In the latest issue (No. 4) of International Socialist Journal there are a number of features of great interest to students of socialism in Europe.
first among these is a long acticle by Thomas Balogh, of Balliol College, Oxford. Mr. Balogh discusses a whole series of problems of planning in a democratic society, He isolates three levels at which the subject can be considered. These concern the allocation of existing resources, which involves discussion of the efficiency of the economic system as it is; the functional defects of the system which is to use less than its full resources; and finally the long-run structural defects of unplanned societies, with their built-in inability to reinvest sufficiently to guarantee survival. In order to meet the problems faced by the British economy at all three levels he advocates "a partially planned economy in which social balance and a more equal distribution of income is sustained by a considerable public sector." Mr, Balogh's key position in the main councils of the Labour Party makes this article a most significant document, which especially timely in the general election period.
Another most interesting text is by Lelio Basso, analysing the position of the Italian Socialist Party since the split of the beginning of this year. SG. Basso argues that the experience of the Nenni group in the centre-left expel-in.ent has more than justified the left-wing breakaway, of which he himself was a leading figure.
Amilcar Cabral, a leader of the revolutionary movement of Portuguese Guinea,contributes an interesting account of the social bases of the revolt, and there is also an informative article on Nigeria by Basil Davidson.
Other features include items on the public sector of the Austrian economy, a German account of the sociology of education, an account of the disputes around incomes policy in Belgium and Denmark, a report on the Cameroun elections, a description of the liberation movement of South West Africa, and a summary of an important debate in the Italian Communist
International Socialist Journal is edited by an international team of socialists from Belgium, France, Italy and Britain. The English contributing editors are Jim Mortimér,of the Draughtsmen's union, and Ken Coates ,of Nottingham University. Copies are available from 19, Greenfield St., Dunkirk, Nottingham, price 4/-.