What drives history?
In this five minute interview, Neil Faulkner, author of A Radical History of the World, argues that for thousands of years there have been three main engines of history driving human development: technological change, the emergence of class societies, and struggle from below.
He also explains why an understanding of the past is vital to the success of radical movements around the world today.
A Radical History of the World is available to buy now for £14.99. Click here for more info.
This article was originally posted on the Pluto press website and can be located here.
History is a weapon. The powerful have their version of events, the people have another. And if we understand how the past was forged, we arm ourselves to change the future…
Produced as a companion resource to Neil Faulkner’s new book, A Radical History of the World, this illustrated timeline highlights some of the key events that have shaped our history: from the ancient empires of Persia and Rome, to the Russian Revolution, 2008 Financial Crisis and beyond.
Click here to view the full-sized version.
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Already the backsliding begins. ITV news is reporting that the Government has changed one point in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. They have accepted that academies will retain their ‘freedom’ to set their own pay scales for teachers. So the criteria in the School Teachers Pay and Conditions document will only apply to teachers in Local Authority schools. Why have the Government climbed down on this issue? It’s not as if this is a major financial problem for academies. But what will be the next change/climb down by the Government? Will academies be exempt from the National Curriculum? Will Local Authorities be able to build schools according to the needs of their communities or will all new schools, as at present, have to be academies?