The Communist Manifesto (Signet Classics)

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"A spectre is haunting Europe," Karl Marx and Frederic Engels wrote in 1848, "the spectre of Communism." This new edition of The Communist Manifesto, commemorating the 150th anniversary of its publication, includes an introduction by renowned historian Eric Hobsbawm which reminds us of the document's continued relevance. Marx and Engels's critique of capitalism and its deleterious effect on all aspects of life, from the increasing rift between the classes to the destruction of the nuclear family, has proven remarkably prescient. Their spectre, manifested in the Manifesto's vivid prose, continues to haunt the capitalist world, lingering as a ghostly apparition even after the collapse of those governments which claimed to be enacting its principles.

Book Description

Critically and textually up-to-date, this new edition of the classic translation (Samuel Moore, 1888) features an introduction and notes by the eminent Marx scholar David McLellan, prefaces written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels subsequent to the original 1848 publication, and corrections
of errors made in earlier versions. Regarded as one of the most influential political tracts ever written, The Communist Manifesto serves as the foundation document of the Marxist movement. This summary of the Marxist vision is an incisive account of the world-view Marx and Engels had evolved during
their hectic intellectual and political collaboration of the previous few years.

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Still relevant today both as a historical document and as a stirring call for social democracy, this New Albion edition includes Engel's extensive footnotes from the various editions, plus the changing Prefaces written first by Marx and Engels, and later by Engels alone, plus notes on the Manifesto and the various translations of it.

Customer Reviews:

The Hobo Philosopher.......2007-09-14

Well, if you are a student of Philosophy or economics you must make this a part of your reading whether you want to or not. It is not long. It is not difficult. It is quite explicit. And after you read it you should have a better understanding of where you personally stand politically. I am not going to comment on what it says or advocates. Read it and find out for yourself. You won't need an interpreter.

Must have for any wannabe idealist.......2007-09-10

Well, obviously I havent read this fascinating piece of litrerature, but thats because a read book just looks so scruffy on my beautiful capitalist shelves.
This book makes me look a lot more sympathetic to all those wannabe commies, so why not dish out on a copy too?
Nah just joking, just read it and decide for yourself.

Political Classic...read for historical insight.......2007-06-27

My son required a copy of "The Communist Manifesto" for a philosophy class. After he was done with it, I decided to read it since this was one of the founding documents for Communism.

I found it difficult to decide how to rate this book. The presentation of Manifesto by Penguin in this book is excellent. The central ideas of the Manifesto itself are disturbing.

Should you read the Communist Manifesto? Yes. Is this a good presentation? Yes. Was Communism envisioned by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels a good idea? No. So I have compromised between the excellent presentation and the ideas espoused by the Manifesto in selecting an average rating.

Some reviewers feel that the Manifesto's critique of capitalism is right on; I have grave doubts. Marx and Engels were critiquing capitalism from an ivory tower. Their remedies for capitalism show that they had no real experience or contact with the workers in the trenches.

Some reviewers have mentioned the changing of labor laws due to the Manifesto, such as child labor laws (a generally agreed good thing). I believe those laws would have changed if the Manifesto had never been written. I believe those reviewers are seeing cause and effect relationships where there is none. I believe labor leaders in non-Communist states, pushing for change in labor laws, did not need belief in Communism behind them to push for change. Even without Communism, they would have done what they did anyways because the labor leaders came up from the laboring trenches. They knew first hand the abuses going on. The writers of the Manifesto did not; their ideas were theoretical. I know my ideas, in this area, are conjectures of what would have happened without the Manifesto, without Communism; there is no way they can be proven, history cannot be rewritten.

The remedy proposed by Marx and Engels is frightening. It foreshadows exactly how Communism gave birth to totalitarian states, to Communist dictatorships. Their remedy for capitalism requires a select group of leaders (Communist elitists) to force Communism onto the populace for the good of the people. We should all be suspicious of anyone who professes an idea that is for the good of the people because it invariably is not good for the people. To paraphase Lord Acton, "power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely," and the states envisioned by the writers of the Manifesto set up perfect conditions of absolute power (for the good of the people) which in practice led to absolutely corrupt power. History has shown there has been extreme abuse by Communist leaders, who became power meglomanics, of the masses of workers in their states.

Indeed, history has repeatedly shown that the concentration of power in the hands of a select few led to abuse of power. The smaller the select, the greater the abuse. This has been true regardless of the political theories espoused by the leaders. Let this be a cautionary tale to all of us.

A Must Read.......2007-06-23

It amazes me that the effects of cold war propaganda drivel still permeates the minds of most Americans. This is easily one of the most influential works since it's publication in the 19th century. To say something along the lines that the pages should be torn out and used as paper airplanes is like saying the literary masterpieces Dickens should be used as toilet paper. Disagree with it all you want but at least acknowledge it's influence and respect it, as several reviewers have. Don't simply pigeonhole a great work due to the ignorance or American cold war dogma. If you are going to rant about this work at least get your facts straight. Hitler is not a communist..never was. As a matter of fact he hated communism just as much as most Americans do. Second, recognize communism is an ideal, just a capitalism is may I add, and there never has been a purely communistic state. If you are going to give this work a bad rating at least pretend you have read it. Most of the bad reviews are complete drivel and it is obvious the work has not been read. Give a reason why you do not like the book. Simply saying it sucks is not very insightful. Finally, do not give this a bad review simply because you cannot understand what is being said. If the merit of literary works were based upon how something is being said rather than what is being said Shakespeare, Chaucer, and Milton would not be considered literary geniuses.

A Misleading Edition.......2007-06-14

The following is the composure of the book:
pg. 1-170 Introduction by Translator
pg. 170-240 Various Prefaces of Other Editions by the Authors
pg. 240-280 The Manifesto

For those not familiar with Marx, who want to read the introduction and gain new insights--this is a brilliant setup.

For those who would rather just pay $2 for the Manifesto itself--this is disappointing.

Recommended for the student of philosophy, not the professor.

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A classic compendium of Marxist thought
Essential Marx, all in one volume
Essay: Alienation from Humanity, on Marx and Mill
Essential Works Of Marxs & Engels For the Beginner!
The best collection we have

The Marx-Engels Reader, Second Edition
Robert C. Tucker , and Friedrich Engels
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
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ASIN: 039309040X

Customer Reviews:

A classic compendium of Marxist thought.......2007-06-03

Whether or not one is a Marxist, knowledge of Marx' work is important in understanding the variety of political philosophizing over the millennia. Marx' political thought is sometimes difficult (think the "Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844") and sometimes transparent (e.g., "The Manifesto of the Communist Party," more popularly referred to as the "Communist Manifesto").

This edited work is one of the best introductions to the works of Marx (and Engels). The volume begins with the early Marx, which includes the "Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844," excerpts from "The Holy Family" (in which he attacks some of the other socialists of the era), "Theses on Feuerbach," and the first of the truly classic works that Marx and Engels co-authored, "The German Ideology." It is interesting to note that "The German Ideology" covers much the same territory as "The Holy Family," with the major exception that Marx now addresses the intriguing and offbeat work by Max Stirner, "The Ego and His Own." In the process of addressing Stirner, Marx and Engels take the philosophical edifice to a more powerful level, creating a new perspective with a move away from idealism and toward materialism.

Other major works included are excerpts from "Das Kapital" (fairly turgid reading, I fear), the "Manifesto of the Community Party" (which ends with the famous phrase [page 500]) "The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains."), the "Critique of the Gotha Program," and "The 18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte" (with its great introductory phrase [page 594] "Hegel remarks somewhere that all great, world-historical facts and personages occur, as it were, twice. He has forgotten to add: the first time as tragedy, the second as farce.").

The final section of the work features the work of Engels, including "Socialism: Utopian and Scientific," "Anti-Duhring," "The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State."

If one be interested in learning more about Marx (and Engels), this is an accessible edited work that provides some of the key works.

Essential Marx, all in one volume.......2007-05-19

If you're looking for a single volume collection of Marx (and a little Engels), this is the one you want. The other reviewers list some of the selections, but the bottom line is: if you've heard of it, it's here. This is the book I keep on my shelf for those (decreasingly common) moments when I want to look up something in Marx.

The only problem lies in the production values - - the pages are thin and light weight, and the font a bit small, in order to cram it all in. If you highlight with a yellow pen, you'll be frustrated because it will bleed through worse than usual. Use a ballpoint pen or a pencil. My eyesight is still good, but if it weren't, I suspect the font size would be another frustration.

Still, if you're browsing this page, you're in the market for Marx. This is the book you want.

Essay: Alienation from Humanity, on Marx and Mill.......2005-06-07

The modern age is a dangerous age, an age in which we might be alienated from that individual independence in work and in mind which defines our humanity. Confronted by this crisis, Karl Marx and John Stuart Mill offer the world diverging solutions: annihilate the existing world and march toward communism, or guard against the dangers of the existing world as we further embrace liberal democracy. Despite these divergent paths which arise from differing views on the driving force of history, both systems aim to rescue the supreme interest of our individual humanity-for Marx, this interest lies in reaching absolute prosperity for the material man, and for Mill, it lies in the search for absolute truth for the idealistic man.

With its emphasis on individuality and diversity, Mill's theory is in a sense more encompassing than Marx's. Mill's theory, however, is fundamentally flawed in comparison to Marx's because of its ignorance of property as a danger against human liberty.

Marx sees in the industrial age the death of the property-less class. This death is brought by the industrial age's five qualities: division of labor, accumulation of capital, competition, financial crisis, and monopoly. In this age, machineries and the division of labor reduce the skillful artisans to the proletariats who merely work on one monotonous element of production. The capitalists who own the machines enlarge their capital by exploiting the proletariat's labor, leaving them only with enough to eat. Competition forces capitalists to lower prices, but this is good only until each factory produces more than demanded and a financial crisis emerges. The small capitalists are reduced to the property-less as millions of workers are swept into deeper hell. Only the biggest capitalist survives, and he becomes the monopolist who can lower wages and raise prices at whim, destroying the lives of all. (Part 1, Bourgeois and Proletarians, Manifesto of the Communist Party)

The above scenario is unavoidable because the accumulation of more capital is the only end of capital. If the capitalist stops investing capital for gains he ceases to be a capitalist, and becomes a mere consumer of goods, enjoying the fruits of old exploitations. Tragically, capital can only increase when it exploits the difference of what labor costs and labor produces, as Marx writes,

"The modern bourgeois private property is the final and most complete expression of the system of producing and appropriating products, that is based on class antagonisms, on the exploitation of the many by the few." (Marx p484)

The rich man sitting in his patio who has inherited a million pound and who lets others manage his money has not done anything to deserve profits, indeed, since he himself did not work, his profits must come from the works of others who he exploits. In the capitalistic system, there exists no pity, only keen self-interest, "all are instruments of labour, more or less expensive to use..." (Marx p479)

The workers might die, but before their body ceases to be exploited, their mind is already died-capitalism has alienated them from their humanity which is defined by their creative productivity. This alienation from our humanity was Marx's greatest worry. Animals make nests and produce goods just as we do, however, as Marx writes,

"...a bee would put many a human architect to shame by the construction of its honeycomb cells. But what distinguishes the worst architect from the best of bees is that the architect builds the cell in his mind before he constructs it in wax... Man not only effects a change of form in the materials of nature; he also realizes his own purpose in those materials." (Chapter 7, Das Kapital)

In order to freely produce as the creativity of his mind directs him and as his productive ability allows, the material man must be endowed with control over the means of production. In the world of private property, however, the workers have turned from the master of production to the slave of the machine-they are reduced to programmed animals that produce merely for the end of survival.

The proletariat can only reassert his humanity by violent overthrowing the capitalists and through the "abolition of private property" (Marx p484). Once in communism, the workers will own the means of production and enjoy the full produces of their labor. He will be motivated to constantly transform the world into a more prosperous kingdom. As Marx writes, "In communist society, accumulated labour is but a means to widen, to enrich, to promote the existence of the labourer." (Marx p485) The abundance of material goods will allow man to work not for survival, but for his own enjoyment. In this society, there will be no family and nor religion, everything is made for the love of all and enjoyed by all. Any vestiges of private interest would result in the return to capitalism with all its evils.

To Mill, the modern life is also threatening because the voice of the majority might alienate men from their individuality. The differentiation of society is essential for the vitality of the society, and this vitality empowers men on their search for truth.

Political debates, according to Mill, have been about striking the balance between the ruler and ruled. It is necessary for the ruled to have a ruler in order to preserve peace and law, yet the elected or unelected ruler's power must be restrained so that he does not abuse it against the ruled. In contrast to Marx's class struggle, this "struggle between liberty and authority" (p59) from Mill is more amiable. In the current era of democratic nations, however, since the ruled are also the rulers, the opposition no longer exists. People feel that all actions taken by the people's government will be good for the people, and hence they lose the old vigilance against the invasion of public power into their private spheres. The voice of the majority becomes the equivalent of the truth and justice.

Mill is worried that this majority voice will obstruct man's search for truth, the attaining of which is the goal of life. Truth is not reached once and then preserved for eternity, it is an organic being with a thousand facets whose survival requires continued inputs of each person's active mind. This truth is the individual treasure of each being, fitting perfectly to his taste and preferences; yet it is also a truth for the whole community, since it is only through the struggles of different truths that humanity as a whole reaches a higher truth-a higher level for the activation of the mind. As Mill writes, "There is always need of persons not only to discover new truths and point out when what were once truths are true no longer" (p71) If the majority religion is the only religion and taste the only taste, then people will no longer think but simply follow; society will be bogged into the swamp of mediocrity with a mind that is dead. Marx also feared the death of the mind, the mind of the creative worker. Despite the differences, both philosophers are concerned about the destruction of man's defining qualities.

To counter this, Mill proclaims that the only defense for "interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number is self-protection." (p68). The government must be restrained in the sphere of public affairs, and individuals shall live as free as they want to following their individual passions.

Marx and Mill both want to regain humanity. In one case, the enemy is the benumbing effects of majority rule, and man's mind for truth is debased forever into mediocrity, in the other case, the enemy comes from the benumbing effects of subjugation to the machine, and the man is turned from the master of production into the slaves of capital.

The core difference between the two theories in practical operation arises from their different views on individuality (both systems serve individuals as their ends, however, individuality, allowing people to be different, are treated differently). For Mill, we must preserve individuality to bring truth (Chapter 3, On Liberty), but for Marx, the destruction of private property is the only task. The communistic society will be a union in which man can "...hunt in the morning, fish in the afternoon, rear cattle in the evening, criticize after dinner..." (The German Ideology). This free life of a communist in communism is all good until one day the comrade does not want to be a communist anymore-but he must be one, there is no choice. In Communism, one does not have the individual liberty to have families, nor try to build a little store of private wealth.

On the other side, if someone in Mill's world decides to be a communist, he has the full right to do so. He can even segregate himself away with his friends and enjoy the life of a commune. In another word, Marxism can not destroy Mill's democracy-it will just be one of the many ways of thinking allowed by the system-but Mill's cry for diversity will destroy Marx's world within a second.

Confronted with the above, Marx would reply like he did in the Jewish Question, that the so-called liberty and freedom of the capitalistic world are nothing other than man's desire to keep himself a self-sufficient nomad. As he writes, all the rights of man are simply "the right to enjoy one's fortune and to dispose of it as one will; without regard for other men and independently of society." (Marx, p42) Marx will say that only seeing the superficial political liberation is not to see the deeper human liberation which could only be achieved with the abolition of private property. Marx might not be completely right, but he does stand at a higher ground than Mill in this analysis of property.

Mill in On Liberty is focused solely on avoiding the abuse of power through government, but he ignores the abuses that property owners are capable of against the property-less. In an agricultural society where everyone is equal and land unlimited, the government might be the only thing capable of suppressing individual liberty, but when one sees child-labor and 12 hour work day in modern industrial society, there is no doubt that capital could be a pitiless monster. Even when one ignores the industrial age, and tries to give Mill credit for drawing the best possible life for the pre-industrial man, one still can not avoid noticing the subjugation of the slaves, the suffering of the serfs, and all the other dark stories of the property-less in all the ages previous to the industrial one which Marx gives a full account of.

Marx and Mill were faced with the same modern phenomenal, the danger of been alienated from the defining quality of humanity in the face of a new economic and a new political system. Marx might not have made the best analysis, but he did have a deep understanding of history and the problems in history. He stood at the level of the common people and tried to solve their problems caused by their material desperation. Mill did not stoop to the common people, he looked up into the sky of truth and tried to preserve the march toward truth first embarked on by Plato.

Essential Works Of Marxs & Engels For the Beginner!.......2004-02-25

Given the impact of Marxism on the unfolding history of the later nineteenth and twentieth century, the beginning student of the combined writings of both Marx and Engels will find this collection of the essential works of these two pioneering socialists absolutely essential reading. Its list of included works covers the waterfront of all that is required to gain a fruitful first look at the wealth of their philosophical musings, and the nature of their revolutionary canon, as well. Reading this material is essential if one is to understand the depth of Marx's understanding and the detail of his genius, however discredited he may be in current estimations. Indeed, with the rise of international corporatism is so close to his prognostications regarding the final phases of capitalism that it is hard to deny his continuing relevance.

Included here is everything from the Communist Manifesto all the way to Volume One of Das Capital. One can gain a better appreciation for his ideas regarding the way in which the antagonism between the oppressed and the oppressors provides the motive force for history, and how all history is the history of such class struggles between the owners of the means of production, on the one hand, and the workers, who have nothing to barter with but their considerable capacity to accomplish labor. If one want to gain a better appreciation for the nuances regarding how alienation is created buy the organization of work, or the origin of property, or even the ways in which all of the aspects of a particualr society's culture are manifestations of the values of the ruling class, then a careful reading of the material found here will serve you well. I highly recommend this book. Enjoy!

The best collection we have.......2003-06-07

"The Marx-Engels Reader" is the best single collection of Marx's thought. What makes it doubly important, is that it is one of the few texts which contain an index. This sounds unremarkable, but believe me, it makes the text extremely more useful. This book transcends the state of being a mere anthology, and is an indespensible reference work.

Book Description

This second edition of McLellan's comprehensive selection of Marx's writings includes carefully selected extracts from the whole range of Marx's political, philosophical and economic thought. Each section of the book deals with a different period of Marx's life with the sections arranged in chronological order, thus allowing the reader to trace the development of Marx's thought, from his early years as a student and political journalist in Germany right through to his final letters of the early 1880s. The inclusion of extracts from some of Marx's less well-known works alongside selections from classic texts such as The Communist Manifesto and Capital provides the reader with an unparalleled overview of Marx's thinking, whilst Professor McLellan's fully updated and revised introduction and bibliographical notes accompanying each extract put Marx's writings into biographical and historical context. This edition also includes a general bibliography and a full index of names and ideas as well as a new general introduction for each section of the book by Professor McLellan. As with the first edition, this comprehensive and clearly structured selection of Marx's writings will be essential reading for all those interested in the political thought of this perennially important figure in Western political philosophy.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent collection.......2006-02-02

This is a brilliant collection of some of the very best writings of Karl Marx. A must read for anyone with interest in Marx's early writings (non-Marxist period), letters, essays, his Doctoral thesis, and then later on his political writings forming the `theory of historical materialism', commonly referred to as Marxism. Personally, his `Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts 1844' is really a very nice reading because it renders a very attractive insight into Marx's early intellectual and psychological fight against Hegel's Phenomenology to form the basis of his theory later on. Also included is: Critique of Hegel's works and A Poverty of Philosophy (critique of Proudhon) which are excellent readings. Recommended to everyone; quintessentially to anyone trying to get an insight into one of the greatest intellectual minds of all time.

Subhasish Ghosh

St. Cross College
University of Oxford

Wonderful Anthology Of Marx's Theories and Ideas.......2004-02-27

When one considers the incredible influence that Marxism has had in the unfolding history of the later nineteenth and twentieth century, the beginning student of the combined writings of both Marx and Engels will find this collection of the essential works of these two pioneering socialists absolutely essential reading. Its list of included works covers the waterfront of all that is required to gain a fruitful first look at the wealth of their philosophical musings, and the nature of their revolutionary canon, as well. Reading this material is essential if one is to understand the depth of Marx's understanding and the detail of his genius, however discredited he may be in current estimations. Indeed, with the rise of international corporatism is so close to his prognostications regarding the final phases of capitalism that it is hard to deny his continuing relevance.

A Great Anthology.......2000-09-16

This is the best Marx anthology available. Aside from selections taken from all of Marx's major works, it contains lesser-known selections on a variety of topics. The whole presents a steady stream of selections through Marx's life. Consequently, it gives the length and breadth of Marx's writing without burying you in a life-time of reading. Short explanatory introductions help place the selections in Marx's development and in broader history.

A good follow up is Main Currents of Marxism by Leszek Kolakowski (3 volumes). Unfortunately those books are out of print in America, but they can still be found in good libraries and in the used-book market.

Excellent Selection of Marx's Writings........1999-07-05

This is an excellent selection of the writings of Karl Marx. This includes many writings which do not make it into the usual Marx/Engels Readers; Writings including Marx's Letters, his criticism of Bakunin, more writings on economics than in the usual Reader, and so on. One flaw of it, though, is that it does not contain the later writings of Engels writen after Marx's death. I suppose this is to be expected; It is after all *Marx's* writings, not Engels. However, the loss does not affect it much, and the book is still one of the most valuable tomes of Marxism I've bought. I'd recommend anyone interested in the thought of Karl Marx to get this book; If one is interested in both the writings of Marx and Engels, I'd recommend they get this book and the Marx/Engels Reader to supplement it. I have both, and both are fascinating.

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Some good information
Awesome Book
Seriously...
Lighten up, folks!
Outdated propoganda

The Anarchist Cookbook
William Powell
Manufacturer: Ozark Press, LLC
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Some good information.......2007-09-24

A good book for refrence material for the HAZMAT courses I teach. If you are buying this with the intent to use the information be really careful because some of the information is flat out wrong and will get you hurt and it will also get you put on a few watch lists.

Awesome Book.......2006-07-28

The material covered is fascinating if you enjoy the idea of making "cool" things from household products. The material is dated but an awesome book nonetheless.

Seriously..........2006-07-25

This book is accurate as a blind folded archer spun 3 times in a game of pinata. There is no real useful info in this book, you'd get more tactics out of a Steven Seagal film. This book should be taken out of print before some dummy hurts themselves. If you're interested in learning the tricks of the trade buy a surplus field manual (FM), Watch Discovery Channel, or Join the Military or some Government agency. Billy Powell was a very misinformed hippie. The part that gave it all away was the part about the M-1 Garand. "Used in both World Wars and Korea" WW2 and Korea yes, WW1 no. I think its luck of some higher power that this dummy didn't hurt himself in the process.

Lighten up, folks!.......2006-07-21

The author has provided the context in which he wrote this book. As an adolescent boy in the 1970s, I found it an interesting read. Since I had the good sense to not attempt any of the hare-brained schemes in the book, I am still healthy and have all of my limbs. If people are interested in improvised munitions and the like, there are at least six (6) US Army FMs and TMs on the subject that I am aware of. Bear in mind that the making of explosive devices is a serious felony, and should not be attempted without the proper Federal and State licenses and permits. BATFE does not take kindly to the making of unregistered and untaxed explosives.

Outdated propoganda.......2006-07-14

The guy who wrote this claims a lot of things. No proof to back it up though.

He wrote it because he thought that the Vietnam conflict was going to escalate to WWIII but it didn't.

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one foot in the class struggle, and one in the ivory tower
The Greatest Philosophical Work Inspired by the Russian Revolution
The Root of Critical Theory
replay for unchange kapitalism world

History and Class Consciousness
Georg Lukács
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
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Customer Reviews:

one foot in the class struggle, and one in the ivory tower.......2006-08-08

Lukacs' emphasis here on the importance of the ideological terrain in the class struggle was pathbreaking, and this book contains the fruits of a fine mind absorbed with interest and passion in the socialist cause. However the work is marred by a highly abstract and abstruse style of presentation, a style that would reach baffling lows in the writings of his followers in the Frankfort school.

In these pages, Lukacs scores some palpable hits against the ideological dominance of the bourgoisie, as well as against the opportunism and capitulation of the social democratic forces ascendant in the working class movements of Western Europe after WWI. His early recognition that it is precisely where capitalism is most highly developed that it is most difficult for the working class to organize against it turned Marx's assumptions about the progression of socialism on their head. Lukacs' emphasis on the necessary organic link between theory and forms of movement organization are lucid and welcome. But his failure to follow up on his insights and theorize methods of organization that go beyond Leninist dogma, even where he recognizes the problems involved in democratic-centralist party building, is a gaping weakness.

For those coming to the book out of an interest in the history and practice of socialism, I would recommend sticking to the shorter essays: "The Marxism of Rosa Luxemburg" for its examination of the links between crisis, class consciousness, and conflict; "Class Consciousness", for a relatively succinct presentation of the class struggle in the realm of ideology; and "Legality and Illegality" and "On the Methodology of Organization" for more concrete discussion of communist party practice. Most of the rest of the book consists of belabored and highly abstract philosophical arguments that assume a high level of familiarity with Kant, Hegel, and Marx.

The Greatest Philosophical Work Inspired by the Russian Revolution.......2006-02-10

Georg Lukacs, already a major figure in the intellectual avant-garde of Central Europe before, underwent a substantial transformation in and through his experience of the October Revolution in Russia and its revolutionary ramifications elsewhere. This book documents the results of that transformation at the level of thought.
I depart from the reader from Phoenix's comments fundamentally - understanding this book, or that of the Frankfurt School writers who were acknowledgely inspired by it (but, by no means, reproduce its arguments), as well as "raw Hegel" has little or nothing to do with IQ, though, of course, education is a prerequisite to any meaningful engagement with it.
As is widely recognized and is obvious from its great length, the central essay of this book is where Lukacs most systematically explicates his re-appropriation of Marxian social theory. The extent to which this essay is itself internally consistent is a matter of dispute. But that aside, it is, without any doubt, a very powerful piece. However, the other essays are also valuable, though they typically require a fairly solid grounding in the history of the international left up through the early 1920s.
Unlike so many of the existing translations of Marx and the Frankfurt School, this book is fairly reliably translated. For those of us who prefer to read this material in English, this is a very valuable volume.

The Root of Critical Theory.......2000-04-12

The grand and celebrated critiques of capitalistic techno-rationality that emerged from the Frankfurt school are all rooted in the dialectical emphasis of Lukacs. Hegelian notions of reification and alienation that Lukacs resurrected even showed up in radically mutated forms in French poststructuralism. This, as well as Horkheimer's "Dialectic of Enlightenment" are must-reads for New-Left enthusiasts who have neither the time nor the IQ to comprehend raw Hegel. Dialectical thinking is at the root of the philosophies of Hegel, Sartre, Heidegger, Marx, Marcuse, Adorno, Lukacs, Horkheimer, and Neumann, and this book is an excellent introduction to the ontology of capitalism as examined through a whole new cognitive apparatus: dialectical thought.

replay for unchange kapitalism world.......2000-03-26

the Lukacs' theory about History and Class Consciousness answered the question, why the socialist world not yet realized today. Lukacs said that the importance of history not in proletarian class' consciousness. and so, the borgeouis can still made the false consciousness to hegemony proletarian class. i think, it made Lukacs as a outstanding philosopher of neo-marxist today!

The Cambridge Companion to Marx (Cambridge Companions to Philosophy)

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The Cambridge Companion to Marx (Cambridge Companions to Philosophy)

Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
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ASIN: 0521366941

Book Description

Marx was a highly original and polymathic thinker, unhampered by disciplinary boundaries, whose intellectual influence has been enormous. Yet in the wake of the collapse of Marxism-Leninism in Eastern Europe the question arises as to how important his work really is for us now. An important dimension of this volume is to place Marx's writings in their historical context and to separate what he actually said from what others (in particular, Engels) interpreted him as saying. Informed by current debates and new perspectives, the volume provides a comprehensive coverage of all the major areas to which Marx made significant contributions.

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A classic
Creative Destruction of Capitalism and the Emergence of Socialism
How so much Smartness Can Get it so Utterly Wrong
Provocative and Informative Analysis
Historical Endnote

Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy
Joseph A. Schumpeter
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
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ASIN: 0061330086

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A classic.......2007-03-08

For economy,political science, law and sociology students, this is the mandatory Schumpeter title.

Creative Destruction of Capitalism and the Emergence of Socialism.......2007-02-04

Like Marx, Schumpeter predicts the inevitable disintegration of the capitalist system. However, where Marx foresees the collapse as stemming from proletariat revolution, Schumpeter argues that the "actual and prospective performance" of capitalism is strong, and unlikely to fail. But, Schumpeter argues, it is these same successes which will ultimately destroy the social institutions, namely private property and free contracting, necessary for its continued survival. As such, new conditions will emerge which will not allow capitalism to continue and socialism will become the dominant economic system.

Capitalism is an evolutionary and dynamic process. This constant state of motion is driven by the emergence of new methods of production (and subsequently new consumer goods), the pursuit of new markets, and improved forms of industrial organization (83). As such, aspects of the internal capitalist system are constantly being revolutionized; old processes are being replaced with new processes in the name of progress and improvement. Schumpeter refers to this process as a state of creative destruction. "This process of creative destruction is the essential fact about capitalism. It is what capitalism consists in and what every capitalist concern has to live in" (83).

The theory of creative destruction is based on the classic feature of capitalism, competition. Traditionally, capitalism is characterized by competition stemming from price, methods of production, and organization. This competitive attributes help to ensure the market efficiency of firms. However, Schumpeter argues that the real feature of capitalism is destructive competition. Destructive competition includes the emergence of new commodities, technologies, sources of supply and new types of organizations (84). Where the traditional measures of competition allow for existing firms to evolve in a changing market, destructive competition tends to destroy those firms which become inefficient. It is this system of destructive competition that revolutionizes the internal capitalist structures.

Through the process of destructive competition, Schumpeter argues that the vital institutions of capitalism, ownership of property and freedom of choice in contracting, are destroyed. Schumpeter's sentiment is illustrated through a brief examination of the collapse of the feudal structure. During the feudal period, changes in production and mechanization overran and obliterated the artisan and small producer. Today, the same process can be observed in that larger, more efficient firms are eliminating their smaller, less efficient brethren. Stated simply, the capitalist process attacks its own institutional framework. The entrepreneurial class, which fuels the dynamic capitalist system, is being retarded, or as Schumpeter suggests, "economic progress tends to become depersonalized and automatized" (133).
This is exemplified by the emergence of mega-companies in which the firm is rarely owned by one individual but rather is composed of board members and stock holders. Schumpeter argues that none of these actors truly own the company and as such lack the drive of the entrepreneur who owns his or her company. What then emerges is capitalist stagnation. Individual choice is usurped by the interest of large corporations. Instead of relying on choice, corporations will come to agreements between themselves, thus creating a system of pseudo-monopoly. With this limited competition, laws and regulations are imposed on the corporations rather than left to individual firms (141). As such, we begin to see the emergence of socialist ideology in that competition and ownership are removed, and replaced by a centralized governmental system of control.

Of particular note, unlike Marx who sees the destruction of bourgeois entrepreneur as a necessary precondition to socialism, Schumpeter sees the same entrepreneur as integral to the success of the socialist transition. Socialism will only emerge when capitalism has reached its maturity, that point in time where capitalism has destroyed its own vital institutions of ownership and choice. Although these institutions are eliminated, socialism still reaps the benefits from the technology, knowledge, and resources developed by the entrepreneurial class in the earlier stages of capitalism. In order to be sustainable such inheritances are necessary condition for the success of socialism.

How so much Smartness Can Get it so Utterly Wrong.......2006-03-01

As to the best of my knowledge, there were two major intellectual responses to the seemingly endless and insuperable crisis which the capitalist system had got itself into after the Great Slump of 1929: Keynes`s "General Theory of Money, Interest and Employment" of 1936 and Schumpeter`s "Capitalism" which was first published in 1942. Like Marx before them, both Keynes and Schumpeter reject the "classic economists'" contention that what they called the market system wíll always automatically swing back to an ideal equilibrium - expecially one that implied full employment - provided only the state kept its hands off as much as possible.

However, that is just about where their concurrence ends. While Marx sees the only solution outside the system, in its bloody overthrow and its succession by a "dictatorship of the proletariat" introducing the next evolutionary step in human history, called socialism, Keynes considered the market system as basically viable. All that was needed, according to him, was governmental involvement by which the lacking demand in times of a slump would be lifted to more agreeable levels. Schumpeter, in contrast, agrees with Marx in that capitalism's days are counted and that it is about to be replaced by socialism, even though he doesn't share Marx`s more aggressive notions: according to him, the present day capitalists need not be dealt with by the guillotine alone, they may indeed have a useful function as entrepreneurs employed by his envisaged omnipotent and omniscient super agency that will ideally plan everybody's well-being in his imagined socialist system.
What to think of the book today?
First, it is hard to fathom how Schumpeter could have turned such an absolutely blind eye on the totalitarian tendencies necessarily inherent in a state that not only controlled the political field but also was quasi the monopolist employer and as such responsible for the economic side of peoples's lives as well, in particular when one considers the time when it came out: 1942!
Second, it is a fine example of how wrong you can get things even if (or: because?) you know so much as Schumpeter did - maybe that is the best argument of all against the establishment of such a super agency planning everybody's life to the extent envisaged by Schumpeter.
Finally, even if such an agency did not err - is it not a basic right - and half of the fun of life - to make mistakes - for oneself that is, not forcing them on others?

Provocative and Informative Analysis.......2005-12-14

Despite its age (published in 1942), Schumpeter's book remains a classic. If I have one dominant complaint, it's that he uses the Ubiquitous terms "rational" and "rationality" to refer to human calculus, not in its philosophical or logical senses.

Part One exposes some of the failures of Marxism, although Schumpeter is a thoroughly avowed Marxist. If the book had been written more recently, I am sure he could add some more. Surprisingly, the two major objections to Marxism, labor allocation and price determination, are not even mentioned.

Part Two gives Schumpeter's blueprint for a revised "socialism" along Marxist lines. That in itself is quite a feat, considering that there are at least 60 competing kinds. As I was examining each of his proposals, I could not help observe that to a detail they mirror the efforts of the former U.S.S.R. But the first caveat of Part Three disowns "Russian" socialism. For the life of me, I could not find a single distinction. Under his blueprint, the Board of Planning will, with utilitarian expertise, determine what the consumer wants, determine the price, and the supply. But based on what? Human calculus. But calculus based on what? Obviously, this means an extraordinary bureaucracy to "administer" such a state of affairs, but it'll save money in the long run. Even more troubling, what if something I "need" doesn't fit the calculus? For example, say I want a birth-control device, and the bureaucrats determine condoms are cheap and effective. No need for pills or IUDs under this scheme. What if I think I look better in baby-blue shirts, but drab is more economical and just as efficient? No baby-blue shirts. After all, a shirt is a shirt is a shirt.

Part Three is a "critique" of capitalism. Finally, an author who agrees with me that if capitalism "fails," it will be because of its successes, not because of its intrinsic weaknesses. Indeed, the central thesis of the book is that Marxist socialism can ONLY succeed once capitalism has reached full maturity. Perhaps the most apparent "maturity" will be the emergence of the monopoly, both governmental and commercial. Too bad Wal-mart did not exist at the time of his writing, for it is an example par excellence. It's a mega-business that destroys "smaller" competition by its low prices, volume purchases, and low wages. Beyond the obvious, one only has to observe all the mergers and acquisitions to see the increasing interests in mega-business, or call your "company" and go through a battlefield of menu options to get to a "specialist" who might be able to address your concerns. Good luck. Even more bizarre is the complicity of federal and municipal governments granting mega-businesses dispensations from the customary and usual ordinances (like the 2005 Energy Bill). In each and every case, capitalism has reached a "maturity" that in the end stifles the very thing it touts: competition.

So instead of playing "bourgeoisie" football, we'll all be playing "proletariat" football (this is directly from the book). Under this scheme, the most utilitarian scheme always wins. We don't need Fords, Chevrolets, Chryslers; we can all suffice on an extrapolated Volkswagen that the bureaucrats determine is "best" for all. You think the local DMV is a headache, just imagine it a hundred-fold more bureaucrats under the socialist paradigm. And to what purpose? Equalitarianism (today we'd use egalitarianism). The means of production and income will be uniform. Everyone would be given the same units of consumption to purchase their needs as the bureaucrats have determined a priori that consumers want. What if one wants a home with a view, another with a balcony, another with all-electric kitchen, etc.? If such needs exist, the bureaucrats will provide them. Right. Everyone under this scheme would be employed, even if "make work" programs need to be used. Plus, it really doesn't matter, because everyone - everyone - gets the same units of consumption (also known as "money"). So what about that "lazy" person who refuses to "carry his/her own weight?" Economic punishment by authoritarian rule. What about the one person in a hundred who performs extraordinary service? Personal fulfillment and human betterment are sufficient. What part of this scheme does not mirror the U.S.S.R.?

Schumpeter's critique of democracy in Part Four is on target. Like said: It's the worst form of government, save all others. But he makes a number of salient points. He favors the parliamentary system (as do I). The institution of the Senate is blatantly anti-democratic, and if nothing else, must be dissolved. He doesn't have much regard for constitutions, but they alone protect "minority" interests. He flatly rejects proportional representation, but it's obviously more democratic than what we have now: Majority Rule. His prescience did allow him to envision Rank Voting, but I think it's something he'd approve. But in the end, democracy is just a capitalist institution. Whether or not it survives the "revolution" will only be known at that time. Politics will be subordinate to economics anyway, so perhaps all "public policy" will be negated by socialism.

It's ironic that capitalism will, in time, become its own dissolution, but Schumpeter's alternative seems far worse than anything we have now, or can expect. Certainly a "mixed" economy with regulated capitalism is only part of the answer. After all, Wal-mart may be a socialist's worse nightmare, but at least one has alternatives: Target, K-mart, Kohl's, etc. And equally obvious, whatever the "market" cannot provide, the government must. Is it government's duty to provide ALL of Maslov's hierarchy of needs? No. But surely it must provide what the market does not: A Safety Net.

Obviously, Marxist socialism is thoroughly discredited. Read Hayek's "Road to Serfdom," and observe the fall of the U.S.S.R. Even socialists governments are on the wane, not on the increase. Yet, for all its obvious defects, it's great to have one book that explains the matters it does.

Excellent and accessible writing.

Historical Endnote.......2005-10-03

Like Hayek's Road to Serfdom, this book was written during the Secon World War when Keynes was busy crafting the post war peace. It is infused with the 1930s' corporatist ideas and tends to favour the Communist version more than the Nazi/Fascist version. Keynes is indisputably the 2oth century's most important economist but why does Schumpeter and his creative destruction occupy position #2? I put it down to the same reason as Marx' Theory of Alienation gained such sway. As there was little else to salvage from Marx' writings, they hit on that to make him apear relevant. Marx was a dangerous idiot and the fact that Schumeter heaps measured praise on him suggests that Schumpeter should also join him in the intellectual trash can of history. I see little relevant in his work which I feel has gained prominence simply because economics has lost its intellectual direction. Unlike Gary Becker and other recipients of the Nobel Prize, Schumpeter tackles big issues. But the big issues shrug him off. Nothing here to ponder over.

The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism

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Bringing Down the Walls of Communism
Ronald Reagan - The Crusader
Ronald Reagan= One Great American
"The Crusader" One person can make a difference.
Irrefutable evidence

The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism
Paul Kengor
Manufacturer: Harper
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0061136905
Release Date: 2006-10-17

Book Description

Based on extraordinary research: a major reassessment of Ronald Reagan's lifelong crusade to dismantle the Soviet Empire–including shocking revelations about the liberal American politician who tried to collude with USSR to counter Reagan's efforts

Paul Kengor's God and Ronald Reagan made presidential historian Paul Kengor's name as one of the premier chroniclers of the life and career of the 40th president. Now, with The Crusader, Kengor returns with the one book about Reagan that has not been written: The story of his lifelong crusade against communism, and of his dogged–and ultimately triumphant–effort to overthrow the Soviet Union.

Drawing upon reams of newly declassified presidential papers, as well as untapped Soviet media archives and new interviews with key players, Kengor traces Reagan's efforts to target the Soviet Union from his days as governor of California to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of what he famously dubbed the "Evil Empire." The result is a major revision and enhancement of what historians are only beginning to realize: That Reagan not only wished for the collapse of communism, but had a deep and specific understanding of what it would take––and effected dozens of policy shifts that brought the USSR to its heels within a decade of his presidency.

The Crusader makes use of key sources from behind the Iron Curtain, including one key memo that implicates a major American liberal politician–still in office today–in a scheme to enlist Soviet premier Yuri Andropov to help defeat Reagan's 1984 reelection bid. Such new finds make The Crusader not just a work of extraordinary history, but a work of explosive revelation that will be debated as hotly in 2006 as Reagan's policies were in the 1980s.

Customer Reviews:

Bringing Down the Walls of Communism.......2007-09-09

Ronald Reagan is one of the rare figures in history who transcends political ideology. Often portrayed as more communicator than true statesman, The Crusader presents a far different picture. Paul Kengor does a masterful work of combining Reagan's own words with seldom published source material. The picture that develops is of a man who truly believed communism was evil and dedicated the later part of his life to seeing its downfall.

Since President Reagan's death, more and more historians have begun to change their opinion of his effectiveness and influence as leader of the free world. No matter what your political leanings, The Crusader is a fine example of historical writing done right.

Ronald Reagan - The Crusader.......2007-09-09

I have been a supporter of Ronald Reagan since his first run for the Presidency in 1976. I learned things about President Reagan that I did not know before reading this book. Most notably, this book details and documents just how President Reagan was in charge of his agenda, notwithstanding the best efforts of the American left to portray him otherwise, particularly the defeat and destruction of the Soviet Union.

The book is extremely well written and is a page turner from the first chapter on. This is a must read for any fan of the greatest president of the last century. Reagan haters and deniers will want to avoid this book so as not to have to confront real history and all its implications.

Ronald Reagan= One Great American .......2007-07-22

The late President Reagan's crusade against Communism in Russia freed millions of innocent people around the world, and in the end made the world a much better place when he died.

History will record that Reagan was one of the greatest presidents in American history, and we should all take his example in both moral leadership, and courageousness.

All future American leaders should look to Reagan as an example of honesty, sacrifice, and fortitude for taking on the problems of the 21rst century.

God rest the soul of President Ronald Reagan, and may God bless America.

"The Crusader" One person can make a difference........2007-05-18

If there was ever a book showing that one person can make a difference, it is "The Crusader," by Paul Kengor. It is amazing how many times Ronald Reagan went against the advice of most if not all of his advisors, and in the end proved to be correct.(Most advisors did not want Reagan to tell Garbachev to "tear down this wall," during his now famous speech.)
Today, President Bush often gets criticized for unilateral inclinations. The book shows that Ronald Reagan was the unilateralsit of all unilateralists. It was even humorous to read how Reagan would go through the motions during his cabinet meetings and often in press conferences, while at the same time he had this whole separate operation going on to bring down the Soviet Union, that very few, even very few of his cabinet members, knew about. Can anyone say leader? It also shows, that even though Reagan was calling the shots, how important Bill Casey and Bill Clark were to the entire operation.
This is the best book I have read on Ronald Reagan, and the best book that I have read on the process that actually ended the Cold War.
It really does put the final nail in the coffin for those clueless "intellectuals" who say that the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, and even the Berlin Wall would have fallen anyway. The book gives an amazingly detailed step by step account of the economic war against the Soviets and all of the National Security Decision Directives that Reagan virtually single-handedly initiated.
The book shows that Ronald Reagan would often go against conventional wisdom. For example, he had great disdain for the Yalta agreements, and for the policy of containment, and eventually, virtually reversed them.
The book also shows how Reagan's anti-communist passions go way back in his life, and how those sentiments are based on his respect for the human being. It tells of a time when he was in East Germany and saw a lady shopper accosted by an East German guard, and how this incident and others firmed his resolve against the evil of communism. It is pointed out how Reagan was actually motivated to act when others weren't, and how Reagan had an inborn sense of the right thing to do. And the book shows that Reagan's pattern to rescue those in distress goes back to his early days when saved 77 people over 7 summers from the swift currents of the Rock River in Dixon Illinois.
"The Crusader" goes into great detail about the relationship between President Reagan and the great Pope John Paul II, and his role in bringing down communism. And it details Reagan's great admiration for the Polish people, and how they admired him in return, and how Poland's Solidarity Movement was one of the major factors in Reagan's and the Pope's effort to bring down communism. And how the people of Poland, the rest of Eastern Europe, and the Soviet Union gave great credit to Reagan for bringing them freedom.
The book also details how Reagan brought freedom to Central and South America.
Before I read "The Crusader," I thought that President Ronald Reagan was our greatest U.S. President. After reading the book, my opinion of him only improved. In fact, he and Pope John Paul II have to be two of the great men of the millenium.
It was often said that Reagan had very few, if any, close friends, except Nancy. Probably my favorite story in the book was when, in 1989, just before the previously unimaginable free elections in Poland, Reagan welcomed two members of Solidarity and the two Polish Americans who were hosting them, to his office in California. Reagan pointed to a picture of Pope John Paul II on his office wall and said: "He is my best friend. Yes, you know I am a Protestant, but he's still my best friend." If you are going to have a best friend, not a bad on to have. Thankyou.

Mark S.Robertson
Independence, Mo.

Irrefutable evidence.......2007-05-12

5 stars for the research, which includes documents declassified only in recent years, as well as confirmation from Soviet sources and press articles reaffirming what the Soviets feared, and what Reagan knew .. that the USSR could be brought down with economic pressure.
Despite doubters from even within his own administration (and Nancy), Reagan conspired to wage economic war on the Soviet Union, and succeeded. It was very normal during these times to consider the USSR invincible - understandably bringing about the detente of previous administrations both Republican and Democrat. But Reagan had a goal of actually WINNING the Cold War. Who knew it was even possible? Reagan did, that's who.
From conspiring against the USSR's natural gas lines into Western Europe (a major source of the USSR's revenues that even the West did not cooperate with him on), to actually sabotaging one of the lines, to SDI, and Reagan's military backing of the Afghans - all these factors and more contributed to straining the USSR's economy, and forcing the country to use increased funds into these endeavors - an unexpected expense for a government so thin on resources.
My biggest revlation from the book:
In addition, Reagan's friendliness with the Saudis was hugely beneficial to American interests of the day. Both sides' willingness to help one another led to the Saudis going against OPEC and lowering oil prices worldwide - something the Saudis faced huge criticism from Middle Eastern neighbors for.
Think about it: High oil prices in the 70s helped the Soviet (an oil-producing nation, remember) economy and naturally hurt the USA's - which led to increased military spending by the USSR and helped tighten its grip on the Eastern bloc. High oil also helped contribute to Americans' inferiority complex to the Soviets.
Then, low prices in the 80s hurt the Soviet economy drastically, helped the American consumer, which helped bring increased revenues to pay for Reagan's military spending.
Scholars may argue that each president during the Cold War contributed to the USSR's fall, and the USSR economy might have been on the tipping point anyway, but this book gives absolute, irrefutable evidence that Reagan accelerated the USSR's fall before a generation that never thought it would be possible.

Useful Idiots: How Liberals Got It Wrong in the Cold War and Still Blame America First

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Refreshing: But Not Surprising.
Idiots Then Idiots Now
Freudian Title
useful misdirection
Think about this

Useful Idiots: How Liberals Got It Wrong in the Cold War and Still Blame America First
Mona Charen
Manufacturer: Regnery Publishing, Inc.
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0895261391

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This book is a perfect example of how today's liberals have completely rewritten history to cover up their own role on the wrong side of the Cold War.

Customer Reviews:

Refreshing: But Not Surprising........2007-07-16

The author writes crisply without the vitriol of Ann Coulter. The avowed purpose of the book is to serve as an eternal reminder of the malignant gullibility of the American left{as in the blame the USA first crowd}, in dealing with world communism. It is worth the price just for all the verifiable quotes from a huge array of kooks. From Chris Dodd stating that Reagan was going against the tide of history, to the inane Ted Turner fawning over Gorbachev, to William Coffin's claiming that having nuclear weapons is innately sinful. The author also refutes the left's claim that they helped win the "cold war." She shows in detail that they opposed most tactics & strategies used by the free west to win. The only flaws in the book are that it should have come out earlier, & could have been twice as long.

Idiots Then Idiots Now.......2007-06-23

Lenin is generally credited with saying that world communism has been aided by well-meaning but gullible useful idiots, most of whom he saw as western leftists who even back in the 1920s saw a kinship with communism. Not much has changed since then and in USEFUL IDIOTS, Mona Charen takes the entire liberal left to task for its decades long adherence to a philosophy that has brought ruin and genocide to millions but still exists in our universities even when it no longer does so in the Soviet state that spawned it. Despite the book's sales blurbs that suggest that leading Hollywood celebrities like Harry Belafonte and Susan Sarandon and MoveOn.Org politicians like Hillary Clinton and Al Gore are directly responsible for the all-pervasive tsunami of secular progressivism, these and others of a similar ilk get remarkably little ink. They emerge more as symbols of rather than originators of the useful idiots syndrome. Most of Charen's animus is directed toward the full spectrum of a liberalism that emerged from the 60s and the fallout from the Vietnam war that galvanized the left into seeing the United States not only as the source of imperialistic excesses but also of all the world's assorted ills. Her most telling chapters detail how "America's role in Vietnam set the tone for every Cold War debate that would follow for the next thirty-five years." (Page 28) Charen notes that while leftist fascination with America as intrinsically evil had existed even early enough for Lenin to offer his (sorry for the pun) left-handed compliment of useful idiots, "in the mid-1960s, leftist anti-Americanism went mainstream." (Page 29)

The bulk of Charen's book deals with liberalism in the aggregate. She notes how post 60s liberals saw Communism through the lens of a half-hearted sympathetic patina that somehow managed to excuse every Communist bloodbath while failing to excuse what it saw as a genocidal equivalent from the United States, even when it was clear that this equivalent existed more in the minds of the left than in the minds of the victims. The deaths of millions due to Stalin's forced collectivization is not only portrayed by the liberals as either non-existent or grossly exaggerated but even if it did happen, the United States was somehow at fault. This then is the core thesis of the left. Evil exists in this world, but where it has been identified, it originates in the capitalistic excesses of America. Mona Charen in USEFUL IDIOTS tells in compelling detail that idiots go through life with self-imposed blinders, the result of which is destructive to those who even now look to the left for help and guidance.

Freudian Title.......2006-12-25

The title of this book inadvertently refers to the author herself. This book is "useful" to the extent that it serves the persistent neo-con tactic of preventing any honest criticism of US foreign policy by hauling out vacuous phrases like "blame America first" or "conspiracy theory" or "moral equivalence" or like nonsense from the Reagan/Kirkpatrick crowd. Skip this book. Notice the 100 or so used copies on sale starting at 1 cent? It's pap.

useful misdirection.......2006-11-19

Ms.Charen bandies about misdirecting terms like "Statist", "Atheist", and "Believers" to frame the conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union in terms that do not exist.

The United States is no less a State than the Soviet Union was. We owe our victory over the Soviet Union to our performance as a state. We owe it the industrial strength and prosperity we built up under geographic and economic (relative)isolation. We owe it to the high Progressive Income taxes of FDR, Harry Truman, Ike Eisenhower, Kennedy, and even Richard Nixon.

Not even the Reagan Tax cuts for the rich, raising of social security taxes for the poor and lower middle class, embracing of globalism, and general mindlessness could stop the United States from outlasting the Soviet Union in the global endurance race.

Our European allies in the cold war, Canada, and nearly every other developed nation comparable in prosperity is certainly a State that conservatives would consider socialistic.

America under Globalism, unrestricted free trade, and Reaganomic/Greenspanomics can look forward to more of the same: massive deficits, resource wars, debt, and expanding rotting urban cores.

We've outdone every other developed nation in turning most of our cities into expanding rotting urban cores. In exchange we get the addiction to oil. I can't imagine a corporation engaging in the warfare and nationbuilding necessary to keep the oil imports coming. Nope, it requires a massive state undertaking. Especially that thanks to Globalism, India and China technically have far more to trade for that oil than we do. Basically, we can trade wheat for oil. How many farmers do you know make decent incomes?

Useful Idiots is a great book for those who trying to Misdirect, lie, or are just plain stupid.

Think about this.......2006-11-12

Please. Please give liberals all your arrogant "pity" and contempt. We just swept the House and Senate and made your simpering chimp president a lame duck. We don't hate America or blame it first. We blame cynical republican profiteers, who devise simplistic useless policy and foist it onto an electorate without the awareness to know they're being manipulated. And you'll continue to lose as long as your a bunch of hypocritical moralists, who text-message teen boys from the Senate, rip off Indian tribes over casinos, beat thir wives, pay off their mistresses, offer to save your soul while smoking crystal meth, and stuff deerheads into peoples mailboxes etc. Good Luck coming back from the abyss, losers. Screeds like this aren't going to help. America has wised up to your lame tricks.

The Antonio Gramsci Reader: Selected Writings 1916-1935

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The Antonio Gramsci Reader: Selected Writings 1916-1935
David Forgacs , and Eric J. Hobsbawm
Manufacturer: NYU Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0814727018
Release Date: 2000-04-01

Book Description

with a new introduction by ERIC J. HOBSBAWM

"Very usefully pulls the key passages from Gramsci's writings into one volume, which allows English-language readers an overall view of his work. Particularly valuable are the connections it draws across his work and the insights which the introduction and glossary provide into the origin and development of some key Gramscian concepts."
--Stuart Hall, Professor of Sociology, Open University

The most complete one-volume collection of writings by one of the most fascinating thinkers in the history of Marxism, The Antonio Gramsci Reader fills the need for a broad and general introduction to this major figure.

Antonio Gramsci was one of the most important theorists of class, culture, and the state since Karl Marx. In the U.S., where his writings were long unavailable, his stature has lately so increased that every serious student of Marxism, political theory, or modern Italian history must now read him.

Imprisoned by the Fascists for much of his adult life, Gramsci wrote brilliantly on a broad range of subjects: from folklore to philosophy, popular culture to political strategy. Still the most comprehensive collection of Gramsci's writings available in English, it now features a new introduction by leading Marxist historian Eric Hobsbawm, in addition to its biographical introduction, informative introductions to each section, and glossary of key terms.

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