Hello everynyan, we’re studying Marxism-Leninism. Here is a link to the list
This week we’re reading:
-
Why Socialism? - A. Einstein (1949)
Webpage | Audiobook [~10 min / 22 min] -
Why Marxism? - R. Day (2020)
Webpage | Audiobook [~15 min / 21 min] -
Why do we Have to Study Theory? - Ho Chi Minh (1957)
Webpage | Audio book [~10 min / 11 min] -
General Rules for Independent Study - N. Krupskaya (1934)
Webpage [~5 min] -
“Tankies” - N. Frome (2020)
Webpage | Audiobook [~5 min / 11 min]
Next week we will be watching 6. US Interventionism, the Third World, and the USSR - M. Parenti (1986)
Webpage Transcription of Speech | Original Speech [~1 hr / 1 hr 33 min]
I think Why Socialism? works surprisingly well here as a sort of preface to the whole list, it’s at least tangential to most main topics. I was so ready to criticise its inclusion from the perspective of its target audience being completely different than the readers of this list, but I think it gives the list structure in a great way.
While it is nice to have Uncle Ho on the list, I don’t think Why do we Have to Study Theory? quite does the thing a text about theory in the abstract should do here. I strongly believe there should be such a text here, but I can’t recommend one off the top of my head, sorry.
I hadn’t read General Rules for Independent Study before, it’s pretty great. I would put it second on the list after Why Socialism? for practical reasons.
Maybe “Tankies” would work better as the first thing in the section about imperialism? I think it feels a little repetitive here, with Why Marxism? making similar points, and the first two thirds of Lenin’s Imperialism are IMHO pretty dry and could use something like this to wash it down. There could be something short about social liberation here instead, but sadly I have no recommendation this time either.
Seconding this. I used it in my book club as the first part of a very short into to Marxism. The audience was part leftish libs and part aspiring marxists and it worked quite well as a motivating start. Especially for the libs as Einstein’s name has some pull.
Thanks for the feedback! I go back and forth on Why Socialism?, and will continue to oscillate. If I’m undecided, I’ll side with trimming it, most likely, but others have made good points on its continued inclusion.
The reasoning for the placement of General Rules for Independent Study is to take place after the reader has developed the ideological reason to study in the first place, which is why it’s right after the Why X? trio. It’s as early as it can be without interrupting the “hook” section.
before i reread the article this morning i was thinking that the article wasn’t appropriate for this reading group. but after having read it again, i have to say, i hope you keep it as the first article of the list. besides that there would be something missing if the intro had why marxism but not why socialism, i think the parts about the relation of the individual to society are really important for a readership almost certainly starting from a position of rabid individualism. a lot of people who could benefit from this list are starting from the impression that production is somehow separate from politics, that the state is a neutral institution separate from and above class struggle. why socialism lays the appropriate groundwork to dismantle that notion. in my opinion, this whole section would have to be reworked to account for its absence.
also, the name recognition might make people more open to reading the article who otherwise would have ignored the list entirely.
I’ll probably keep it at this point, the feedback is loud and clear, and that was the point of me front loading with my own criticisms. Maybe for next section I’ll provide my thoughts on cutting after discussions have taken place? Who knows.