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Peter Lamb

@peterlamb1.bsky.social
3.2K followers 1.6K following 604 posts

I write about socialism, Marxism, International relations theory etc. Recent books: Historical Dictionary of Socialism, 4th ed (Rowman & Littlefield, 2024); Harold Laski, the Reluctant Marxist (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024).

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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 12h
Important contribution to democratic theory, making the case that an active role for workers is crucial to the success of workplace democracy, but also that the latter can only go so far without real economic democracy, which requires capitalist control of society to be restricted effectively.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Sorry Mike, but I am rejecting your paper because each of the peer reviewers suggested that the word "may" in your final sentence makes the paper indecisive and therefore worthless.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Perhaps its time to revive this old classic by Otto Gierke: archive.org/details/poli...
archive.org
Political theories of the Middle Age
Includes bibliographical references (p. [101]-197)
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Time for the union leaders to persuade potential new members and existing ones that more union power can be likely if solidarity is fostered.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Actually, in fascist Italy while industry etc was state-controlled, much of it remained in the ownership of capitalist companies.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
I agree, and Robert W. Cox's distinction between problem solving theory and critical theory seems particularly important. Problem solving simply maintains the existing ways of doing things, while critical theory seeks to change those ways for somethong better.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
I don't think many of us will have much choice.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Because of what Marx called alienation, perhaps?
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Very topical and interesting given the latest election results from Saxony-Anhalt.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
I've just had a quick look through it. It does indeed look very good.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
An important resource for researchers and students in labour movement history.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
However often you start a sentence with "However", it will not drive home that point to me.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Ah yes, perhaps the book is an appeal to the great author of "Orientalism" to right the wrongs of our crazy world?
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Thanks for this.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Very interesting. Do you have any more details Ian, such as the organization/party and date etc?
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
"very small log flume" might be a more appropriate, aquatic, metaphor while retaining the fair ground ride theme.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
But there may not be any humans left to remember the 21st century.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Shouldn't it be "malicious an mendacious egalitarianism"?
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
"the assumption now that things are only real if you can monetise them"-I think Marx would have said that is alienation.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
If everything in blue cities is dirty, what does that say about Trump Tower in New York ?
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
In other words, exploitation.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Indeed, and the explanation for social constructs is often/usually structural, as they do not emerge from a particular action of a particular person or group. Your example again Damon, money.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
...and is allowed to talk nonsense as usual.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
The third edition of "Fragments" (2013) is well worth a read as it had a great new section comprising three essays discussing the continuing relevance and importance of the book's themes in the 21st century.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Thank you David for your article and an interesting and enjoyable discussion.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
I've read your interesting, well-written article. The detail is impressive. I would, though, focus on the structure/agency issue you acknowledge. E.g., Regarding your "by design" argument, maybe the issue is how far socialists & greens in capitalist democracy can push against structural constraints.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
I'll take a look, hopefully soon. Getting old brings lots of demands on time I never thought of; and time periods when one is not too tired to read heavy stuff get shorter. Thanks.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Adding to my previous reply, I'll bear in mind your arguments and those of others as I build and perhaps revise my views (as I think we all do). BTW, as in a post I can't now find you used the 'mask' metaphor you may find the 1st page of my 1997 article worth a glance: www.jstor.org/stable/26217...
jstor.org
LASKI ON SOVEREIGNTY: REMOVING THE MASK FROM CLASS DOMINANCE | JSTOR
Peter Lamb, LASKI ON SOVEREIGNTY: REMOVING THE MASK FROM CLASS DOMINANCE, History of Political Thought, Vol. 18, No. 2, Summer 1997
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Sorry but I didn't focus on individuals. I was replying to a post that did. I'm aware of and respect his work on 'Special Economic Zones'.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
"Did you not read my article?" No, I didn't have time. Regarding your post to which I am replying, I think you need a sentence to link the one about "shoo-in" to the details about Blackstone. I'm afraid without the link, silly old me doesn't quite get the point. BTW, not sure why I'm receiving this.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Happy birthday Joanna. I always find selecting and then listening to music a joy.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
I've just noticed I misread your first sentence as "It is" rather than "Is it" and didn't notice the question mark. I'm sorry, I was in a hurry when I read and replied. I do think one can criticise and give someone a chance for the reason I mentioned about beliefs and policies in my reply.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
I agree with your first sentence and, regarding your last one, I agree he has choices to make now. So perhaps criticise those of his beliefs you disagree with now, but give him a little time to make policy; otherwise one is criticising on policy before being sure what he will do.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
In addition to WHEN I would add IF and ABOUT. Give him a chance and you would be able to offer a better judgement about whether to pressure and criticise and what to pressure and criticise about. Any pressure and criticism you would decide to present would thereby be more substantial and focused.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
I'm all for pressuring and criticising, but have never simply excused and accepted. If we don't give him a chance we can't pressure and criticise accordingly.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
What do we do then?
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
By all means criticise, as that's part of democracy, but give the guy a chance.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Does the same apply to automobiles (plural)?
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Perhaps that's because when they say it it is redacted.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Being treated equal legally is of very limited value to the economically poor person who is exploited by the wealthy.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
I agree with you to some degree Jo; but on the other hand the Harvard system goes some way to discouraging those long tedious footnotes consisting of stuff barely relevant to the book/article they are appended. Such footnotes also interrupt the flow for the reader.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
I've just read this and your follow-up posts in your interesting thread Nick. I think the political aspects you discuss need to be combined with a big reduction in economic equalities in order to be really ambitious about citizenship.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Okay, I tend to think of that sort of thing as experimenting with democracy (being careful not to reify (thanks Lukacs)); but I guess we'll have to differ on that.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Including guild socialism.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
In my view that's where Critical Theory has an important role to play.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
That's ok, disagreement on the left is healthy. Democracy also has pretty awful baggage from its earlier Athenian model. Nevertheless, development of democracy can, in my humble opinion, hopefully overcome the baggage of earlier models.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
But democracy is far older than capitalism. It is capitalist democracy that is the problem, not democracy itself.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Indeed, so the Paris commune could serve as a resource for the development of a new form of democracy that does not simply lay hold of the ready-made state machinery.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Perhaps Gramsci was so immersed, but democracy needs to be developed in ways that overcome problems with flawed models of it. As Marx put it in the Manifesto, it is necessary to win the battle of democracy.
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Peter Lamb @peterlamb1.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Agreed, and I think Gramsci would agree too, that his idea of organic intellectuals is a starting point but not the end point, which is likely to differ according to circumstances.
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