國家的神話-轻识

Linda Weiss《國家的神話》中譯本面世，可說是出世合時，因為香港正在進行政府與經濟發展角色的辯論。特首說「積極不干預」政策太含混，不要再提，結果一石激起千重浪，自由市場基本教義派大吵大鬧，認為有違祖宗家法，政治經濟學者則認為後知後覺，總好過不知不覺。

Linda Weiss認為國家或政府之能量是植根於社會，也能有其相對自主性，不受特殊利益控制，政府與市場不止不應對立，而且是雙相依賴，這叫做「管治的互相依賴」(Governed interdependence)。強勢政府不一定壞，政府介入不一定是惡，主要還看不同國家的歷史構成，如何介入，介入哪裡，在香港剛舉行過十一．五高峰會，政府與商界共同推出行動綱領之際，究竟一個以政府╱商界共同聯手策動的發展綱領，有否落實可能性，從這本書中便會得到答案。

當年 C.Johnson研究日本通產省MITI的作品，...

當年 C.Johnson研究日本通產省MITI的作品，被奉為東亞發展理論的巨作，發展型政府理念型一時風行，不旋踵被日本經濟長期衰退，亞洲金融風暴所打垮，Linda Weiss比他聰明，懂得回到歷史去，這是亞洲金融風暴之後的反省作品，值得關心香港的時事，政府官員、文化人、評論員及大專學生一讀。

Linda M. Weiss is an Australian professor of political science at the University of Sydney (USYD), specialising in the international and comparative politics of economic development.

Weiss is best known for questioning the converging effect associated with globalisation by pointing to the mediating role played by domestic nation-state institutions and capabilities and arguing that the effect non-state powers have upon a government can be enabling as well as constraining. Furthermore, within this argument, rather than a movement towards a neoliberal model, Weiss sees the emergence of what she calls 'governed interdependence'. This theory is forwarded in 'The Myth of the Powerless State' (1998) and submitted to empirical testing in 'States in the Global Economy' (2003).

Weiss' work is directly influenced by Michael Mann whom she worked under during her formative years.

Of additional note, 'How to Kill a Country' (2004), authored with Thurbon and Mathews, was the first sustained critical analysis of the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement signed and ratified by both countries' governments in 2004. The authors regard the Agreement as a sub-optimal deal for Australia and in later work put forward the argument that the Australian government misread their special relationship with the US and proceeded with the Agreement for public relations reasons, particularly with regard to the issue of Australia-US relations during the 2004 Australian federal election.