I think Why Socialism is still useful, Liberals would have a million excuses to dismiss something by Stalin or Mao, but Einstein? While still thinking in a liberal way, with a great man style worldview, they can’t dismiss something written by the guy whose name is a synonym for genius without massive discomfort that they can’t ignore.

Plus, lines like:

Innumerable voices have been asserting for some time now that human society is passing through a crisis, that its stability has been gravely shattered.

Shows a level of relevance to the modern day, a quick counter to common anti-communist claims about it being “outdated.” And the essay counters a lot of arguments about “human nature” as well.

The work also gives a foreshadowing of how theory is going to be going forward. You will have to think, you will have to challenge yourself, your brain will hurt, like exercising a muscle.

Why Marxism is better as a Marxist essay, but I would imagine this early stage of the reading list is mainly about challenging and overcoming liberal bias. Both have their role in this, they compliment each other.

Why do we have to study theory? Does feel a little out of place on a beginner’s list, it is a little too relevant to Vietnam and not really generalist. On the other hand, it does provide good insight into an era of Vietnam that most westerners would be totally ignorant of and casual discussion of ideas is very useful for “fleshing out” socialist states and having them be less cartoonish and monstrous.

General Rules for Independent Study is calling me out for reading this at 2:30 in the morning and should therefore be removed for making me feel bad about my study habits. Honestly though, it is just a really good overview of how to study in general, I wish I had it back when I was at uni.

Tankies is useful as the “end point” of the start of the list, prepping the reader for what is to come: works written by horrible authoritarian tankies. Without it, people may read less further into the list for fear of “authoritarian dictators”

Overall I’d say that maybe “Why Socialism” is probably the most difficult to read work here and the one most likely to turn people off from reading the rest, but it also isn’t something that a left-curious lib can challenge or deny like they might be able to if the first example on the list was a Red Sails article or something. Overall I’d say “Why do we have to study theory?” is the only one I could see needing to be cut completely, and that’s a big maybe. It still emphasises the importance of thinking for yourself, which is one of the biggest hurdles libs considering theory might face, if they are worried it is “brainwashing” having early works reassure them that the spooky scary socialists only want them to think for themselves makes the rest of the theory easier to read when they’re less “guarded” about it.

Only thing I might do is put “General rules” ahead of it on the list, I can see the logic here of “Answer the why, then answer the how” of studying, but “General Rules” is just good to read in general, you don’t even need to be a communist to understand it can be useful and apply it to your own life. Having some direct and applicable wisdom right before reading about “Why study” would help reinforce the point a bit better than reading it afterwards, in my opinion.