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The End of an Era: A Postmodern and Phenomenological Examination of Socialism and Capitalism

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I thought I would add to the festive season by offering my interpretation of the long-running debate over whether there can be, or whether there will ever be for that matter, a system characterised by both capitalism and socialism in tandem. Much recent discussion of this matter has been undoubtedly shaped by the advent of postmodernism, and by scholars' attempts to reconcile the need to re-evaluate and update common conceptions with the more tangible human experience that the school of phenomenology has striven to comprehend ever since the days of Hegel. The overarching argument of this article is that, given the constant fluidity of the commercial and political world, perhaps we have reached the end of the epoch defined by the capitalism/socialism dichotomy, and we therefore ought to move beyond categorical rigidity when attempting to understand contemporary society in order to better grasp its flexible and changeable nature. Consequently, I shall begin by conveying why the claim

Antitrust and Institutionalism: A Critique of Traditional Chicago School Conceptualisations of Antitrust Law

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In its simplest form, antitrust law refers to legislation that is designed to prevent the formation and spread of monopolies. At the core of such a law is the will to protect small businesses from being disadvantaged by unfair tactics, as well as to provide consumers with better price choices through fostering competition. In this entry, I shall debate the various ideologies that have underpinned changes in antitrust legislation, with an emphasis on the branches that have emerged from the famed Chicago School, and I shall place these in the context of the Reagan Administration, which is an era that many scholars consider to be a watershed period for antitrust policy. Additionally, I shall argue that the as-of-yet infant Neo-Chicago School could serve as an apposite framework for understanding the modernisation of antitrust law and as an apt guide for future antitrust proceedings. As such, in comparison with my previous entries, this one will admittedly be more ideologically discursive,

Learning to Fly: How Turmoil in the Civil Aviation Industry Reflects the Simplistic Understanding of Capitalism by Trade Unions

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"That's not flying, that's just falling with style''. These are the words famously uttered by the character of Woody from Pixar's hit film Toy Story , in relation to Buzz Lightyear's bravado with regard to flying. This assertion poignantly captivates the recent tenseness within the civil aviation business that has seen a selection of high-profile airlines plummeting into insolvency. Many such incidents have occurred as a result of extraneous adverse factors, as well as officials succumbing to trade union pressure. The overarching argument that I shall propose in this article is that much industry turmoil that pertains to labour union complaints reflects the reactionary stance of said unions, for their constant emphasis on the greed of chief industrial giants is the result of a black-and-white conceptualisation of globalisation and global capitalism. I will use recent shakeups in the aviation sector to illustrate this point, especially the Air Berlin scandal

Brexit: The Genesis of a Return to Pre-Globalisation Nation-States?

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Brexit has undoubtedly been on the tips of everyone’s tongues ever since the shock vote last year sent rippling chills throughout Europe and the rest of the globe. This subsequently gave rise to mass panics in many European countries due to the fear of far-right political demagogues being provided impetus to produce a similar outcome in their respective countries. Notable countries that had been afflicted by this collective fear include the Netherlands and France. In the case of the latter, perhaps a potential “Frexit” would have come to fruition had President of the National Front Marine Le Pen defeated current French president Emmanuel Macron in the election earlier this year. Yet after the initial jitters, waters appear to have settled and ardent opposition to the European Union is less present in the public sphere than it was a year ago. The main contention of this article will be that Brexit aims to signify the potential dawn of a new era of international politics, one in which t

Down by the Seaside: Current Political and Economic Dynamics in the Shipping Industry

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The shipping industry is currently facing a challenging time due to the necessity of recovering from the crisis spurred by the collapse of the once-seventh largest shipping giant in the world, Hanjin, as well as a requirement to adapt to an increasing demand for technological advancements that seek to minimise costs by removing as many parties as possible from the transportation process. Even further, such progress has created a vicious battlefield in which emerging giants such as Amazon and Maersk, whom I shall attend to in the latter part of this article, are engaged in an ongoing struggle for ownership of the largest market share. In this entry, I aim to analyse the broad impact of Hanjin's fall on the shipping industry across the globe as well as convey how this, together with the wider issue of overcapacity, are paving the way for new methods of transport to be promoted by up-and-coming players in the market. The parallels between the impact of Lehman Brothers' collapse on