A Future for Socialism

A Future for Socialism
Author: John E. Roemer
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 196
Release: 1994
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780674339460

In this text, Roemer proposes a new future of socialism based on a redefinition of market socialism. The Achille's heel of socialism has always been maintaining innovation and efficiency in an economy in which income is equally distributed. Roemer points out that large capitalist firms have already solved a similar problem: in those firms, profits are distributed to numerous shareholders, yet they continue to innovate and compete. The author argues for a modified version of socialism, not necessarily based on public ownership, but founded on equality of opportunity and political influence.

Heaven on Earth

Heaven on Earth
Author: Joshua Muravchik
Publisher: Encounter Books
Total Pages: 438
Release: 2003
Genre: History
ISBN: 1893554783

"The search for the Promised Land took socialists in diverse directions: revolution, communes and kibbutzim, social democracy, communism, fascism, Third Worldism. But none of these paths led to the prophesied utopia. Nowhere did socialists succeed in creating societies of easy abundance or in midwifing the birth of a "New Man," as their theory promised. Some socialist governments abandoned their grandiose goals and satisfied themselves with making slight modifications to capitalism, while others plowed ahead doggedly, often inducing staggering human catastrophes. Then, after two hundred years of wishful thinking and fitful governance, socialism suddenly imploded in the 1990s in a fin du siecle drama of falling walls, collapsing regimes and frantic revisions of doctrine."--BOOK JACKET.

Socialism, Capitalism and Alternatives

Socialism, Capitalism and Alternatives
Author: Peter J. S. Duncan
Publisher: UCL Press
Total Pages: 254
Release: 2019-10-14
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1787353834

In 1989 the Berlin Wall came down. Two years later the Soviet Union disintegrated. The collapse of communism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union discredited the idea of socialism for generations to come. It was seen as representing the final and irreversible victory of capitalism. This triumphal dominance was barely challenged until the 2008 financial crisis threw the Western world into a state of turmoil. Through analysis of post-socialist Russia and Central and Eastern Europe, as well as of the United Kingdom, China and the United States, Socialism, Capitalism and Alternatives confronts the difficulty we face in articulating alternatives to capitalism, socialism and threatening populist regimes. Beginning with accounts of the impact of capitalism on countries left behind by the planned economies, the volume moves on to consider how China has become a beacon of dynamic economic growth, aggressively expanding its global influence. The final section of the volume poses alternatives to the ideological dominance of neoliberalism in the West. Since the 2008 financial crisis, demands for social change have erupted across the world. Exposing the failure of neoliberalism in the United Kingdom and examining recent social movements in Europe and the United States, the closing chapters identify how elements of past ideas are re-emerging, among them Keynesianism and radical socialism. As those chapters indicate, these ideas might well have potential to mobilise support and challenge the dominance of neoliberalism.

The Idea of Socialism

The Idea of Socialism
Author: Axel Honneth
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 88
Release: 2016-12-27
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1509512152

The idea of socialism has given normative grounding and orientation to the outrage over capitalism for more than 150 years, and yet today it seems to have lost much of its appeal. Despite growing discontent, many would hesitate to invoke socialism when it comes to envisioning life beyond capitalism. How can we explain the rapid decline of this once powerful idea? And what must we do to renew it for the twenty-first century? In this lucid, political-philosophical essay, Axel Honneth argues that the idea of socialism has lost its luster because its theoretical assumptions stem from the industrial era and are no longer convincing in our contemporary post-industrial societies. Only if we manage to replace these assumptions with a concept of history and society that corresponds to our current experiences will we be able to restore confidence in a project whose fundamental idea remains as relevant today as it was a century ago the idea of an economy that realizes freedom in solidarity. The Idea of Socialism was awarded the Bruno Kreisky Prize for the Political Book of 2015.

Socialism - The Real History from Plato to the Present: How the Deep State Capitalizes on Crises to Consolidate Control [With Paperback Book]

Socialism - The Real History from Plato to the Present: How the Deep State Capitalizes on Crises to Consolidate Control [With Paperback Book]
Author: William J. Federer
Publisher: Amerisearch, Incorporated
Total Pages: 280
Release: 2020-07-04
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780989649186

SOCIALISM: THE DREAM OF AN IDEAL SOCIETY? Is it a wonderful "utopia" or a totalitarian nightmare? Will everything be free or will deep-state bureaucrats decide who gets what? Did Plato, Thomas More, & Francis Bacon propose social ownership of property? Is there a difference between socialism and communism? Did Pilgrims attempt "a communistic plan of life"? What happened? How did the Pilgrims' covenant under God become the Age of Enlightenment's social contract with a distant God, become the French Revolution's social contract with no god, become Marxism's "the state is god"? "If the state gives rights, it can, and inevitably will, take away those rights"-Eisenhower. Was France's Reign of Terror a model for future violent socialist revolutions? The Bible talks about private property, yet Marx wrote: "The theory of the communists may be summed up in the single sentence: Abolition of private property." Coolidge wrote: "It does not follow that because something ought to be done, the national government ought to do it." What did socialism do to Russia, Romania, Poland, Hungary, China, North Korea, Cuba, Cambodia, and Venezuela? What are honor-shame cultures? What are the group dynamics which can manipulate individuals with peer-pressure to surrender their private views to fit in with a group. Who was Joseph Goebbels, who said: "Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play." How did he control mob emotions? Learn about the political tactics of "deconstruction," "psychological projection," and "seizing the moral high ground." Is the form of government the problem or is the problem deeper - the selfishness inherent in the human heart? What is the only real solution? FIND THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS AND MORE IN THIS EYE-OPENING BOOK!

The Politically Incorrect Guide to Socialism

The Politically Incorrect Guide to Socialism
Author: Kevin Williamson
Publisher: Regnery Publishing
Total Pages: 314
Release: 2011-01-10
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1596986492

Argues that the same impulse for control that governed the Soviet Union is present in the American health care and educational systems and that socialism can never work because of human nature.

Socialism . . . Seriously

Socialism . . . Seriously
Author: Danny Katch
Publisher: Haymarket Books
Total Pages: 181
Release: 2015-08-09
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1608466108

“Katch has done the impossible: he makes socialism sexy . . . eye-opening, inspiring, and funny . . . this book might turn you into a closet socialist” (Judah Friedlander, actor and comedian). Opinion polls show that many people in the United States prefer socialism to capitalism. But after being declared dead and buried for decades, socialism has come to mean little more than something vaguely less cruel and stupid than what we have now. That’s not exactly going to inspire millions to storm the barricades. Danny Katch brings together the two great Marxist traditions of Karl and Groucho to provide an entertaining and insightful introduction to what the socialist tradition has to say about democracy, economics, and the potential of human beings to be something more than being bomb-dropping, planet-destroying racist fools. “The most hilarious book about socialism since Karl Marx and his brother Harpo wrote their joke book.” —Hari Kondabolu, filmmaker and comedian “If The Communist Manifesto and America’s Funniest Home Videos had a baby, it would be Danny Katch’s new book. It’s a hilarious and fun way to think about what’s wrong with our world, how it could be different, and how we might get there. Keep an extra copy of Socialism . . . Seriously in your bag and hand it to the next person who asks you what socialism is all about; as long as that person is not your boss . . . seriously.” —Brian Jones, actor, educator, and activist “A lighthearted, easy read that packs an intro course on socialism into a short volume. With jokes that made me laugh out loud, and a lot of heart. Socialism is for lovers. Indeed.” —Sarah Jaffe, Belabored podcast host

Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism

Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism
Author: Kristen R. Ghodsee
Publisher: Bold Type Books
Total Pages: 184
Release: 2018-11-20
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1568588895

A spirited, deeply researched exploration of why capitalism is bad for women and how, when done right, socialism leads to economic independence, better labor conditions, better work-life balance and, yes, even better sex. In a witty, irreverent op-ed piece that went viral, Kristen Ghodsee argued that women had better sex under socialism. The response was tremendous — clearly she articulated something many women had sensed for years: the problem is with capitalism, not with us. Ghodsee, an acclaimed ethnographer and professor of Russian and East European Studies, spent years researching what happened to women in countries that transitioned from state socialism to capitalism. She argues here that unregulated capitalism disproportionately harms women, and that we should learn from the past. By rejecting the bad and salvaging the good, we can adapt some socialist ideas to the 21st century and improve our lives. She tackles all aspects of a woman's life - work, parenting, sex and relationships, citizenship, and leadership. In a chapter called "Women: Like Men, But Cheaper," she talks about women in the workplace, discussing everything from the wage gap to harassment and discrimination. In "What To Expect When You're Expecting Exploitation," she addresses motherhood and how "having it all" is impossible under capitalism. Women are standing up for themselves like never before, from the increase in the number of women running for office to the women's march to the long-overdue public outcry against sexual harassment. Interest in socialism is also on the rise -- whether it's the popularity of Bernie Sanders or the skyrocketing membership numbers of the Democratic Socialists of America. It's become increasingly clear to women that capitalism isn't working for us, and Ghodsee is the informed, lively guide who can show us the way forward.

Countdown to Socialism

Countdown to Socialism
Author: Devin Nunes
Publisher: Encounter Books
Total Pages: 43
Release: 2020-09-15
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1641771879

The Democratic Party has changed beyond recognition. Once the party of anti-communism and tax-cutting under President Kennedy, it is now dominated by a surging socialist movement and led by a presidential candidate who vows to “transform” America. On a near-daily basis, the Democrats are issuing radical proposals to socialize medicine, industry, and higher education. So how can the Democrats win elections when their agenda is so far to the left of the American people? That’s easy—it’s because the means of public debate are being manipulated. In Countdown to Socialism, Congressman Devin Nunes exposes the nexus between the Democratic Party, the mainstream media, and the social media corporations. These three entities cooperate to blast out the Democrats’ message and downplay their extremism while suppressing and censoring conservative points of view. Tens of millions of Americans are only seeing one side of the debate. The information they get from newspapers and social media is not “news”—it’s contrived content designed to help one political party and punish its opponents. In the run-up to the most consequential election of our lifetime, read this book to learn how your information is being skewed and regulated to force America onto the path to socialism.