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WIL HUTTON'S BOOK ON THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF BRITAIN, "THE STATE WE'RE IN," (TSWI) COMBINES IN A SINGLE VOLUME THE DIAGNOSIS OF THE HUNDRED YEARS' DISEASE WITH AN CRITIQUE OF THE THATCHER YEARS. IT REACHES OUT TO A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE AVAILABLE FORMS OF CAPITALISM AND DRIVES HOME THE ADVANTAGE OF THE COOPERATIVE CORPORATISM OF GERMANY, ARGUING ITS ADVANTAGE ON BASES AS ABSTRACT AS COOPERATIVE GAME THEORY AND SOLID EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE OF SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE. IT OFFERS AN AGENDA FOR TOTAL REFORM OF THE ECONOMY AS OF THE POLITY, SHOWING THAT THESE ARE INTERTWINED. THIS ARTICLE CRITIQUES THE BOOK.

THIS ARTICLE BEGINS WITH THE HISTORY OF THE EMERGENCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S HUMAN RIGHTS MOVEMENT. IT ARGUES THAT THIS MOVEMENT ITSELF IS A TENTATIVE RESOLUTION OF THE UNIVERSALISM /PARTICULARISM DEBATE WITHIN THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S MOVEMENTS PRIOR TO RECENT CONFERENCES. IT THEN ANALYZES THE EFFORTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S HUMAN RIGHTS MOVEMENT AT THE VIENNA AND BEIJING WORLD CONFERENCES, AND CONCLUDES BY DISCUSSING THE IMPLICATIONS OF THEIR ACTIONS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS THEORY AND PRACTICE.

Explores Sen's theory on famine which notes that famines can occur without necessarily a food shortage. The theory is based on changes in food entitlements and allocations across socioeconomic groups which thus create famines. Considers the role of relief agencies in giving people purchasing power to buy food and not in conveying food where there is famine. (GAW)

It is universally acknowledged that imports in the UK economy have risen very rapidly; import penetration in manufacturing has risen from 26 per cent in 1980 to 34 per cent in 1986. It is felt that any reflationary programme will have little impact on domestic employment since much of the extra spending power will be spent on imports, especially imports of manufactured goods. This has led to the firm belief that a reflationary programme has to be directed towards activities which have a lower import content and hence a higher domestic output and employment multiplier. This was the belief that made infrastructural expenditure such a popular option in the political discussions before the 1987 election.

THE VIEW THAT AS CAPITALIST DEVELOPMENT PROCEEDS, MARKETS ARE BYPASSED IN FAVOR OF DIRECT CONSCIOUS COORDINATION IS A MISREADING OF HISTORY. IT IS A MECHANICAL, LINEAR VIEW RATHER THAN A COMPLEX, DIALECTICAL ONE, AND IT RELIES UPON THE SAME NAIVE DICHOTOMIZATION OF PLAN AND MARKET THAT WAS EXPLOITED IN THE DEBATE OF THE 1920'S AND 1930'S. WHEN SEEN IN THEIR PROPER RELATIONSHIP, THE TWO CONCEPTS ARE NOT SIMPLY OPPOSED TO EACH OTHER IN A STATIC WAY BUT INTERACT IN A DYNAMIC, DIALECTICAL MANNER. GRASPING THIS DIALECTICAL RELATIONSHIP IMPROVES OUR UNDERSTANDING BOTH OF CAPITALIST DEVELOPMENT AND OF THE POSSIBILITY OF VIABLE TRANSITIONS TO SOCIALISM.

Argues that a long tradition stretching back to Engels has based itself on an exaggerated view of the objective tendencies towards planning within the capitalist economy, and has failed to grasp that these tendencies operate within a complex dialectic of integration and disaggregation. (Abstract amended)