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The Revolution of Everyday Life, by Raoul Vaneigem
It's much easier to read for beginners than Debord is - I read it when I was relatively new to Marxism. Reading it inspired me and gave me a fresh perspective on communism.
Are their any decent documentaries or films that people can recommend?
I personally find it easier to learn by watching something. I have been looking at the David Harvey films on Capital, but are their any other documentaries/lecture series type things which explain any marxist theory properly?
Cheers
Surely it would be a good idea to list some right wing books too so that people interested can learn both sides? It would make it far easier for people to create valid arguments if they had a proper understanding of both sides.
"Low Wage Capitalism"
For an easy-to-understand and very interesting treatise on several aspects of contemporary economics, I recommend "Low Wage Capitalism" by Fred Goldstein. A pdf is available here.
I think right-wing books can be a bit overwhelming for someone who hasn't got a clear grasp of revolutionary leftist politics yet. I remember how formidable and threatening I found right-wing arguments, until my understanding of Marxism made me realize how much right-wing anti-communist ideology is comprised of strawman arguments, thought-terminating cliches and bourgeois jingoistic drivel. it is a cliche to say this but they literally do not have an understanding of what communism actually is. Actually I'd go even further than that cliche (Which is often said by still-recovering liberals who are still new to communism) and say they don't even know what the present-day and historical socialist states were actually like. Not in that these socialist states were amazing utopias or anything, but it seems to boil down to DURR GOVERNMENT CONTROL BAD FREE MARKET GOOD with no serious in-depth analysis of socialist societies.
And when Marx says, 'Hitherto the philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways', what that 'hitherto' means is not a renunciation of theory and that all we need to do is wade in with our fists and there will be no more need for thought. This idea is in fact fascist, and it would be grossly unjust to Marx to impute such views on him.
--Theodor Adorno, 'On Theory and Practice'
These RW views are the default settings of bourgeois society, we're immersed in them. I don't think it's required.
I recommend The Huey P Newton Reader. A good selection of the writing of Huey P Newton, leader of the Black Panthers and one of the most influential modern communists, who leftists don't study nearly enough. His writing is original, interesting, very relevent to us, and very readable.
Formerly zenga zenga !
^That. This assumption that far left politics is on equal footing with right-wing politics is laughable.
And when Marx says, 'Hitherto the philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways', what that 'hitherto' means is not a renunciation of theory and that all we need to do is wade in with our fists and there will be no more need for thought. This idea is in fact fascist, and it would be grossly unjust to Marx to impute such views on him.
--Theodor Adorno, 'On Theory and Practice'
These great introductory book on anarchism may have been mentioned already:
- ABC of Anarchism by Alexander Berkman
- The Conquest of Bread by Peter Kropotkin
- Anarchy by Errico Malatesta
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I really need to check out some of these works. I have to give props to this forum as a very useful place to research.
This. If you can get through all the outdated statistics, The Conquest of Bread is the best introduction to anarchist communism there is.
"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter--tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms further.... And one fine morning----
So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Political Compass
Economic Left/Right: -8.82
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -9.88
Between Existentialism and Marxism by Jean-Paul Sartre.
'The German Ideology'.
this is truehah
I hope this isn't a silly question (I'm new here!), but would books for beginners have to be theory and nonfiction to be educational? There are a number of good fiction books that help to illustrate some of the problems of capitalism and why some form of socialism seems to be the best possible alternative. If I had a friend who wanted to learn, but was intimidated or turned off by the thought of wading through a theoretical text, I might start them off with "The Jungle" or something similar.
Although maybe I'm thinking here of someone who's more of a beginner than you are thinking of - I'm thinking of someone who thinks there's something wrong with the way things are now, but isn't quite sure they could figure out how to explain it. Someone who is sure that it's just not right for some people to drive Hummers while others sleep on sidewalks, but couldn't necessarily put a name to what they're thinking.
What do you think?
Good List
And good starting point. Will definatly keep me busy for awhile and looks to me to be a good foundation for future reference when researching other readings and study. Good personal Marxist library! Thanks!
Good Post!!!!
A few that come to mind are Grapes of Wrath (Steinbeck), It can't happen here Upton Sinclair) , The Monkey Wrench Gang (Edward Abby).
And you are right. Everyone I know and myself included didn't jump into Das Kapital first. First came the question "What the fuck is this bullshit??? Is it just me???" and then came novels that 'spoke' to my heart and mind and led me further.
At 15 for me it was "On the Road" and "The Grapes of Wrath". And it doesn't matter what age one is. But again; you're right. What ever we can do to just get people to take steps to the left in their understanding of the world around us and why capitalism is nothing but imperialism; killing our souls and our world. Documentaries are good too. If you have Link TV with your cable/satellite that's a good place to send people.
Good idea and good post my friend!
What about this?
Socialism: A Very Short Introduction
If that's part of the OUP series, then I've read it, and whilst it's interesting I don't think it's the best book to read if you're looking for an introduction to revolutionary socialism. A good book in that regard would be Paul Foot's 'Why you should be a socialist'.
Thank you for this post. I have read a few of these, the manifesto I've read about three times. I plan to read the books listed here that I haven't yet.
Working people of all nations unite! <3 u comrades
COMMUNISM !