Beyond Occidentalism: Towards Post-Imperial Geohistorical Categories

Also CSST Working Paper #72.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/51234/1/468.pd

Estado y nación durante el golpe contra Hugo Chávez

This essay has two objetives. In the first place, it is a discussion of the development of the coup d’etat against Hugo Chávez during April 11th at 14th of 2002, focusing on the competing views of the opposition and supporters of the government in relation to three processes: the march against the violation of “meritocracia” in the oil industry (corporate criteria for selecting the managers of the state’s oil company), the massacre that took place on April 11th, and the act of proclamation of Pedro Carmona as president on April 12th. The essay examines in particular the choreography of these events and the changing conceptions of the nation and the state involved in these processes. Secondly, on the basis of this examination, the essay concludes with some theoretical observations concerning the state, its constitution, and the manner in which it exerts its hegemony.Este ensayo tiene dos objetivos. En primer lugar, es una discusión sobre el golpe de Estado contra Hugo Chávez que se desarrolló entre el 11 y el 14 de abril de 2002. Se enfoca en las contrapuestas visiones de la oposición y de los partidarios del gobierno en relación con tres procesos: la marcha en protesta contra la violación de la meritocracia petrolera, la masacre del 11 de abril y el acto de proclamación de Pedro Carmona como presidente el 12 de abril. Examina en particular la coreografia de estos eventos y la transformación de las concepciones de la nación y el Estado involucradas en estos procesos. En segundo lugar, sobre la base de esta examinación, el ensayo concluye con algunas observaciones teóricas sobre el Estado, su constitución y la forma como ejerce su hegemonía

Capitalism, Democracy, and the Degrowth Horizon

This papers seeks to contribute to a dialogue between the degrowth perspective and Marxist approaches on the sources and possible solutions to the ongoing ecological crisis of capitalism. While I agree with the general critique that the degrowth movement has raised not only against the consequences of growth but also against the idea of growth itself, I argue that the root causes of the destructive character of capitalism are not to be found in growth, but in capitalist accumulation. I present my reading of three of Marx’s most important contributions to our understanding of capitalism and argue for an understanding that puts the emphasis on the separation of the labourers from the means of production, alienated labour, the imperative and the dynamic of competition, and the limited nature of liberal democracy. I argue that growth could be greened in a post-capitalist society if the institutions and dynamics that drive capitalist accumulation were abolished and full democracy was established. The paper ends with a description of how the Zapatista movement in Chiapas and the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST) in Brazil managed to unevenly and contradictorily challenge and subvert some of the social institutions and dynamics that sustain capitalist accumulation

Magical History: What's Left of Chavez?

Latin American Studie

¿Globalización liberal o imperialismo global?. Cinco piezas para armar el rompecabezas del presente (Tema Central)

En este artículo el autor explora los cambios ocurridos en la configuración mundial del poder después del 11 de septiembre el 2001. A manera de comparación, describe las manifestaciones del imperialismo en el pasado como formas de terrorismo practicado desde la metrópoli y en la actualidad como formas de terrorismo privado o contra Estados Unidos. El autor rastrea el uso, la utilidad y el ocaso del concepto de ""imperialismo"" y sugiere utilizar el concepto de ""poder de la colonialidad"" para comprender las modalidades coloniales, nacionales y globales del imperialismo. Finalmente y en diálogo con el subcomandante Marcos, el autor identifica y describe las cinco piezas del rompecabezas del imperialismo global actual.The author explores how the events of September 11, 2001 have changed the global configuration of power. As a way of comparison, the author describes past manifestations of imperialisms terrorist forms practiced from the Metropoli versus new manifestations that rather take the form of private terrorism or terrorism against the USA. The author tracks the usage, utility and decline of the concept of "imperialism" and suggests the utility of the concept of the 'power of coloniality', for understanding he colonial, national, and global modalities of imperialism. Finally and in dialogue with Subcomandante Marcos, the author identifies and describes the five pieces of the puzzle of current global imperialism