Politics at Continuum

Slavoj Žižek: 20 Years of Collapse

Today's New York Times features an op-ed by Slavov Žižek about the aftermath of the fall of the Berlin Wall. You can read the essay by clicking on the link or cutting and pasting it: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/09/opinion/09zizek.html?_r=2&ref=opinion

If you are interested in Žižek's works, you may want to check his selected writings published by Continuum in two volumes, The Universal Exception and Interrogating the Real.

Berlusconi

  The highest court of Italy has overturned the law granting Berlusconi's immunity from corruption charges. If you  are interested in italian politics and especially the Berlusconi era, you may want to check our new title:

Resisting the Tide: Cultures of Opposition Under Berlusconi (2001-06)
edited by Daniele Albertazzi, Charlotte Ross, Clodagh Brook, and Nina Rothenberg

"This volume provides a  very valuable catalogue of the opposition to Berlusconi which has formed over the last 15 years in Italian politics, society, and the cultural and entertainment industries. Its examination is as accurate and exhaustive as it is fragmentary; exactly like the opposition itself. It is a useful contribution for helping us understand not just  that there isn't only Berlusconi in Italy, but also why his political success continues to grow." --Ilvo Diamanti, Professor of Political Science at the University of Urbino "Carlo Bo"

"The high and long-lasting tide of berlusconismo seems almost irresistible. Perhaps this is because Berlusconi really does represent large sectors of Italian society. As many of the contributors to this indispensable book document and argue, cultures of opposition in Italy are fragmented and prove unable to coalesce into serious political and parliamentary opposition. This excellent collection of essays focuses on all types of cultural, intellectual, and media resistance to the popular-populist tide." --Gianfranco Pasquino, Professor of Political Science at the University of Bologna and at the Johns Hopkins Bologna Center

The Second Long March

Today China celebrates the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PRC, with a grand parade, fireworks and more.

If you are interested in Chinese politics, you may want to check the following book:

The Second Long March: Struggling Against the Chinese Communists Under the Republic of China (Taiwan) Constitution
by Peter Kien-hong YU, Ming Chuan University, Taiwan, Republic of China.

"Yu deserves credit for formulating a basic theory. Few dare do this. His theory is heuristic. It makes one think. It is a useful framework for explaining Taiwan's success in democratizing, which still interests leaders of developing nations and scholars everywhere.

Yu also provides an interesting look at Taiwan's politics as he goes. He is a homegrown observer and knows the ins and outs of how the system works in principle and in practice. He adds tidbits of inside information along the way, many of which have not been cited or at least assessed by other scholars. This makes the book a more interesting read.

The Second Long March is recommended to all who want to view Taiwan's history and politics, especially its democratization, from a unique perspective. Why is this so important? Taiwan is the only non-negotiable issue between the United States and the People's Republic of China, the sole superpower and the world's foremost rising power, and the relationship between them is the basis of stability in the global economy and international politics." -- John F. Copper, Stanley J. Buckman Professor of International Studies at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. He is the author of more than 25 books on mainland China and Taiwan

For more details, click here.

The 10 craziest things ever said During a UN Speech

"Were Kennedy not a millionaire, illiterate, and ignorant, then he would obviously understand that you cannot revolt against the peasants.'' -- Fidel Castro

Following the UN's recent General Assembly, Foreign Policy has culled the 10 craziest things said in a UN speech over the last sixty years. You can read them all by clickling on the link to their site at http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/09/24/the_top_10_craziest_things_ever_said_during_a_un_speech

Fact Sheet on U.S. Missile Defense Policy from the White House

 A "Phased, Adaptive Approach" for Missile Defense in Europe -- Read the White House fact sheet on the topic at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/FACT-SHEET-US-Missile-Defense-Policy-A-Phased-Adaptive-Approach-for-Missile-Defense-in-Europe/

BRIC Meeting

Yesterday, the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and China met to discuss how they can diminish they reliance on the US amongst other issues. You can read about it in today's New York Times.

The BRIC group is of great interest and, here at Continuum, we are looking to publish more about it and the countries involved. We already have some new exciting books, includin:

China Against the Tides, 3rd edition by Marc Blecher (October 2009)
The Second Long March by Peter YU  (March 2009)
Misinterpreting Modern Russia by Bruno Sergi (June 2009)
Latin America's Politics by David Scott Palmer (2012)
The Dragon's Will: The Exercise and Limitation of China's Power from Pyongyang to Khartoum by Jing-Dong Yuan (2011)

... And more in the pipeline!

If you would like to submit a query or proposal, please contact Marie-Claire Antoine, Acquisitions Editor in Politics and IR at mantoine@continuum-books.com

(photo from the New York Times, 6/17/09 - Sergei Ilnitsky/European Pressphoto Agency; Lula da Silva of Brazil, Dmitri Medvedev of Russia, Hu Jintao of China, and  Manmohan Singh of India.)

British Military in Iraq

Today marks the end of Britain's combat operations in Iraq. For more, you can check the BBC online at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8026136.stm or the Guardian at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/30/british-troops-end-combat-role-basra

 

Happy Birthday NATO!

Nato is celebrating its 60th anniversary this week. Over the last two decades, the alliance has grown from 16 to 26 member countries. Its mission and administration have changed greatly.

Watch out for these upcoming books on NATO by Continuum:

Permanent Alliance? NATO and the Transatlantic Bargain from Truman to Obama by Stanley Sloan

NATO and Terrorism: Organizational Transformation and Mission Expansion by James Peterson

For more information, you can visit the NATO website  by clicking here.

Also, you may want to read this article from Spiegel Online International on whether NATO is the reluctant Globocop at http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,616547,00.html