Eyes to the South explores important issues from the last six
tumultuous decades of Algerian history, including French colonial
rule, nationalist revolution, experiments in workers'
self-management, the rise of radical Islamist politics, an insurgent
revival of traditional decentralist resistance and political
structures, conflicts over cultural identity, women's emancipation,
and major "blowback" on the ex-colonial power itself. David
Porter's nuanced examination of these issues helps to clarify
Algeria's current political, economic, and social conditions, and
resonates with continuing conflicts and change in Africa and the
Middle East more generally. At the same time, Eyes to the South
describes and analyzes the observers themselves--the various
components of the French anarchist movement--and helps to clarify and
enrich the discussion of issues such as national liberation,
violence, revolution, the role of religion, liberal democracy, worker
self-management, and collaboration with statists in the broader
anarchist and anti-authoritarian movements.
