Good pamphlets for people with no background or knowledge of revolutionary socialism?

[#FF0000]

I've been working with and meeting a whole lot of folks lately who've expressed a lot of interest in revolutionary socialist/left wing politics in general. So far, I've been lending out some of my books, and directing them to certain sites, but I'd like to keep a supply of pamphlets to hand out to folks who approach me, most of whom know nothing about the subject.

So, yeah, any favorites?

[Workers-Control-Over-Prod]

I've been working with and meeting a whole lot of folks lately who've expressed a lot of interest in revolutionary socialist/left wing politics in general. So far, I've been lending out some of my books, and directing them to certain sites, but I'd like to keep a supply of pamphlets to hand out to folks who approach me, most of whom know nothing about the subject.

So, yeah, any favorites?

I'd also like to know about this.

[Yuppie Grinder]

It's a bummer that there is no single communist text that serves as a good introduction. The Communist Manifesto and Principles of Communism, the obvious ones, are both seriously flawed.

[Riveraxis]

I know "Fascism: What it is and how to fight it" is not an introduction to communism.

But I think it serves this purpose well enough because it, very clearly, breaks down the differences between fascism and communism. I find that people who aren't already communists or history students don't really know the difference, because Stalin and Hitler aren't inspirational figures. So by breaking down those differences, people I've given this book to begin to understand that communists are not usually totalitarians as the conception goes. Three of the seven people I've given it to have come to accept the communists as the "party of revolutionary hope". It didn't help them to become communist theorists, but it did leave a lasting influence at least.

As for someone who doesn't already have an anti-leftist bias, I think "anarchist morality" by Kropotkin is a good one. Its an easy read and explains the "morality" (or whatever) that most communists share. At least, I think it's very well written. It was the book that introduced me to communism, before the manifesto. I don't think it ever actually uses the word "communism" tho.

[Tristana]

prole. info/wcpw.html

prole. info/pdfs/wcpw.pdf

I found these texts very concise and easily readable.

(Sorry, I had to break the links because I can't post them just yet)

[Jimmie Higgins]

I've been working with and meeting a whole lot of folks lately who've expressed a lot of interest in revolutionary socialist/left wing politics in general. So far, I've been lending out some of my books, and directing them to certain sites, but I'd like to keep a supply of pamphlets to hand out to folks who approach me, most of whom know nothing about the subject.

So, yeah, any favorites?

One of the pamphlets that had a big impact on me when I began radicalizing is "The Two Souls of Socialism" by Hal Draper.

http://www.marxists.org/archive/draper/1966/twosouls/index.htm

You may know, the basic argument is distinguishing "socialism from below" from "socialism from above" (socialism through electing people to the capitalist state, dictators, or conspiracy by elite groups). But the pamphlet also goes through some of the historical developments of socialist thought and goes into what is significant about Marx's socialism.

[ed miliband]

the eclipse and re-emergence of the communist movement -- gilles dauve and francois martin
work - community - politics - war -- prole.info

[Blake's Baby]

I have no suggestions at present, but I want this topic to come up when people add to it because I think its important, so... carry on.

[Comrade #138672]

This has been written as an introductory text for Historical Materialism by Engels: http://marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1880/soc-utop/ch03.htm

It is pretty good IMO.

[Comrade #138672]

I know "Fascism: What it is and how to fight it" is not an introduction to communism.It is a good text, but I am not sure whether it would serve well as an introductory text for Socialism, because in order to distinguish between Socialism and Fascism, it presupposes that the reader already knows about classes, class contradictions, etc.

[bad ideas actualised by alcohol]

A text that came to mind immediately was Lenin's work 'Karl Marx'.
http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1914/granat/

Another Lenin work that is interesting is 'The Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism'.
http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1913/mar/x01.htm

I think these are two great introductory reads. They aren't perfect, of course. But I think they're a good starting spot. Although I think the Communist Manifesto stoll remains as thegreatest introduction, as long as you tell that some parts have become obsolete.

[Red Commissar]

the eclipse and re-emergence of the communist movement -- gilles dauve and francois martin
work - community - politics - war -- prole.info

I was trying to think of the site's name, thanks for bringing that up. I like the modern take they have on the IWW capitalist pyramid. There's a lot of interesting stuff on there that's written for modern relevance.

[The Idler]

thirded prole.info

also crimethinc

[Althusser]

I've found this 19 page piece entitled A Short Introduction to the MLM Conception of Fascism to be sufficient (and relatively short) in explaining the difference between fasicsm and bourgeois democracy, why they are both dictatorships of the bourgeoisie, and obviously why communism is the anti-thesis of fascism or any kind of bourgeois rule. Also it's very easy to understand. (The language isn't dry and complicated)

http://www.massline.org/Politics/ScottH/Fascism-MLM-Conception.pdf

[#FF0000]

Good selections so far. While we're on the topic, I'm wondering if anyone knows a good way to produce a lot of pamphlets on the cheap?

And anyone have any good pamphlets or short works that talk about the marxist perspective on property?

Thanks a ton so far, guys.

[ellipsis]

Reclaimed daesin and the RSU put out a pamphlet called why revolution? It's quite good

http://www.revolutionarystudentsunion.com/materials/pamphlets/WhyRevolution.pdf

Also the IWW has a great one called the four hour day or twenty hour week or something like that.

as for property there is a good book on prole.info called the housing monster.

[Questionable]

I know the OP is far from a Marxist-Leninist but "The Principles of Marxism-Leninism" by Bill Bland is actually a pretty good, simple introduction to Marxism in general. If you disapprove of Marxism-Leninism or Leninism in general then you can just stop reading once he begins talking about it, I suppose.

http://marxism.halkcephesi.net/Bill%20Bland/principles%20of%20ML.htm

[#FF0000]

Anyone have an opinion on G.A. Cohen, by the way? A friend of mine has a short book by him called "Why Not Socialism?" and recommends it. Anyone else read it?

[LOLseph Stalin]

This: http://marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1918/dec/23.htm

It's not an introduction to communism in general, but I think it gives a good basic outline as to why the current system is not really democratic. I think way too many people think of socialism/communism as something authoritarian and dictatorial when it's actually the contrary. This may help break some of those misconceptions.

[RedTrackWorker]

A good combo is The Communist Manifesto combined with Trotsky's comments on its 90 years anniversary (http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1937/10/90manifesto.htm)--because his comments make it somewhat more uptodate and its an example of critical thinking rather than dogmatism: "Revolutionary thought has nothing in common with idol-worship. Programs and prognoses are tested and corrected in the light of experience, which is the supreme criterion of human reason. The Manifesto, too, requires corrections and additions."

[The Jay]

I would honestly just give them an email account you set up for that purpose for a dozen or so people. Use those interactions to set up a FAQ and make a pamphlet out of that. :)

[#FF0000]

I would honestly just give them an email account you set up for that purpose for a dozen or so people. Use those interactions to set up a FAQ and make a pamphlet out of that. :)

Oh, that's a really good idea.

[p0is0n]

Although it has more to do with marxism, I thought Ernst Mandels "An Introduction to Marxist Economical Theory" was fairly easy to read. It's quite short aswell. Principles of Communism isn't the greatest absolute first work to read, but it is a good work to supplement Ernst Mandels book.

Then there are a few of those graphic guides to Marxism that are good if one does not possess a very academic vocabulary, although I find many of them quite lacking in their overviews.

I haven't read more than a few pages of the ICC's "Communism: Not a nice idea, but a material necessity", and whilst it is a bit too long to qualify as a pamphlet, based on the little I read and the "overview" or whatever on the back cover, it might be an interesting and/or useful read for people who lack knowledge on the subject. Perhaps someone who has read it can expand?

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

For serious, The Coming Insurrection.

[TheRedAnarchist23]

It would be cool if you could just touch people and then they would become anarchists. Unfortunately, since this is not the case, there are several things that have to be done.
First of all is breaking all previous beliefs, say that the system can be changed, say that countries are an ilusion, say that the state is harmfull. After that you have to make them see the evil in capitalism, say that capitalism is the cause of the crisis, say that exploitation is because of capitalism, say that the state is with the capitalists, and by that association, against you. Then you must conclude by saying there is another way, say capitalism can be abolished, say there can be a system without private property, say there can be a system without a state. After that say there are people who support the abolition of this system, say we are here, say we opose all the evil on this earth, say we are with them. Conclude by leaving a nice signature on the right bottom corner of the pamphlet (I use the anarchist encircled A).

There you go. You must do it all by this order, if you switch the order it will not work.

[Durruti's friend]

Maybe something like this?

libcom.org/library/capitalism-introduction

libcom.org/library/work-introduction

libcom.org/library/state-introduction