(18-06-2019, 11:19 AM)gzbkel Wrote: [ -> ]Hi karlmarx, thanks as always for sharing your insight. Are there any particular books you would recommend, especially those that help in understanding the relationships between politics and economy?
There is a name for this academic discipline, and it is known as 'political economy.'
I must be upfront that my understanding/perception of 'how the world works' may be different from many others, and hence may not be correct/accurate.
Some believe that the functioning of societies are dependent on cooperation between people performing different roles; much like how each of the different organ of the human body play a function that is vital to allowing a person to survive and thrive. Such benign illustrations of cooperation are particularly useful to mobilise masses of people towards a common goal. But some, such as myself, are inclined towards the belief that certain 'organs' posses more economic and political resources than others, and are more than likely to use their economic and political resources to gain even more of it. Such views are generally not welcome, because it creates distrust, which may lead to disorder.
As my handle would suggest, my intellectual framework is heavily influenced by the scholarship of Karl Marx. Marx was both a scholar and an activist, but it was the latter which he was remembered for. The failure of the communist experiment -- which in reality is simply a vehicle through which certain small groups seized and consolidated power; they were not unlike the people they overthrew -- is often equated with the weakness of his scholarship.
While I remain biased towards a Marxist framework, my interest is in gaining a coherent understanding of the world. So that's how it is for now, until I can figure out something else that makes better sense.
I will not recommend anything actually written by Marx; they are far too difficult for most to appreciate. If you are really interested, they are easily accessible online. Instead, I will recommend some of these other works, which are contextualized in a country, and written with/from a more or less Marxist perspective. I have probably mentioned some of these before. And to forewarn, they are easier, but not easy, to read. In any case, these are some which I find particularly insightful, if not occasionally depressing:
Americana: A 400-Year History of American Capitalism, by Bhu Srinivasan
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3427...earch=true
Liem Sioe Liong's Salim Group: The Business Pillar of Suharto's Indonesia, by Richard Borsuk, Nancy Chng
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2281...earch=true
Chinese Business in Malaysia: Accumulation, Ascendance, Accommodation, by Edmund Terence Gomez
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2386...earch=true
The Modern Principalia: The Historical Evolution of the Philippine Ruling Oligarchy, by Dante C. Simbulan
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1140...earch=true
Thaksin, by Pasuk Phongpaichit, Chris Baker
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7509...earch=true
The King Never Smiles: A Biography of Thailand's Bhumibol Adulyadej, by Paul M. Handley
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1499...earch=true
Most of these books are difficult to locate, so you'll most likely have to get your hands on them through Amazon or Kinokuniya. I bought 'Liem Sioe Liong's Salim Group' from ISEAS (NUS) where they gave also me a 20% discount for walk-in purchase. There were other books on discount as well, but they are generally not very readable/useful.