"...the fundamental problem with "The State in Myanmar" is not its pro-regime bias but its focus on the State, with a capital ?S?. In his Introduction, Taylor writes that: ??in the approach taken in this volume, it is the interaction of the official state and non-official institutions that is being examined, and it is argued that, to judge from the evidence, most of the time it is the state which is expected to be, and is, the determining partner in such relationships. In this sense the state, through ?its continuous administrative, legal, bureaucratic and coercive systems?, shapes the relationship between itself and civil society, but also shapes the structure of ?many crucial relationships within civil society as well.” The state is thus normally able to determine what is a political issue and what is not capable of political solution, as it limits the growth of institutions that can express official or private political opinions and options. (pp.4-5) From this perspective, based on the ?fact? of state power, Taylor slips over to a normative position very close to that of the 20th century German jurist Carl Schmitt, who said that the state is the embodiment of the ?political unity of the people.?..."..... Taylor, Robert H. 2009. The State in Myanmar. London: Hurst and Company, xxv + 555 pages. ISBN 978 1 85065 893