books
Where Now For European Political Parties?
Political parties perform important roles in European societies. Parties are institutions in which citizens with similar political views organise, develop political programmes and actively participate in the political process. They are vital for democracy because parties offer the most clear-cut political choices that are put to the electorate. Parties are also recruitment organisations, through which parliamentarians and members of government are sourced. Even though the latter functions are important, the general effectiveness of parties is closely linked to the first characteristic: their societal embeddedness – the main channel between a party and citizens. And in this respect, political parties have been declining dramatically.
The demise of political parties is not a new phenomenon. Since at least the 1980s, parties in all established European democracies have suffered massive membership losses to the point where they only retain a very limited capacity to engage citizens. The societal anchor of political parties is seriously threatened. Vernon Bogdanor wrote in 2006 that ‘the story of the rise and fall of the mass political party is one of the great unwritten books of our time’. So why do I pick this rather old problem up again in 2009? Not because I want to write the obituary of the mass political party but because we can now see where the development of political parties might lead us. This potential new future became apparent during the US Presidential campaign.
Additionally to his remarkable personal qualities, Barack Obama – during the Democratic primaries, the Presidential campaign and now even as sitting President – has been extremely successful in using new communication technologies to connect directly with citizens. Through the use of social networking tools, online video messaging and almost real time updates on what was happening on the campaign trail – and by making many of these tools available to his supporters too – he was able to create a community that was not only prepared to vote for him but willing to organise and campaign on the local level. He was able to create a political movement he can now build upon. Read the rest of this entry »
Radical Feminism, Between Culture or Jugdement
Source of injustice against women by this flow is the ideology of sexism and patriarchy. In international publications in the perspective of radical feminism analysis illustrated that women were oppressed by the social system of patriarchy, racism, physical exploitation, hetero sexism, and a significant classiness occur, efforts should be done is to change the patriarchal structure of society.
Jagger and Rothenberg, confirmed that among the objects of oppression in the most severe experienced women by men’s reason;
1. historically, woman is oppressed group
2. oppression is done everywhere in society;
3. oppression most difficult, women can not be eliminated because the model of social change and the elimination of class;
4. women oppression caused the most severe suffering for the victims despite the suffering that took place without being noticed;
5. women oppression gives a conceptual model for understanding all other forms of oppression.
According to flow more extreme radical feminism environment is the demand equation will not only get the rights, but also sex, such decisions can be made among female sex. seminars or even in improvement books in institutions in view of heterosexual marriage and as a form of oppression and enslavement of women. Men are the problem for women because she has been exploiting the female reproductive function. This international publications flow of criticism from various parties, not only from the flow of socialist and clerical, but also from the feminists themselves. Ideological struggle to overcome the competition by taking the men without burden to the reproductive organs, in general will be difficult to offset by women who are biologically different.
Acres of Diamonds: Great Success in Reaching Page of Our Own
By: Russell Conwell
Russell Conwell (1843 – 1925) wrote more than thirty books that inspires, but he always remembered for his lecture “Acres of Diamonds” which he brought at least six thousand times around the world. With the belief that the opportunity to acquire wealth is within the reach of almost everyone, Conwell explained that we should look around us, in our “page”.
