Litsy

The Civil War in France: the Paris Commune | Karl Marx

pick

Great analysis of the overthrow of bourgeois society by the people and its eventual suppression by the collusion of Prussia and the French government.

Bookwomble

The Iron Heel | Jack London

#SundayFunday @BookmarkTavern

It might be time to re-read this... ??

This LitHub article quotes from the book: "The incumbents refused to get out. It was very simple. They merely charged illegality in the elections and wrapped up the whole situation in the interminable red tape of the law." Sounds familiar! ?
https://lithub.com/how-jack-london-foresaw-the-anti-democratic-future-with-the-i...

GingerAntics

Fourth Wing

2mo

Bookwomble Link to a critique of The Iron Heel by the Socialist Party of Great Britain from 2008, the centenary of its publication. TL:DNR - It's anti-capitalist and anti-fascist in sentiment, but due to London's individualism and social Darwinism, it lacks class solidarity and so isn't socialist. It still has some interesting points, though. https://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/socialist-standard/2008/2000s/no-1241-januar... 2mo

BookmarkTavern Sounds very interesting! Thanks for sharing! 💚 2mo

40 likes1 stack add3 comments

BC_Dittemore

Why You Should Be a Socialist | Nathan J. Robinson

pick

I suppose the fact that I have given this book a PICK says all that I need to say.

11 likes

Xclamation

The Communist Manifesto | Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

so-so

It's fine. At this point in history the Communist Manifesto is more of a novelty than anything else. Discovering that about a third of this plus-sized pamphlet is devoted to shit-talking other leftists really drove home that nothing in it was new or scary even at the time. The Communist Manifesto is, upon inspection, revealed as really nothing more than a single piece of a long running, much more widespread conversation.

Robotswithpersonality

Ecosocialism: A Radical Alternative to Capitalist Catastrophe | Michael Löwy

pick

Change the system, not the climate.
An accessible introduction to the idea of ecosocialism. Makes clear that capitalism cannot be made environmentally friendly, nor can leftist/neoliberal governments who are backing corporations/capitalism, no matter how many green washing initiatives are advertised, an obvious conclusion given decades of international environmental conferences without seeing meaningful reduction in carbon emissions, etc. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? Explains the socialist experiments of the 20th century failing for specific reasons, mistakes that do not have to be repeated, as well as the ways the original idea of socialism should be upgraded from modern sensibilities. Clarifies how the conjoining of eco- with -socialism allows for the best path forward to ensure both global justice and environmental recovery. 4mo

Robotswithpersonality 3/? Heavy emphasis on solidarity, acknowledging where indigenous and labour movements have made some progress against corporations which sought to harm and harvest, i.e. the Amazon rainforest, while acknowledging the obstacles, the work needed on the ground to remake government and society in such a way, and the need for more detailed plans. 4mo

Robotswithpersonality 4/? I am glad that the author never missed a chance to remind the reader that working toward this vision should not stop the attempts to get certain environmental initiatives happening ASAP, even within the existing governmental framework, as time is growing short in respect to the effects of global warming. 4mo

Robotswithpersonality 5/6 A collection of essays, with an appendix of manifesto and declarations, this lays the groundwork that lets me understand the importance and the goals, and empowers me to do further research, investigate avenues of action in support of ecosocialism, because the case made here is a strong and convincing one. (edited) 4mo

Robotswithpersonality 6/6 If I have one complaint it's that the same ground appears to be covered multiple times in a short space, but insofar as that increases the chances of any reader absorbing the salient points, I can't blame Löwy for that approach. 4mo

11 likes5 comments

Robotswithpersonality

Ecosocialism: A Radical Alternative to Capitalist Catastrophe | Michael Löwy

🤨 🐓🦊😏

5 likes

Robotswithpersonality

Ecosocialism: A Radical Alternative to Capitalist Catastrophe | Michael Löwy

What if you had more time and energy to build a better world?

7 likes1 stack add

Bookwomble

News from Nowhere: An Epoch of Rest, Being Some Chapters from a Utopian Romance | William Morris

À propos of nothing, I always thought Bernard Hill would've been excellent casting for a biopic of William Morris. I wish that'd happened.

bibliothecarivs Wow! You're right! Here's another (see if you agree): Dougray Scott recently made a BBC Scotland program about the history of football (not your thing, I know) and in the clip I saw, he looked strikingly like George Orwell! 6mo

Bookwomble @bibliothecarivs I kinda see what you mean with Dougray and George, though I think Dougray would need a few late nights and bottles of whisky to match George's hangdog look 😁 5mo

35 likes2 comments

breadnroses

What Is to Be Done? [Burning Questions of Our Movement] | V I Lenin

(2/2) Finally read this banger. Chapters 2 & 4 were on the additional course readings list for the CLR James seminar, but I decided to push through the whole thing since it was short enough & such a seminal revolutionary text.

2 likes

Robotswithpersonality

Why Socialism? | Albert Einstein

pick

Just a world-renowned theoretical physicist taking a few moments to lay down clear, concise, (depressingly relatable to the modern reader) reasoning in 1949 for why the current (western?) societal obsession with the individual and the evils of capitalism are proof that society, economy and government needs a change, and the best way forward is socialism. 1/2

Robotswithpersonality 2/2 The article is appropriately titled 'Why Socialism?' not How Socialism? , so it ends by acknowledging some of the challenges to implementing socialism, but after reading it, it seems all the more obvious that this change would be worth the effort. 13mo

5 likes1 comment

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