Mainstream Weekly

Narcissistic Leadership A Barefaced Dictatorship | Shraddha Rishi, Ajay Kumar Mishra

Ajay Kumar Mishra — 2026-01-24T06:29:32Z

Abstract
The multilateral world system is inherently imperial and has been susceptible to imperial mandates. Throughout the 20th century, the United States masked its dictatorship by intervening in other countries' affairs under the pretence of promoting democracy and human rights. Recent actions in Venezuela and threats to Greenland and other independent nations have exposed the self-serving nature of US imperialism. Additionally, the US claim to mediate Operation Sindoor raises concerns (…)

- 2026

India

Ajay Kumar Mishra — 2026-01-10T02:03:37Z

Abstract
The post-neoliberal system is characterised by transactional diplomacy, bilateralism, and pragmatism, rather than ideology. Therefore, the term "Cold War" is insufficient for understanding today's international political economy. Additionally, the emergence of the capitalist mode of production in a post-neoliberal and neorealist paradigm has eliminated ideological divides in the contemporary world. A new aspect of neorealism involves using economic sanctions to influence a (…)

- 2026

Trade Diplomacy Amid the Dichotomy of the Civilisational and Liberal States | Ajay Kumar Mishra, Shraddha Rishi

Ajay Kumar Mishra — 2025-06-14T01:51:35Z

Abstract
This paper explores why civilisational states exhibit cooperative values in trade and exchange. It highlights an irony where the decline of liberal states might have been expected to weaken trade ties, given that liberalism underpins the very concept of trade. Moreover, it discusses the need for market expansion, materialist interpretation of history, geo-economic complementarities, and trade strategies between civilisational states that drive trade relations among civilisational (…)

- 2025

The Uncharted Trajectory of India and Pakistan Conundrum | Ajay Kumar Mishra

Ajay Kumar Mishra — 2025-05-10T03:12:37Z

Introduction
India and Pakistan find themselves once again on the verge of a perilous clash. The rising tensions have propelled the subcontinent into unfamiliar territory, increasing the likelihood of a serious crisis as diplomatic channels are neglected and relations between the two countries deteriorate further. Both sides of the border exhibit a tendency towards war, influencing public sentiment regarding readiness for conflict. Additionally, religious extremism appears to foster a (…)

- 2025

The Colonial Legacy of ARJ's Institutional Economics | Ajay Kumar Mishra

Ajay Kumar Mishra — 2024-11-09T06:13:06Z

Abstract
Institutions establish the rules of the game and shape the man-made constraints that help reduce uncertainty. However, social structures play a crucial role in shaping these institutions and how they operate. Institutions that are socially structured have a better chance of surviving and maintaining their momentum. Whether an institution is inclusive or extractive depends on its ability to reflect social realities.
New institutional economics emphasizes the neoclassical (…)

- 2024

Understanding the Primitive State and Contradictory Narratives of India | Ajay Kumar Mishra

Ajay Kumar Mishra — 2024-10-05T02:21:23Z

Abstract
Recognizing and accommodating contradictory narratives within Indian Nationhood is crucial for fostering unity and progress. This essay explores the discourse on anti-nationalism in India through the lens of conflicting narratives. It scrutinizes the state's prominence against the backdrop of state-individual dichotomies. The analysis of the government's monopolization over the state seeks to unravel the labelling of pro-regime as national and anti-regime as anti-national. It (…)

- 2024

Neoliberal Hegemony: Compromised Reform, Suppressed Revolution | Ajay Mishra, Shraddha Rishi

Ajay Kumar Mishra, Shraddha Rishi — 2024-09-07T01:57:34Z

Abstract
This essay scrutinises the likelihood of reform over revolution, attributed to the sway of neoliberal hegemony and state-mediated conspiratorial welfarism. It recognises the potential of the social democratic movement for instigating revolutionary change but posits that such prospects are dampened by the influence of neoliberal hegemony and state-mediated conspiratorial welfarism, thereby underscoring the relevance of reform. Furthermore, it contends that while revolution is (…)

- 2024

State, No State, or the Missing State | Ajay Mishra & Shraddha Rishi

Ajay Kumar Mishra — 2024-08-24T13:53:58Z

Abstract
This essay investigates the role and significance of the state in the context of neo-capitalism. The act of the state outsourcing essential services, which are inherently its responsibility, to the private sector leads to the emergence of a "delegating state." This results in a crisis of legitimacy for the state, ultimately leading to state-induced anarchy. Additionally, the essay argues that while individuals can be both altruistic and egoistic, the state plays a crucial role in (…)

- 2024

The Built-in Inequality in India's Social System: Inclusive in Theory, Exclusive in Practice | Ajay Kumar Mishra

Ajay Kumar Mishra — 2024-06-14T21:58:25Z

Inequality has ancient origins in India, embedded as it is in its social system, which encompasses caste, religion, gender, ideology, belief, language, and identity. These elements have categorised social systems into core, periphery, and semi-periphery, in line with Wallerstein's analysis. The theories of Marx and Gramsci can be contrasted to expose the intrinsic class stratification within the Indian social framework. The argument is that India's stratified social system underpins the (…)

- 2024