Reviews: September 2007 Archives

A Prout Convention was organised at 'Mahanayak Uttam Mancha', Kolkata on the 9th of September, 2007, by Proutist Universal (PU), Kolkata. Various eminent speakers spoke on different aspects of the socio-economic philosophy of Progressive Utilisation Theory (Prout), propounded by the great philosopher Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar. Three sessions were held during the convention apart from the inaugural session. The first session was on the 'Agricultural and Rural Development Policies of Prout'. The second session was on the 'Industrial and Economic Policies of Prout', and the final session was on 'Prout and Sadvipra Samaj'. During the lunch and breaks informative posters displaying the policy stances of Prout were displayed.

More than 500 people attended the Convention, which was convened by Ac. Tanmayananda Avt. on behalf of Proutist Universal.

"The evidence the authors marshal is so compelling that it leaves me, as a progressive Jew, weeping with distress over what the fervid particularist imagination of rightwing Jews has done to my country."

Everyone in my community (opponents of the Iraq war who seek a more balanced American policy toward the Palestinians) has only one question about Walt and Mearsheimer's forthcoming book: Will it be ignored? For instance, James Morris, who I believe I once saw explode in the audience at an American Enterprise Institute program on Israel's secure borders (led by Richard Perle and Dore Gold), has been sending out emails about his efforts to get the book covered by '60 Minutes' [a prominent American television news program - eds.]. No dice.

I am a cockeyed optimist; I don't think it will be ignored. I don't think it can be. One fear we've have is that the LRB [London Review of Books - eds.] paper was such a tremendous sensation that the big media, having only grudgingly covered that, would now say, Oh well this is just an expansion of the paper; old news. One mainstream editor said as much to me a few weeks back in shooting down a proposal I made for an article about Stephen Walt's Jewish milieu (more about that later...). "Oh I think that moment is over," the editor said. Class dismissed.

I no longer fear as much. Making my way slowly to the end of the actual book (it's a dense read, esp. for someone who cares deeply about every issue they raise), I don't think anyone can argue that the book recapitulates the paper. The book expands the paper by a factor of 4 in pure numbers of words, and the book's tone is more exalted than the paper's. The authors are less tentative, and less emotional, qualities I remember in the original. The manner of the book is amazingly calm. The arguments are more solid, and go much further. As for solidity, I am simply awed by the field of reference. W&M have read every comment ever made by an Israeli official about U.S. policy, they have found every neoconservative crackpot comment about remaking the Middle East. ... Full review