Número 35, ene-abr 2015 Imprimir
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Editorial

Foundations and Debate

  • Jeff Ritterman
    Latin America and Monsanto

    Abstract: Latin America is a key area for the expansion of genetically modified agriculture. Monsanto’s herbicide, Roundup, with glyphosate as its active ingredient, is heavily sprayed as an essential part of the GM model. Since half of Monsanto’s revenue comes from its Roundup products, the company has a significant investment in promoting glyphosate’s safety, as well as its effectiveness. Throughout Latin America, communities have suffered increases in birth defects, cancer, and other serious illnesses as a direct result of glyphosate spraying. An Argentine scientist, Dr. Andrés Carrasco, reproduced in the laboratory the identical glyphosate-induced birth defects that doctors report from agricultural areas. Beyond conclusively establishing causality, he was able to demonstrate exactly how the glyphosate causes the birth defects. The herbicide disturbs an important enzyme pathway that is present in all vertebrates, making all animals with backbones vulnerable to birth defects from glyphosate exposure during embryonic development. Glyphosate also damages DNA, and is closely linked to cancer. A number of chronic illnesses are associated with glyphosate. There is also good reason to believe that glyphosate may be the root cause of a fatal kidney epidemic ravaging much of Central America. Monsanto and its main backer, the United States government, continue to maintain that glyphosate is safe, despite the overwhelming amount of scientific evidence proving otherwise.

  • Claudio Katz
    Social-developmental Conceptions

    Abstract: The progressive variant of neo-developmentalism prioritizes the expansion of demand omitting tensions with the rate of profit. It also seeks to balance the macroeconomic variables ignoring mismatches generated by accumulation. His expectation of shielding the state capitalism of the cirisis facing the private sector is not verified. Nor is it feasible to replace entrepreneurs by state officials. Political projects of popular democratic developmentalism collide with the commitments made by the conservative variant. The proposal to build cooperative regional model is affected by the global integration of primary exports in all countries. It is wrong to see in the center-left governments in anticipation of socialism and replace the evaluation of the social struggle for proximity or distance records of capitalist industrialism. Respect the national differences not preclude discussing contrasting experience.

  • Humberto Monteón / Gabriela Riquelme / José Martínez
    The Russian Revolution in the press and in the parliamentary debate in Mexico

    Abstract: On the centenary of the First World War (1914), is remembered the collapse of empires, particularly Russian, where a revolutionary process that would culminate with the establishment of the power of workers, peasants and soldiers (1917) took place. At the start of construction of a system of social organization that proposed free humanity from the exploitation of man by man, the workers of the world saw a source of inspiration and the possibility to find their own path. Mexico was no exception. Indeed, in the heart of the debate of ideas in our country were present all ideologies, highlighting the Marxist socialism feared by the sectors of right, while was admired by left. Especially, because its supporters were politically active and linked with the ideological content of the revolutionary processes in Mexico in 1910 and, later, of Russia in 1917. The aim of this paper is to establish how the Bolshevik Revolution was configurating a socialist program that irradiated in Mexico. Afterwards, was articulated as the only political force that confronted the authoritarian political system. This research is based in monitoring press and parliamentary debate that occurred before, during and after the Constituent of Querétaro.

  • Francisco Pamplona
    Ontology of social being or philosophical anthropology. A reflection about the materialism and the human nature

    Abstract: The materialist theory of history has as one of its support to the theory of human evolution and therefore places the human being in the chain of the living attributing a difference with the other species. The category ‘work’ was established as the basis of that difference, but it is clear that various authors disagree on determine which aspect of reality belongs to that category. For Georg Lukács and Karel Kosík, Marxist theory attempts to build ontology of social being, while for György Márkus and Mihailo Marković it is clear that is the support for a philosophical anthropology. This essay begins with a debate on ‘animality’ of human being and then exposes the main arguments of one or the other position.

Articles and Miscellany

  • Demetrio Galíndez López
    Realities of National Infrastructure Program 2007-2012, in the area of transport and communications

    Abstract: In this paper, the result of the commitments in the National Infrastructure Program 2007-2012, in the area of Communications and Transport, Mexico pretend was located in 30th place in competitiveness in the international context and be one of the exposed leaders of Latin America for the coverage and quality of infrastructure in accordance with the standards of the World Economic Forum. Also intended to provide better services infrastructure generated a larger population and ensure a balanced development between different regions of the country. Documentary research was carried out from the general to the particular, to compare the goals, objectives and investment programs outlined in the National Infrastructure Program with the developments during the six years, concluding that the results were far from expected, because in some cases some infrastructure generated goals were met and not in others. The result is that Mexico has started in 2012, 58th in the Global Competitiveness Index in the world and the sixth in Latin America, according to the World Ecomic Forum (WEF).

  • Magdalena Galindo
    Mexico and the nation

    Abstract: The current situation of the Mexican economy is explained by the structural crisis of capitalism lives since the seventies and the response of the highly industrialized countries against workers and underdeveloped countries. Using debt as a means establish the new international division of labor and the process of globalization, leading to underdeveloped countries implement neoliberal policies. In Mexico it has been accepted and even promoted implementing thorough structural reforms that have led to the drastic impoverishment of the working classes and delivery of resources and wealth of the nation to foreign capital and a very small fraction of Mexican bourgeoisie. This process has led to a political crisis unprecedented in recent decades.

  • Genaro Hernández / Rubén Cantú
    Unindustrialization in the metropolis: the case of Azcapotzalco, D.F.

    Abstract: The present research sets out the productive transition in Azcapotzalco to explain the conformationof the Socio-urban Environment of Unindustrialization. This analysis begins since the ubication of industries in México, continues with the come down of the industrial activity, the manufacturing relocalization and the correspondent modification of land uses. The purpose of this work consists in understand: What are the causes of the urban morphology of unindustrialization in Azcapotzalco? Therefore is established that the unindustrialization of the metropolis, is a breaking factor between the man and the city, which begins the process of economy of the urban service, as well as a safeguard and selective occurrence of certain public spaces and the disappearance of others. Therefore is studied the construction of the Industrial Segmentation, the Strategic territorial restructuration of the capital and the Depolitization of the relations worker-patron.