What counts for radicalism

This special edition of “articles of note” groups together some reactionary ideas that are often considered radical nowadays.

Clinton is proving that a feminist foreign policy is possible – and works, Guardian, by Madeleine Bunting. The author praises Hillary Clinton’s feminist foreign policy. For more on this theme see posts of 23 August 2009, 9 January 2010 and 3 April 2010.

Ivory Coast: Could the army force Laurent Gbagbo from power?, Guardian, by Paul Collier. One of Britain’s leading development economists argues that the West should support a military coup in the Ivory Coast. There are more references to this debate in a post on Oxfam’s From Poverty to Power blog.

Britain needs a “war footing” to tackle climate change and energy crisis. Green Party. The Green Party has launched its New Home Front campaign, based on a report by Andrew Simms of the New Economics Foundation, which sees wartime rationing as a model for tackling climate change. Includes a video of Simms talking at the launch. The full report can be downloaded from www.greenparty.org.uk/reports.

And some critiques:

Naomi Klein, reactionary, American Situation, by Sean Collins. The blog author succinctly identifies the thoroughly backward character of the Canadian activist’s speech on Ted.

Defending moral autonomy against an army of nudgers. spiked, by Frank Furedi. A substantial and sophisticated critique of the idea of modifying behaviour through “nudging” or “choice architecture”.