“Socialist democracy is not something which begins only in the promised land after the foundations of socialist economy are created […] Socialist democracy begins simultaneously with the beginnings of the destruction of class rule and of the construction of socialism.” - Rosa Luxemburg
What we’re reading:
(2019). Nous accusons! Mediapart.
This week, we’re reading an open letter written by a collective of French 'Gilets Jaunes' university academics, calling for an acknowledgement of the movement's demands, the resignation of the Interior Minister, and public inquiries into the violent repression the movement has experienced.
Ferguson, N. and Freymann, E. (2019). The Coming Generation War. The Atlantic.
In “The Coming Generation War”, Niall Ferguson and Eyck Freymann outline how demographic shifts in the next ten years will transform the current American political landscape as we know it. By 2029, Generation Z and Millennials will comprise the majority of the American voting population, most of whom most are situated far left of center on economic and social issues. Generation war, as Ferguson and Freymann write, is thus the best frame for understanding the ways that Democratic and Republican parties will diverge in coming years.
Penny, L. (2012). Laurie Penny: the most harmful effects of prostitution are caused by its criminality. New Statesman.
In this 2012 opinion piece, Laurie Penny offers a critique of the criminalisation of prostitution, arguing that the most harmful aspects of sex work are caused by its illegal status. As Penny writes, “sex work is not stigmatised because it is dangerous— sex work is dangerous because it is stigmatised.” After offering a stark rebuke of the moral judgements that underpin the current legal framework on prostitution, Penny urges for reforms which place workers’ protection at the center.
Harvey, D. (2012). Rebel Cities: From the Right to the City to the Urban Revolution. Verso.
In Rebel Cities, David Harvey describes the place that the cities hold as a location of both capital accumulation and revolutionary political change, placing them at the frontline of class struggles and questions of who has the right to the city. By seeking to understand which actors dictate the quality and organisation of daily urban life, between developers and financiers and the people, all while drawing upon case studies of various cities, Harvey outlines how cities have become the focus for anti-capitalist resistance.
What we’re watching:
(2015). Human Trafficking & Unregulated Prostitution: Spain's Sex Supermarket. Broadly.
This week, we’re watching a documentary from Broadly on the complex nature of the sex industry in Spain. The country’s ambiguous laws on prostitution have led to numerous challenges, notably the increase in migrant women from other European countries forced into sex work when attempting to relocate to the country. Moreover, Spain has seen an increase in women entering the industry in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis that led to a severe economic recession in the country. By speaking with various women, Broadly reinforces the diverse way in which sex work is perceived (both by others and by workers themselves).
What we’re listening to:
Podcast: (2017). Rosa Luxemburg. In Our Time.
In this episode, In Our Time dives into the life of Marxist theorist, economist, philosopher and revolutionary socialist, Rosa Luxemburg. Born in 1871 in Poland, where she lived until the age of 28 before moving to Germany, Luxemburg was actively involved in radical left-wing workers movements and socialist organisations in both countries. She is best known for having helped found the German Communist Party and being central in the Spartacist uprising of 1919.
Podcast: (2019). Stuart Hall: In Conversations. KUT.
This week, we’re listening to Stuart Hall: In Conversations, a series which explores the life, work and legacy of Stuart Hall. Often cited as “ the founder of cultural studies” and one of the last “great public intellectuals,” Hall wrote about a range of subjects including neoliberalism, power, identity and authoritarian populism, ideas no more timely than then in present day.
From the entire A Correction team, we’d like to thank everyone that has emailed us in the past few weeks with feedback on our A Weekly Correction feature A special thank you to Sam Kingsley for sending us a New Yorker article on Affect Theory the New Age of Anxiety— make sure to give it read!
Please continue to send us any / all feedback our way: acorrectionteam@acorrectionpodcast.com.