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# When is a change not a change? March 26 - April 01 on openDemocracy
- URL: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/when-is-change-not-change-march-26-april-01-on-opendemocracy/
- Published: 2012-04-09T00:04:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-04-23T00:55:52.000Z
- Description: As Spain witnessed a general strike against austerity, Daniel Raventos and Julie Wark argue for a basic income guarantee, Robert Borosage denounces America’s top 1% taking 93% of all salary growth and Nick Pearce urges social democrats to rethink.
- Author: openDemocracy Supporters
- Tags: The Week in 1 Minute, #Migrated, #en, #Import 2026-04-09 17:19, #appended-excerpt

Across the world, political elites search in vain for public support. In France, the left are experimenting with US-style primaries, but [Phillipe Marli](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f77387a52a/7262321cfa/bec27337bc&ref=opendemocracy.net)[ère](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f77387a52a/7262321cfa/25969d93d1&ref=opendemocracy.net) shows it may lead to another form of spectator distance. In India, state elections see voters roundly rejecting national parties to embrace regional ones, and [Tanmoy Sharma](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f77387a52a/7262321cfa/9b97acabbf&ref=opendemocracy.net) senses federalism. In Russia, a party reform bill is going to be signed into law. And Grigorii Golosov [asks](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f77387a52a/7262321cfa/9350eac1a9&ref=opendemocracy.net), is it a real concession or (as in France) change that is no change?

The UK elite is in trouble too. The dramatic outcome of a by-election confirms popular repugnance, [says](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f77387a52a/7262321cfa/dd5a0d79bc&ref=opendemocracy.net) Gerry Hassan, who grew up as a neighbour of the upstart George Galloway. Tony Curzon-Price agrees: cash for access scandal means time is up for Britain’s [mainstream party politics](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f77387a52a/7262321cfa/1a26cf57db&ref=opendemocracy.net), as single issue and micro-[campaigns](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f77387a52a/7262321cfa/7ede2fc7ac&ref=opendemocracy.net) offer new ways of imposing a moral obligation on the executive. Indifferent to them, the UK Coalition is removing free legal aid from those seeking welfare benefit – undermining democracy if you agree with [Deborah Padfield](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f77387a52a/7262321cfa/b1a6a724ff&ref=opendemocracy.net). An unpopular marketisation of the NHS finally became law aided by the larger problem of a silent media when things get serious, says [Aeron Davis](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f77387a52a/7262321cfa/6e0db40c7c&ref=opendemocracy.net). Richard Seymour deconstructs [Boris Johnson](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f77387a52a/7262321cfa/7bba5d9cdd&ref=opendemocracy.net) as one vapid media clown and politician of the spectacle likely to retain control of London in May, despite the riots that started under him. Neal Lawson attacks a new report on them for its timidity on consumerism and stirs up disagreement, [Was it the shops what done it?](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f77387a52a/7262321cfa/4228dcd164&ref=opendemocracy.net), while campaigning lawyers Shauneen Lambe and Michael Oswald [urge](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f77387a52a/7262321cfa/689d5be808&ref=opendemocracy.net) the police to change their attitudes towards young black and Asian men.

Russians prepare for the ‘return’ of Putin. [John Besemeres](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f77387a52a/7262321cfa/96ce97f7b1&ref=opendemocracy.net) and Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan doubt he will turn back the clock, especially against [online Russia](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f77387a52a/7262321cfa/5b14df246b&ref=opendemocracy.net). Natalya Zubarevich, [redraws the map](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f77387a52a/7262321cfa/5827835cac&ref=opendemocracy.net) and sees four countries in the world’s largest, predicting that the land of the brains will win out. Elsewhere on oD Russia: the [link](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f77387a52a/7262321cfa/8d65447927&ref=opendemocracy.net) between football hooligans and politicans, a [photoreportage](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f77387a52a/7262321cfa/0ab82a4cad&ref=opendemocracy.net) of abandoned wooden churches and a reflection on what God must be telling Belo-Russia’s [Lukashenka](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f77387a52a/7262321cfa/dc9770ac4f&ref=opendemocracy.net).

Photoreportage: The tragedy of Russia's abandoned wooden churches. All photos (c) Richard Davies

Take a look at Mark Lee Hunter’s impassioned [defence](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f77387a52a/7262321cfa/c2da8da5e3&ref=opendemocracy.net) of Julian Assange against his media ‘tormentors’. The comments on this piece are particularly lively.

**Three links you may not want to miss:**

[Marx at 193 ](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f77387a52a/7262321cfa/07ccc064a5&ref=opendemocracy.net)

[China’s death-row reality show](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f77387a52a/7262321cfa/bf4ced53f2&ref=opendemocracy.net)

[Is US public opinion moving towards Russia? ](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f77387a52a/7262321cfa/549e0b3d21&ref=opendemocracy.net)

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As Spain witnessed a general strike against austerity, Daniel Raventos and Julie Wark argue for a [basic income guarantee](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f77387a52a/7262321cfa/595e1e2ca4&ref=opendemocracy.net), Robert Borosage denounces America’s top 1% taking [93% ](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f77387a52a/7262321cfa/5a0a3d614f&ref=opendemocracy.net)of all salary growth and Nick Pearce [urges](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f77387a52a/7262321cfa/7828bbfc35&ref=opendemocracy.net) social democrats to rethink.