Alan Johnson (political theorist)
Encyclopedia
Alan Johnson is Professor in Sociology at Edge Hill University
and a political activist.
Johnson was an editor of the journals Democratiya
and Engage Journal
, the former of which he also helped found.}} He is a scholar of the labour movement in Iraq, and is a founding member of Labour Friends of Iraq.
A former Trotskyist researching Hal Draper
, Johnson is co-author of the Euston Manifesto
. Johnson was opposed to the 2003 invasion of Iraq
. Since 2003, he has worked with Abdullah Muhsin of the Iraqi Workers Federation. Arguing that the British state should be willing to "get its hands dirty," he proposed that the UK should withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights, which he argued was obstructing the deportation of terrorism suspects. Critical of blanket labelling of advocats of military intervention against dictatorial regimes as neoconservatism
in foreign policy, Johnson calls for a "proper consideration of the social democratic antitotalitarianism of Paul Berman, Václav Havel, Adam Michnik, Ladan Boroumand, Kanan Makiya, Azar Nafisi, Bernard Kouchner, Tony Blair, or Gordon Brown" and points out that "neo-conservatives" in the Democratic Party deserve "their share of the credit" for "undermining cynical and self-defeating 'realism' and embracing democracy-promotion." Johnson writes frequently for the guardian.co.uk
Comment is Free.
Edge Hill University
Edge Hill University is situated in Ormskirk, Lancashire, England. It has three faculties: Education, Health and Social Care, and Arts and Sciences.- History :...
and a political activist.
Political positions
Democratiya
Democratiya was a free quarterly online review of books that aims "stimulate discussion of radical democratic political theory". Sixteen editions were produced from 2005 until a final edition in Autumn 2009....
and Engage Journal
Engage (organization)
Engage is an organisation which publishes materials in opposition to what they see as left and liberal antisemitism, primarily in UK academic institutions. The group is made up of left-wing academic who oppose boycotts of Israel...
, the former of which he also helped found.}} He is a scholar of the labour movement in Iraq, and is a founding member of Labour Friends of Iraq.
A former Trotskyist researching Hal Draper
Hal Draper
Hal Draper was an American socialist activist and author who played a significant role in the Berkeley, California, Free Speech Movement and is perhaps best known for his extensive scholarship on the history and meaning of the thought of Karl Marx.Draper was a lifelong advocate of what he called...
, Johnson is co-author of the Euston Manifesto
Euston Manifesto
The Euston Manifesto is a 2006 declaration of principles by a group of academics, journalists, and activists based in the United Kingdom. The statement is a reaction to what are asserted to be widespread violations of leftist principles by others who are commonly associated with the political Left...
. Johnson was opposed to the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. Since 2003, he has worked with Abdullah Muhsin of the Iraqi Workers Federation. Arguing that the British state should be willing to "get its hands dirty," he proposed that the UK should withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights, which he argued was obstructing the deportation of terrorism suspects. Critical of blanket labelling of advocats of military intervention against dictatorial regimes as neoconservatism
Neoconservatism
Neoconservatism in the United States is a branch of American conservatism. Since 2001, neoconservatism has been associated with democracy promotion, that is with assisting movements for democracy, in some cases by economic sanctions or military action....
in foreign policy, Johnson calls for a "proper consideration of the social democratic antitotalitarianism of Paul Berman, Václav Havel, Adam Michnik, Ladan Boroumand, Kanan Makiya, Azar Nafisi, Bernard Kouchner, Tony Blair, or Gordon Brown" and points out that "neo-conservatives" in the Democratic Party deserve "their share of the credit" for "undermining cynical and self-defeating 'realism' and embracing democracy-promotion." Johnson writes frequently for the guardian.co.uk
Guardian.co.uk
guardian.co.uk, formerly known as Guardian Unlimited, is a British website owned by the Guardian Media Group. Georgina Henry is the editor...
Comment is Free.
Books
- Global Politics After 9/11: The Democratiya Interviews, Foreign Policy CentreForeign Policy CentreThe Foreign Policy Centre is a British think tank specialising in foreign policy. It was formed in 1998 and launched by Tony Blair with the aim of developing a "vision of a fair and rule-based world order". It is pro-European. It has its origins on the centre-left of British politics, but works...
, 2007, editor, ISBN 1-905833-11-3 - Hadi Never Died: Hadi Saleh and the Iraqi Trade Unions, TUC Publications, 2006, co-authored with Abdullah Muhsin, ISBN 1-85006-761-9
- Leadership and social movements, Manchester University Press, 2001, co-authored with Colin BarkerColin BarkerColin Barker is a British sociologist as well as a Marxist historian and writer. A long-standing member of the Socialist Workers Party in Manchester, he is the author of numerous articles and works on Marxism, including a history of the Polish trade union Solidarity, Festival of the Oppressed.A...
and Michael LavaletteMichael LavaletteMichael Lavalette is a member of the Socialist Workers Party and until May 2011 a local councillor in Preston, Lancashire, England. He was first elected as a Socialist Alliance candidate shortly after the start of the Iraq War in 2003. And re-elected as a Respect councillor in 2007...
, ISBN 978-0-7190-5902-5