Literature

[¡Viva la Libertad!]

Hello. I am brand new to this site and thought I'd go to the Learning Forum to ask this question:

What literature, URLS, etc. can the members of this board suggest that I read or look up? I am interested in socialist ideas and concepts but before I can truly say that "I am a socialist" or anything of that sort I must do some research. Therefore, I would like to read up on some literature (socialist, communist--Manifesto is a given--anarchist) written by those who practiced these ideals. Websites such as Wikipedia can only give me so much information on the subjects and I feel fairly limited in not having read any true books on the subject. I have recently decided that socialism was important--nay, vital--in crushing capitalism which takes hostage of so many stricken to poverty. But if I ever want to explain how and why I feel this is the case, I would prefer not to look like a horse's ass when elaborating my thoughts.

Any socialist, communist, or anarchist literature (from Luxemburg to Trotsky, Chomsky to Engels) suggestions would be appreciated.

:redstar: Thank you. :redstar:

[blackstone]

Alexander Berkman's ABC of Communist Anarchism

http://www.anarchyisorder.org/CD%234/Lay-o...t%20anarchi.pdf (http://www.anarchyisorder.org/CD%234/Lay-outed%20texts/PDF-versions/Berkman,%20Alexander%20-%20Now%20and%20after%20(ABC%20of%20communist%20ana rchi.pdf)

If the PDF version is too hard on your eyes, search the title in yahoo for an html version. I feel that this text is a good beginners guide to anarchist/communist ideas, as it is spoken in easy to understand language. It also, acts as a good foundation to learning more about communism/anarchism, if you choose to do so.

[¡Viva la Libertad!]

Originally posted by [email protected] 08, 2007 08:20 pm
Alexander Berkman's ABC of Communist Anarchism

http://www.anarchyisorder.org/CD%234/Lay-o...t%20anarchi.pdf (http://www.anarchyisorder.org/CD%234/Lay-outed%20texts/PDF-versions/Berkman,%20Alexander%20-%20Now%20and%20after%20(ABC%20of%20communist%20ana rchi.pdf)

If the PDF version is too hard on your eyes, search the title in yahoo for an html version. I feel that this text is a good beginners guide to anarchist/communist ideas, as it is spoken in easy to understand language. It also, acts as a good foundation to learning more about communism/anarchism, if you choose to do so.
I've read the first three paragraphs on the forward section and plan to read more. The man who wrote it, this Alexander Berkman, truly sounds like he knows what he is talking about when it comes to this subject.

[piet11111]

http://www.marxists.org/

it has writings from all over the leftist political spectrum.

the only downside is that they insist of having a white background wich will provide you with a complimentary booming headache after reading for an hour or more.

[Random Precision]

Try starting out with the Marx/Engels Reader, which is an excellent compilation of their thought. From there you can move on to Georg Luckas' "History and Class Consciousness" and then to Lenin's "What is to Be Done", "Imperialism: the Highest Stage of Capitalism", and "The State and Revolution". After that, I would reccommend Luxemburg's "Reform or Revolution" and her various works on the dialectic of spontaniety and organization. Next would come L.D. Trotsky's "The Revolution Betrayed", "The Transitional Programme" and "The Permanent Revolution", and of course Gramsci's prison notebooks.

You should, of course, look beyond any one tradition on revolutionary leftism. As far as anarchism goes, some suggestions are P.J. Proudhon's "What is Property?", Peter Kropotkin's "The Conquest of Bread", and works by Bakunin and Malatesta. Also, you should at least take a look into Stalinist thought, to laugh at it if nothing else. Some examples of that are Stalin's "Leninism or Trotskyism" and Mao's "On New Democracy".

You can get almost all of this free at marxists.org...

[Lenin II]

I would strongly suggest the following essays and/or books, all of which you can read in the marxists.org link that piet so generously provided:

The Manifesto (just had to put it)
Trotsky's "Should America Go Communist?"
"Quotations From Chairman Mao Zedong" (or Mao Tse-Tung, whichever spelling they use)
Fidel Castro's "History Will Absolve Me"
Lenin's "State and Revolution"
Lenin's "What Is To Be Done?"

I'll add more later as they occur to me.

[Raúl Duke]

I suggest Alexander Berkman's What is Communist Anarchism [this work actually has many variations of the title] (which was already suggested), Peter Kropotkin's work, and maybe Colin Ward's Anarchism: A very short introduction. Remember, when you begin to look into anarchism there are many strands of anarchism. The literature I suggested are based mostly on Anarcho-Communism.

You should also take a peek at Council Communist/Left Communist works, although I only suggest Anton Pannekeok's Worker's Councils (book)

[¡Viva la Libertad!]

Thank you for your suggestions, everyone! I hope to find a right path if nothing else. Where I live--the U.S.--there is mainly just the libs and the cons. If you're a fascist of any kind, you are considered "far right". Likewise, if you are as far left as a socialist, you are considered "far left". I would rather be called "pinko" than
"Nazi" anyday, though.

I plan to look up all of this literature, and if I do not read all of it I should hopefully get a good mindset on the revolutionary philosophies.

Thanks again, comrades.

[Marsella]

Since a number of Lenin's writings and Mao's writings have been recommended, I might as well recommend this site in fairness:

Redstar 2000 Papers (http://rs2k.revleft.com/)

Click on the 'theory' tab for the complete works.

Hope it helps :)

[Spasiba]

Trotsky wrote about whether America should go communist? That sounds like something I must read. (I'm starting to wonder if I'm going Trotskyist)

[Faux Real]

Das Kapital by Marx is a great beginners book.

[Led Zeppelin]

The ABC of Communism (http://www.marxists.org/archive/bukharin/works/1920/abc/index.htm) by Nikolai Bukharin/Evgenii Preobrazhensky

The State and Revolution (http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1917/staterev/index.htm) by Vladimir Lenin

Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism (http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1917/staterev/index.htm) by Vladimir Lenin

The Revolution Betrayed (http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1936/revbet/index.htm) by Leon Trotsky

Existentialism Is a Humanism (http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/sartre/works/exist/sartre.htm) by Jean-Paul Sartre

[Djehuti]

WORK - COMMUNITY - POLITICS - WAR (pamphlet)
http://prole.info/introduction/intro_0.html


"Man's Worldly Goods: The Story of the Wealth of Nations" by Leo Huberman
From a marxist perspective this book answers the question of the development of capitalism. A very easy read.


"Reading Capital Politically" by Harry Cleaver
How to use Marx' Capital as a weapon for the working class. Some parts are difficult, but in general it is not very hard to read, much easier than Capital itself.


"Workers' Councils and the Economics of a Self-Managed Society" by Cornelius Castoriadis
The title sais what it's all about. In my opinion the best book there is on the subject.
http://www.point-of-departure.org/Lust-For...ndEconomics.htm (http://www.point-of-departure.org/Lust-For-Life/WorkersCouncilsAndEconomics/WorkersCouncilsAndEconomics.htm)

[Lenin II]

Originally posted by [email protected] 11, 2007 05:59 am
Trotsky wrote about whether America should go communist? That sounds like something I must read. (I'm starting to wonder if I'm going Trotskyist)
That is the essay that made me go communist. It shows just how useful and practical the concept is. :)

[Spasiba]

Originally posted by AndrewG+October 11, 2007 10:04 pm--> (AndrewG @ October 11, 2007 10:04 pm)
[email protected] 11, 2007 05:59 am
Trotsky wrote about whether America should go communist? That sounds like something I must read. (I'm starting to wonder if I'm going Trotskyist)
That is the essay that made me go communist. It shows just how useful and practical the concept is. :) [/b]
I read that essay, and wow, its nothing short of eye-opening. If only more people read that... It's such a change from what most people think of when they think of communism. That was very much worth the read, thank you, but I don't totally understand what he was saying about money.

[Led Zeppelin]

In those times currency was based on a stable gold amount. So the more gold a nation had, the more stable the currency would be, and the less inflation it would have. The USSR lacked this and therefore had a lot of trouble with inflation. The problems are described here: “Socialist” Inflation (http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1936/revbet/ch04.htm#ch04-1)

So what he was saying is that since the US lacked that fault, it could avoid those problems altogether. Of course they went off the gold a decade or so ago I believe so it's not really applicable anymore.