Socialism: Vision and RealityIt is aimed at those, especially young people, who have just become involved politically, as well as those engaged in single issue movements, having come across the word 'socialism' and want to know more about it. It is not a detailed text book on the subject. The author was a full-time trade union official most of his working life (he is now retired) and was also involved politically on the left, so is able to write with some experience and knowledge on the subject. The book opens with an attempt to described capitalism as it is now, then deals with the basic ideas of socialism. It then takes the reader more deeply into the politics and economics of socialism from a Marxist standpoint. The remaining chapters deal with various social problems of today, including the growing gap between rich and poor and between rich and poor nations, feminism, racism, democracy, freedom and liberty under socialism, etc. It considers the road to socialism in the light of past attempts to set up socialist regimes, e.g. the Paris Commune of 1870-71 and the Russian Revolution from 1917 to the collapse of the Soviet system in 1989-91. It has a chapter on the history of the idea of socialism-communism in Britain and Europe. It also deals with the present and the future of the several new Latin American left-wing regimes and concludes with a discussion of the situation in Britain today in the light of the 'New' Labour government's swing to the right. It arrives at a conclusion that the future of socialism in Britain - if it has a future at all - lies with ordinary people and their battle for political and economic democracy, peace, liberty and justice. |
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abolished advanced countries argued basic become bloc Bolshevik Britain British called capitalism capitalist capitalist countries capitalist system cent century chapter China Chinese class struggle collapse Communist Party continue corporations corruption country’s democracy democratic dictatorship dominated economic elected Engels enterprise especially Europe European European Union example fascism forces freedom German Gordon Brown hand huge human idea important income individual industries Karl Marx Kornai labour Labour Party land leaders left-wing Lenin major market socialism Marx Marx’s Marxist million movement oppressed organisation Paris Commune particularly peasants people’s policies political poor population poverty President privatisation problem profit proletariat public ownership regime religion revolution revolutionary rich ruling class Russian sector slump socialism socialist system society Soviet Union Stalin Stalinist surplus value trade unions utopian Venezuela vote wages wealth women workers wrote