The Revenge of History: Marxism and the East European Revolutions
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Book Overview
Callinicos's new book is a frontal assault on the widely acceptedidea that the East European revolutions of 1989 mark the death ofsocialism.
In an attempt to vindicate the classical Marxist tradition, Callinicos argues that socialism in this tradition can only comefrom below, through the self-activity of the working class.Stalinism from this standpoint was a 'counter-revolution', erectingat the end of the 1920s a state capitalist regime on the ruins ofthe radically democratic socialism briefly achieved in October1917. He further argues that the collapse of Stalinism at the endof the 1980s was only one aspect of a world-wide transition fromnationally organized to globally integrated capitalism. The resultis likely to be greater economic and political instability. Againstthis background socialism - in Marx's sense - is all the morenecessary.
He concludes that the collapse of Stalinism should be less themoment to abandon socialism than to resume unfinished business.
In an attempt to vindicate the classical Marxist tradition, Callinicos argues that socialism in this tradition can only comefrom below, through the self-activity of the working class.Stalinism from this standpoint was a 'counter-revolution', erectingat the end of the 1920s a state capitalist regime on the ruins ofthe radically democratic socialism briefly achieved in October1917. He further argues that the collapse of Stalinism at the endof the 1980s was only one aspect of a world-wide transition fromnationally organized to globally integrated capitalism. The resultis likely to be greater economic and political instability. Againstthis background socialism - in Marx's sense - is all the morenecessary.
He concludes that the collapse of Stalinism should be less themoment to abandon socialism than to resume unfinished business.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0745608485
ISBN13:9780745608488
Release Date:August 1991
Publisher:Polity Press
Length:176 Pages
Weight:0.60 lbs.
Dimensions:0.6" x 6.0" x 8.9"
Customer Reviews
2 ratings
A Brilliant Book
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
For all those people who believed that capitalism had won the cold war, this is the book for you. It brilliantly attacks the idea that the Soviet Union and its satellite states had anything to do with socialism and puts the Eastern European revolutions into a proper historical context of workers overthrowing corrupt regimes. In addition, 'The Revenge of History'looks into why the Eastern European countries were not workers states, and provides an analysis of where to go from here. Indispensible reading for anybody looking for an alternate view of modern European history free from the whitewash of the capitalist press.
THE REVENGE OF DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
This book is a live proof that socialism is not the ex-soviet union but a dramatically different society based upon the working control and individual freedom. Soviet union and the countries like china,cuba etc are only-what an amazing idea!- a version of capitalism where the means of production controlled by the state but not by the workers. Read this book to find out what genuine socialism is and what is not. Indispensable.
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