The first kibbutz, Deganya, near the Sea of Galilee, was founded in 1910. In 1986 there were 125,700 residents of about 265 kibbutzim, divided among five kibbutz federations.
The kibbutz is a collective settlement, originally devoted solely to agriculture, but since the late 1960s, it has included industries too. Founded by social democrats, kibbutzim are characterized by the collectivization of labor and capital: the means of production, consumption, and distribution are communally owned and controlled, with considerable emphasis on participatory democracy in the operation of kibbutzim. The kibbutz is a miniature communist society, where in principle all wealth is common property. This has however changed over time, especially since the establishment of Israel in 1948. Today, the inhabitants usually are allowed some private property. But still all inhabitants are provided for with all necessities, like food, housing, clothes, social and medical services. The inhabitants cook and dine together.Normally adults and children do not form standard families, even if the adults have private quarters. The bringing up of the children is also a common task of the kibbutz.The kibbutzim2
Kibbutzim have a democratic system, where there are weekly meetings in order to decide upon issues, and there are elections for administrative members. Education and, in some federations, the rearing of children in age-graded dormitories, are communal as well.
Until the 1980s, the kibbutz and its residents played a life role in Israeli society. Kibbutzim embodied the courageous and selfless pioneer who settled the most difficult and dangerous areas to claim them for the Jewish state. They sent the highest proportion of young men to elite units of the army and its officers' corps, and later to positions of responsibility in the government.
This highly positive image no longer held in 1988 for a number of reasons:
First, the kibbutz was to a large extent a victim of its own successes. Its economic success raised the standard of living of the average member into the middle or upper middle class. It is difficult to conceive of a rural village with air-conditioned housing, a well-equipped clinic, a large auditorium, and an olympic-sized swimming-pool as a pioneer outpost.
Second, the economic success and the expansion of the kibbutz economy has forced it to go outside the community to hire labor--a direct contradiction of its earliest beliefs.
Third, the labor hired, if not Arab, consisted of Oriental Jews who resided in development towns near the kibbutz.
There has been a loss of social prestige for the kibbutz, which has suffered a relative loss of influence in the centers of power in Israel. Nevertheless, the kibbutzim still contributed to Israel's economy and sociopolitical elite out of proportion to their number.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
Forms of Government
Political Parties
A political party is a group which holds, or aims to hold, political power by becoming the government. The government is the group responsible for making political decisions and carrying out policies: it guides and directs the country. They make decisions about health care, unemployment, education and national defence.
When a political party tries to introduce extreme changes in a system, it is called a radical party.
In some countries many political parties compete to become the government e.g. Portugal and England. In others, only one party exists e.g. China, North Korea, Vietnam, Cuba etc.
Different Forms of Governance
There are several forms of governance: monarchies, democracies, dictatorships, anarchies and oligarchies.
Monarchies are governments that are headed by a King or Queen, e.g. Brunei and Bhutan.
Democratic governments are ruled by a leader of a party that is voted in by the people of the country: they depend on the people to stay in power e.g. Portugal, England, USA, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and many more.
A dictatorship is a government that has one person in power and their power is usually gained by force. e.g. Togo
An oligarchy is a government that is led by a group of people.
DIFFERENT IDEOLOGIES
What is an ideology?
Throughout history, people have invented theories about how a country should be run and what the order of priorities should be when decisions are made on political issues. These theories are called ideologies.
There are many different political ideologies. Some of these are: Communism, Socialism, Fascism, Conservatism and Liberalism.
Socialism
Socialism is the belief that income and wealth should be equal. It argues that it is a government’s responsibility to work towards equality for all. For many people socialism is the pathway to communism. There are many different forms of socialism. Many democratic countries have some socialist policies such as free education, public health services and state-owned facilities (eg, media, transport services etc)
Communism e.g. Lenin and Chairman Mao
Communism is about the eradication of social class and private property (people could still own clothes and cars etc) There is a famous saying that says that the state/government will eventually wither away because people will operate in harmony – there will be cooperation between people as they will all have the same. There will be no rich or exploited people; this will lead to less dissatisfaction as everybody will be the same. Communists are generally atheists, as some people believe that religion is about the control of people.
Fascism e.g. Hitler and Mussolini
Many people argue that fascism is not an ideology; it is more of an attitude. It is not based on a set of beliefs. Instead it describes certain attitudes and types of behaviour.
Fascists in Hitler’s Germany were racist. They believed that one race was superior to another. Hitler believed that ‘true’ German people (Aryans) were destined to rule the world. Hitler was particularly hostile to Jewish people (anti-semitism). He believed that Germany’s past failures were the result of an international conspiracy against Germany organised by the Jews.
Liberalism and Conservatism
These ideologies first began during the French Revolution at the end of the 18th century. Some people were fighting for individual rights and freedoms. They were liberals. They believed that a government should interfere in peoples’ lives as little as possible.
After the revolution, those who disagreed with the liberals began to call themselves conservatives. Conservatives believe in tradition – why change things if they work? Things become traditions and customs because they are successful, so why change them?
A political party is a group which holds, or aims to hold, political power by becoming the government. The government is the group responsible for making political decisions and carrying out policies: it guides and directs the country. They make decisions about health care, unemployment, education and national defence.
When a political party tries to introduce extreme changes in a system, it is called a radical party.
In some countries many political parties compete to become the government e.g. Portugal and England. In others, only one party exists e.g. China, North Korea, Vietnam, Cuba etc.
Different Forms of Governance
There are several forms of governance: monarchies, democracies, dictatorships, anarchies and oligarchies.
Monarchies are governments that are headed by a King or Queen, e.g. Brunei and Bhutan.
Democratic governments are ruled by a leader of a party that is voted in by the people of the country: they depend on the people to stay in power e.g. Portugal, England, USA, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and many more.
A dictatorship is a government that has one person in power and their power is usually gained by force. e.g. Togo
An oligarchy is a government that is led by a group of people.
DIFFERENT IDEOLOGIES
What is an ideology?
Throughout history, people have invented theories about how a country should be run and what the order of priorities should be when decisions are made on political issues. These theories are called ideologies.
There are many different political ideologies. Some of these are: Communism, Socialism, Fascism, Conservatism and Liberalism.
Socialism
Socialism is the belief that income and wealth should be equal. It argues that it is a government’s responsibility to work towards equality for all. For many people socialism is the pathway to communism. There are many different forms of socialism. Many democratic countries have some socialist policies such as free education, public health services and state-owned facilities (eg, media, transport services etc)
Communism e.g. Lenin and Chairman Mao
Communism is about the eradication of social class and private property (people could still own clothes and cars etc) There is a famous saying that says that the state/government will eventually wither away because people will operate in harmony – there will be cooperation between people as they will all have the same. There will be no rich or exploited people; this will lead to less dissatisfaction as everybody will be the same. Communists are generally atheists, as some people believe that religion is about the control of people.
Fascism e.g. Hitler and Mussolini
Many people argue that fascism is not an ideology; it is more of an attitude. It is not based on a set of beliefs. Instead it describes certain attitudes and types of behaviour.
Fascists in Hitler’s Germany were racist. They believed that one race was superior to another. Hitler believed that ‘true’ German people (Aryans) were destined to rule the world. Hitler was particularly hostile to Jewish people (anti-semitism). He believed that Germany’s past failures were the result of an international conspiracy against Germany organised by the Jews.
Liberalism and Conservatism
These ideologies first began during the French Revolution at the end of the 18th century. Some people were fighting for individual rights and freedoms. They were liberals. They believed that a government should interfere in peoples’ lives as little as possible.
After the revolution, those who disagreed with the liberals began to call themselves conservatives. Conservatives believe in tradition – why change things if they work? Things become traditions and customs because they are successful, so why change them?
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