Socialism 101

“Socialism” was Merriam-Webster’s most looked-up word of 2015. What does socialism mean to Socialist Alternative? The following readings present a thorough introduction to the ideas of Marxism, socialism, and struggle. If you like our ideas and share our analysis, join us!

PART ONE: Socialist Politics in the U.S. Today

1. What We Mean by “Socialism”

   • The Case for Socialism, Ty Moore
   • Bernie Sanders’ Socialism and Ours – Interview with Kshama Sawant, Kailyn Nicholson
   • How Could Socialism Work?, Hannah Sell

2. U.S. Politics, Trump, and the Democrats

   • Kshama Sawant’s Socialist Response to Trump’s State of the Union
   • Can the Democratic Party Be Reclaimed?, Tom Crean and Tony Wilsdon
   • Bernie Proved a New Party is Possible, Ty Moore and Tony Wilsdon

3. How Socialists Won in Seattle

   • How a Socialist Won – Lessons from Kshama Sawant’s Historic Victory, Ramy Khalil
   • Victory for $15 in Seattle: How Socialists Built a Winning Movement

4. The Marxist Approach to Fighting Racism, Sexism, and Oppression

   • Fighting Oppression – A Marxist Viewpoint, Laura Fitzgerald
   • Marxism and the Fight for Black Freedom: From the Civil War to Black Lives Matter
   • It Doesn’t Have to be Like This: Women and the Struggle for Socialism, Christine Thomas
   • The Black Rebellion

5. Changing the World: The Role of a Revolutionary Party

   • Changing the World: The Role of a Revolutionary Party, Judy Beishon

PART TWO: Introducing Marxism

1. Intro to Marxist Economics

   • Capitalism’s Big Con: Understanding Marxist Economics, Peter Watson

2. Historical Materialism – The Marxist View of How Society and Ideas Change

   • More than Just Kings and Queens: The Marxist View of History, Naomi Byron

3. How to Fight the Right

   • The Battle of Wisconsin – History and Lessons from the Working-Class Revolt of 2011, George Martin Fell Brown
   • How Socialists and the Poll Tax Movement Drove Thatcher Out of Office, Steve Score

4. Russia, Stalin and the Bureaucratic Counter-Revolution

   • What About Russia?, Pete Dickenson
   • Russia: How the Bureaucracy Seized Power, by George Collins

5. Reform and Revolution: The Marxist Theory of the State

   • Welfare and Warfare: How the State Works, Ken Smith and William Marshall
   • Chile 1973: Heroism was not Enough, Tony Saunois

STAY UP TO DATE!

We live in a constantly changing world. Read new articles posted daily at www.socialistalternative.org. Get Socialist Alternative newspaper delivered to your door for just $2 a month: www.socialistalternative.org/subscribe.

EVEN MORE RESOURCES

Pamphlets: Our pamphlets cover a range of topics, from the Soviet Union to the environment to Black Lives Matter. Read more at  https://www.socialistalternative.org/publications/.

International Socialist Alternative: The International Socialist Alternative website has a wealth of articles from the over 45 countries in which our sister parties organize: https://internationalsocialist.net/en/