Cover, Publication Guidelines, Contents page
Articles
Is Socialism On The Agenda? A Letter To The South African Left
Ronald Aronson, 1
Philosopher RONALD ARONSON, following his second visit to South Africa, contrasts the atmosphere in 1987 with the one prevailing in 1990.The euphoria of moral certainty has been replaced by doubt concerning the future and the socialist project. This entire issue is devoted to reconsideration of socialism, locally and internationally in fact. Aronson argues the importance of a redefined notion of socialist democracy as the central task.
To Outwit Modernity: Intellectuals And Politics In Transition
JOHAN MULLER AND NICO CLOETE, 24
Modernity, a central concept in modern social thought, has enthralled us only to deceive. Arguing that its pursuit represents a pitfall that will be of growing importance in the wake of the political transformation of the past year, JOHAN MULLER AND NICO CLOETE consider that the support role of past years for the liberation movement is no longer sufficient for intellectuals; the creation of fora for critical debate and democratic participation are now essential to a renewed project for general transformation.
Report
The Future Of Socialism
MIKE MORRIS, 42
A recent major conference in New York saw intellectuals from many countries consider the crisis in socialism and debate its future. MIKE MORRIS was there and summarises and discusses some of the most salient contributions including detailed accounts of two SACP speakers, Joe Slovo and the late Mzala.
Debates
The SACP’s Restructuring Of Communist Theory: A Shift To The Right
Adam Habib, 66
ADAM HABIB takes the critique of Joe Slow made by Jordan in Transformation 11 further. He sees, following Mandel, perestroika and glasnost as half-baked and reformist and unable to get the socialist project back on the rails.
The Collapse Of Mozambican Socialism
Dan O’Meara, 82
In a talk assessing the the history of the ‘red capital of Africa’, DAN O’MEARA concentrates on a processual history of the stages through which the Mozambican revolution passed, in so doing rejecting as superficial or cynical some of the dismissive analyses of Mozambique that have been made elsewhere on the Left in recent years. His contribution is paralleled by
Mozambique: The Failure Of Socialism
John Saul, 104
Briefly, JOHN SAUL also recapitulates the Mozambique story, focussing especially on the fateful political struggles within FRELIMO as he observed them.