Socialist Practice

The level of popular discontentin the United States as elsewherehas shown a dramatic increase in recent years, but has yet to crystallize into a cohesive anti-capitalist political force. Socialist Practice aims to contribute to a popular movement for socialism. It does so by 1) revisiting, under present conditions, longstanding questions of Marxist theory and revolutionary history, and 2) illustrating the range of issues, activities, and forms of expression that can both inform and be informed by a Marxist approach. Essays spanning a range of national experiences address the crying need to generate a society-wide awakening, grounded in purposeful discussion among all those (the vast majority) whose interests are ill-served by continuation of the status quo.

Offers a view of key issues in our current political history on a global canvas and over time Analyzes the variety of ways (both organizational and cultural) in which movements with a socialist agenda may arise and extend their influence Considers smaller-scale transformations as a means to offer positive models for social change to larger society

Autorentext

Victor Wallis is a professor in the Liberal Arts Department at the Berklee College of Music, USA, and was for twenty years the managing editor of Socialism and Democracy. He is the author of Red-Green Revolution: The Politics and Technology of Ecosocialism (2018) and Democracy Denied: Five Lectures on U.S. Politics (2019).

Klappentext

The level of popular discontent in the United States as elsewhere has shown a dramatic increase in recent years, but has yet to crystallize into a cohesive anti-capitalist political force. Socialist Practice aims to contribute to a popular movement for socialism. It does so by 1) revisiting, under present conditions, longstanding questions of Marxist theory and revolutionary history, and 2) illustrating the range of issues, activities, and forms of expression that can both inform and be informed by a Marxist approach. Essays spanning a range of national experiences address the crying need to generate a society-wide awakening, grounded in purposeful discussion among all those (the vast majority) whose interests are ill-served by continuation of the status quo.

Inhalt

1. Chapter 1: Introduction.- 2. Chapter 2: Marx after a Century of Real Socialism.- 3. Chapter 3: The End of First-Epoch Socialism and the Problem of Transition.- 4. Chapter 4: Marxism and the Struggle for Social Justice.- 5. Chapter 5: The Dialectic of Humanity and Nature.- 6. Chapter 6: On Market Socialism and the Soviet Experience.- 7. Chapter 7: Workers' Control and Revolution: History and Theory.- 8. Chapter 8: The Politics of Lesser Evil: Historical Reflections.- 9. Chapter 9: The US Left of the 1960s and Its Legacy.- 10. Chapter 10: From Black Liberation to Mass Incarceration: A Documentary Journey.- 11. Chapter 11: Revolution and Counterrevolution in Latin America: The Filmed Experience.- 12. Chapter 12: Song and Vision in the US Labor Movement.- 13. Chapter 13: Conclusion.