Let me begin with a highly condensed summary analysis of the contemporary ‘political condition’, in the form of four major claims:
• Globalization in it its dominant neo-liberal form has been associated with changes in the State and national (as well as international) politics (Harvey, 2003; Pieterse, 2004).
• There is a tendency of the State to become a ‘competition state’ with the primary objective of securing competitive advantage for the capital based within its borders (Jessop, 2002).
• There is an associated tendency within mainstream political division and contestation (e.g. between political parties) characteristic of the previous period to weaken, and for consensus to emerge on the main strategy and policy issues (Ranciere, 2006).
• This tendency constitutes a fundamental political danger: not only is it a threat to democracy, it also creates a vacuum which can be filled by nationalism and xenophobia (Mouffe, 2005: Fanciere, 1995).