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The old Hobbesian presumption that war, violence and fear are intrinsically part of
Greed and Democracy
When making sense of the weird things happening in the northern hemisphere one trend should not escape our notice: a deepening crisis caused by bankers’ greed is beginning to rip the guts out of democracy. Here’s what the textbooks say: in the countries of continental Europe, Britain and the United States, democracy is a special [...]
Bin Laden, Assassination and Democracy
Osama bin Laden is dead – assassinated a fortnight ago by bullets sprayed from the guns of special armed forces of the United States. During the wild celebrations that followed, the word “assassination” was never once used by politicians. There were instead euphemisms galore. Bin Laden was said to have been “struck down” or “eliminated”. [...]
Does democracy have a violent heart?
Published in David Pritchard (ed.), War, Democracy and Culture in Classical Athens. Talk delivered at the conference War, Culture and Democracy in Classical Athens, 4-6 July 2006, University of Sydney. Watch Videos Here Click here to read PDF format Click here to read the Epilogue in PDF format ->Read a review of the [...]
War, Violence, Fear Related Books & Publications
Global Civil Society Violence and Democracy Civil Society: Old Images New Visions Reflections on Violence The Power of the Powerless Civil Society and the State Politika i strah (Politics and Fear)
Fear and Democracy
Berlin 2001 It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it. Aung San Suu Kyi (1991) Despotism Many things shall be said for a long time about the death squad attacks on two [...]
Book review of Democracy Kills. What’s So Good About the Vote? By Humphrey Hawksley
Macmillan, London 2009 ISBN 978-0-230-74408-0 This book review first appeared in International Affairs, Chatham House, March 2010, pp. 16-18 PDF
Reflections on A.C Grayling’s Liberty in the Age of Terror
A Defence of Civil Liberties and Enlightenment Value PDF Bloomsbury, London, Berlin and New York, 2009 ; ISBN 978 1 4088 0242 7 This book review appeared in The Monthly (February 2010)
War, Peace and Democracy
Extract from the concluding chapter for David Pritchard (ed.), War, Democracy and Culture in Classical Athens (Cambridge University Press, 2010). The subject of war and democracy, and their potential symbiosis, has recently been brought to life by the fact that virtually all democracies are today caught in the sticky threads of a permanent war against ‘terror’. [...]
Does Democracy Have a Violent Heart?
Published in David Pritchard (ed.), War, Democracy and Culture in Classical Athens. Talk delivered at the conference WAR, CULTURE AND DEMOCRACY IN CLASSICAL ATHENS, 4-6 July 2006, University of Sydney. Click here to read PDF format Click here to read the Epilogue in PDF format Watch Videos Here