Written during the last, particularly dense decade, the texts in this edition intertwine academic and political writing to highlight major issues of the period. Their multifaceted character explores the multiple –political, economic, and cultural– aspects of the crisis, with the ultimate goal of identifying the "red thread" that runs through them.

Organized into three main thematic sections (Theory, History, Politics) and a series of corresponding subsections, and retaining the form of their original publication, the texts are measured against the great test of time. To the extent that their observations, critiques, and recommendations were pertinent at the time of their submission, it is important to emphasize their methodological and political prerequisites.

Dominant in this context is the timeless importance of politics – not as a mere reflection of social conditions but, primarily, as their creator. Engaging with contemporary democratic theory and the highly dynamic field of Conflict Politics, the texts emphasize that the activation of the Citizenry has historically been the main democratic catalyst and today constitutes a fundamental condition for addressing the crisis.

At the same time, the dramatic political deficit of recent times reveals that a real way out of the crisis cannot occur either within the capitalist system or within the nation-state. A century after the October Revolution, the dilemma of Socialism or Barbarism remains more relevant than ever.