden, Minuten oder Sekunden hinterher, wir sind mehr denn je auf der Suche nach der verlorenen Zeit. Wir gewinnen Zeit, indem wir an einem Vormittag von Paris nach Rio de Janeiro fliegen. Wir verlieren kostbare Zeit, weil es einen Nachmittag dauert, bis wir vom Flughafen bis in die Innenstadt gelangen. Oder stellen wir uns eine Bitte um Zeit vor: Könnten Sie mir etwas Zeit widmen? Ich habe keine Zeit zu vertrödeln, deshalb kann ich Ihnen heute keine Zeit zur Verfügung stellen. Wenn Ihr Anliegen wichtig ist, dann werde ich mir morgen dafür Zeit nehmen. Aber meine Zeit ist knapp bemessen, ich darf sie nicht vergeuden. Zeit ist Geld
The end of the car as we knew it? Automobile subjectivities in change.
No full textDie Automobilität ist im Wandel begriffen. Wie verändert sich ihre kulturelle Bedeutung vor dem Hintergrund der zunehmenden Digitalisierung und der absehbaren Elektrifizierung des Autoverkehrs? Einerseits deuten intermodale Mobilitätspraktiken auf einen gewissen Bedeutungsverlust des Autos hin, andererseits ist der SUV-Boom Ausdruck einer wachsenden sozialen Polarisierung und Aufwertung des Autos. Der Artikel kommt zu dem Schluss, dass es derzeit nur wenige Anzeichen für eine Erosion der Automobilität gibt, aber klare Signale für eine Erneuerung unter den Bedingungen des flexiblen und digitalen Kapitalismus.Changing automobile subjectivities - are we on the brink of the end of the car as we knew it? Automobility is in a state of flux. How is its cultural meaning changing against the background of increasing digitalization and the foreseeable electrification of car traffic? On the one hand, intermodal mobility practices indicate a certain loss of significance of the car, while, on the other hand, the SUV-boom is an expression of a growing social polarization and revaluation of the car. The article concludes that there are currently only view signs of erosion but clear signals for a renewal of automobility under the conditions of flexible capitalism
Housing in Austria: From social infrastructure to commodity and financial asset.
No full textAusgehend von der Charakterisierung der Ökonomie Österreichs als exportorientiertem finanzdominiertem Akkumulationsregime, in dem finanzielle Verwertungsstrategien und die Erzielung von Rentenerträgen zunehmend wichtiger geworden sind, analysieren wir die österreichische Wohnungspolitik. Wir stellen die wesentlichen wohnungspolitischen Instrumente auf der nationalen Ebene vor und zeigen wie sich diese im Laufe der Zeit verändert haben. Wir argumentieren, dass die subnationalen Maßstabsebenen wichtig für die Beurteilung von Wohnungsmärkten sind. Dies wird an den Beispielen Salzburg und Linz verdeutlicht. In beiden Städten untersuchen wir, wie die Wohnregime zunehmend finanzielle Verwertungsinteressen begünstigen und Wohnen zunehmend stärker als Ware verwerten. Damit tritt die staatliche Bereitstellung einer gesellschaftlichen Infrastruktur für unterschiedliche Bevölkerungsschichten zunehmend in den Hintergrund. Wir zeigen Tendenzen einer zunehmenden Individualisierung der Wohnungspolitik.Housing in Austria: from social infrastructure to commodity and financial asset. Starting from the characterisation of the Austrian economy as an export-oriented finance-dominated accumulation regime, in which financial exploitation strategies and the generation of pension income have become increasingly important, we analyse housing policy. We present the main housing policy instruments at the national level and show how they have changed. Similarly, we use the two cities of Salzburg and Linz to investigate how housing regimes are increasingly favouring financial exploitation interests and increasingly exploiting housing as a commodity. This means that the provision of a good social infrastructure by the state is increasingly receding into the background. We show that Vienna, with its welfare state heritage, is not representative of Austria. The subnational scale level is important for the assessment of housing markets. We show tendencies towards increasing individualisation in housing policy
Beyond austerity? What lessons can we learn from the left-wing governments in Greece and Portugal?
No full textDie linken Regierungen in Griechenland (SYRIZA) und Portugal (Partido Socialista) machten Hoffnung auf eine neue progressive Politik in Europa. Gut drei Jahre nach ihren Wahlsiegen fällt ein vorläufiges Fazit ernüchternd aus. Der Versuch, eine fortschrittliche Politik der Umverteilung und Verbesserung der sozialen Lage vieler Bürger_innen in diesen Ländern mit der Troika-Politik in Einklang zu bringen, kann als gescheitert angesehen werden. Das gilt auch für Portugal, obwohl die Entwicklungen dort positiver als in Griechenland erscheinen. Der Frage, warum zwei linke Parteien in der südeuropäischen Peripherie solch unterschiedliche Erfahrungen gemacht haben, wird im vorliegenden Beitrag nachgegangen.The two left-wing governments of Greece and Portugal have become the new hope for a new progressive policy in Europe. A good three years after their election victories, the result is sobering. The attempt to reconcile a progressive policy of redistribution and improvement of the social situation of many hundreds of thousands of citizens in these countries in compliance with the parameters of the troika policy and the stability criteria can be regarded as a failure. This is also the case for Portugal, although at first glance the developments there appear more positive than in Greece
Beyond Dematerialization: Resource consumption by Industry 4.0
No full textResource demands of Industry 4.0. In contrast to promises of dematerialization and resource efficiency, digitalized production – also known as Industry 4.0 – and the technologies required for this digitalization will create specific raw material demands. The article introduces the dominant discourses of Industry 4.0 and points out the interlinkages between new technologies, increasing raw materials demands and the social and ecological consequences of mining, particularly in the Gloal South. Furthermore, it demands a democratic and globally just resource politics.Resource demands of Industry 4.0. In contrast to promises of dematerialization and resource efficiency, digitalized production – also known as Industry 4.0 – and the technologies required for this digitalization will create specific raw material demands. The article introduces the dominant discourses of Industry 4.0 and points out the interlinkages between new technologies, increasing raw materials demands and the social and ecological consequences of mining, particularly in the Gloal South. Furthermore, it demands a democratic and globally just resource politics