6 May 2006

Babylon and beyond

Babylon is my big book on alternative economics, why capitalism is a disease, how different doctors understand it and the way forward to a cure...click on the link if you want to buy but the spirit of the book is open source so order it from you library...its a project about economic subversion not about me selling books for the health of my smile bank account. I guess encouraging you to steal it would be unethical but the point is to get the information out. If you buy it here the cash goes to the wonderful Red Pepper magazine which you should support. The Nandor foreward which really gets to the root of the problem is entirely open source...do me a favour find it copy it and send it to all your friends (well, enemies..any one)Nandor preface


"A thoughtful and inspiring guide to capitalism and anti-capitalism. This really is the first book that carefully explains the different varieties of anti-capitalist thought ... I thoroughly recommend that you read Babylon and Beyond."

Caroline Lucas, MEP

"There are far too many books on anti-capitalism out there already -- but with Babylon and Beyond, Derek Wall has removed the need to read most of them. Just read this one: a succinct, intelligent and witty summary of what it's all about."

Paul Kingsnorth, author of One No, Many Yeses: A Journey to the Heart of the Global Resistance Movement

"A synthesis of Red and Green is the future of progressive politics. Wall illuminates the interface of ecological and socialist ideas; divining common threads and offering the hope of a democratic, just and sustainable future for humankind."

Peter Tatchell, human rights campaigner

Babylon and Beyond provides the first clear and accessible guide to the economics of anti-capitalism. Anti-capitalism is a diverse movement: critics accuse it of knowing what it is against, but not knowing what it is for. Anti-capitalists want radical change, but what shape should that change take?

The truth is that different sections of the movement advocate distinct -- sometimes complementary, sometimes contradictory -- programmes for change. This book concentrates on perhaps the most divisive issue of all in the anti-capitalist struggle: how to transform the economy.

There are greens who think we must hold back economic growth and Marxists who believe the economy must move forward along capitalist lines before there can be revolutionary change; there are those who remain faithful to notions of collective or state ownership of all aspects of the economy, and those who think various kinds of reform or regulation of capitalist practice is more appropriate.



Babylon and Beyond is a modern guidebook to the complicated terrain of alternatives to global capitalism. Derek Wall explains and summarises the rich variety of theories available within the anti-capitalist movement. Chapters cover Marxism, Autonomism, Anarchism, Ecosocialism, Capitalist reformers (like George Soros and Joseph Stiglitz), Green localists (like Colin Hines), and others. Unique in its coverage, clear and accessible, the book is ideal for activists, and anyone who is trying to find a useful way forward.

This book is published in association with the Green Economics Institute.

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Derek Wall is the author of five books including Earth First and the Anti-Roads Movement (Routledge, 1999) and, with Penny Kemp, A Green Manifesto for the 1990s (Penguin, 1990). He teaches Political Economy at Goldsmiths College, University of London.

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Foreword: Nandor Tanczos

1 Warm Conspiracies and Cold Concepts

2 Vaccinating against Anti-Capitalism: Stiglitz, Soros and Friends

3 White Collar Global Crime Syndicate: Korten, Klein and other Anti-Corporates

4 Small is Beautiful: Green Localism

5 Planet Earth Money Martyred: Social Credit and Monetary Reform

6 Imperialism Unlimited: Marxisms

7 The Tribe of Moles: Autonomism, Anarchism and Empire

8 Marx on the Seashore: Ecosocialist Alternatives

9 Life After Capitalism: Alternatives, Structures, Strategies

References

Index

2 comments:

Snowball said...

Sounds interesting. One query - why is 'Imperialisms unlimited' the title of your chapter on 'Marxisms' - when Marxists like Lenin were key theoreticians of 'Imperialism' and historically some of Imperialism's most effective enemies?

Derek Wall said...

well its a chapter on Marxist anti-capitalism, I am not saying Lenin liked imperialism...

yours for ecosocialismo,

Derek

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