Fw: Spiral, chapters 1 - 2

Dennis R Redmond asked
Re: Spiral, p. 1-17
>
>> "Global democracy is the equivalent of social
>> democracy at the world level. It is both the first step and the primary
>goal
>> of world socialism." (p.12)
>
>Well, OK, but what does that actually mean?

Rome was not built in one day. Karl Marx cannot be summarized in one e-mail,
neither can Boswell/Chase-Dunn. The answer to your question is in chapters
5 - 6 of the Spiral (Boswell/Chase-Dunn). In order to explain that, I must
first summarize the other chapters. In this installment, chapters 1 -2.

The Spiral is a beauty with three arms -- one arm "explains the structural
dynamics of the system"; one arm explains "the great failures as well as the
limited successes" of the "state-socialist 'second world'"; one arm
"explores the possible futures of the world-system" (p. 13). The first two
"arms" are covered in chapters 1-4, the third "arm" in chapters 5-6.

Chapter 1 "The Political Economy of the Capitalist World-System"

summary (provided by the authors on p. 13-14):

"...we need first to make explicit our definition and model of the normal
operation of the capitalist world-system (Chapter 1). We describe the
structures, cycles, and trends of the capitalist world-system ... We differ
here from other world-system theorists ... by taking a much more political
view of the construction and reproduction of the system, including a theory
of world revolution. The world-systems perspective has often been criticized
... for ignoring agency. We formulate the microfoundations ..., that is, the
actions and interactions that constitute and change world structures. ...
drawing on 'analytical Marxism' and from the institutional theories of
'world order'..."

Chapter 2 "World Revolutions and the Political Economy of Socialism"

summary (provided by the authors on p. 14):

"War, and ...., colonial conquest, have been the main political foci of past
work. We ... add a new stress on agency in the form of social movements and
revolutions for explaining world historical outcomes (Chapter 2). World
revolutions .... result when the effects of social revolts are widespread or
widely emulated
throughout the core of the world-system. World revolutions tend to be
progressive, in the sense that they shift labor market competition away from
lowest wages and toward highest productivity -- such as the world revolution
of 1848 that ushered in the end of slavery and the beginning of labour
unions. Since
1848, world revolutions have revolved around the issues of socialism."

These are the summaries for chapters 1-2, using the authors' own words. More
later.

Gert Kohler
Oakville, Canada