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sharondblk's review against another edition
3.0
A little while ago Helen Razor's book Total Propaganda - Basic Marxist Brainwashing came up on NetGalley, and I said "yes please". For those of you who don't know, when I was at school Helen Razor used to host a breakfast show on JJJ. I was dating a guy who had the station as his alarm on his clock radio, remember them. I hated it. She was ranty - way too ranty for 7am! Anyway, since that far-off time Helen has been around in various parts of the media, and since I've got an interest in different, fairer, more just ways we could organise our economic system, I requested and received this book. I'm not sure why it is being re-released, quite a lot of the focus is from 4 years ago, with the American election and in Australia Kevin Rudd's apolology. It does not seem to have been updated.
Unsurprisingly, it's ranty, but that's one of it's strengths. It's main weakness is that of modern Marxism itself - it sees Marx as the answer and the only answer, when there may well be other ways to look at things. For example, we won't worry about gender inequity right now, because economic inequity is a larger problem and after the revolution we will have the leisure to sort it out, seems like a strange approach.
I will say though, that with the reading and learning I've done this winter, I've certainly reconsidered my position as a liberal. I used to think being a liberal was a good thing and it meant I cared about people. Now I realise we need to go much, much further. We need to redistribute wealth and seize the means of production. Fine fine. This book explains why we need the revolution, and why (in Helen's opinion) it must be a Marxist revolution. It doesn't actually explain how the revolution starts. This wasn't the goal of the book, but it's something I really want to know. Not what changes we need, but how do we do it.
Unsurprisingly, it's ranty, but that's one of it's strengths. It's main weakness is that of modern Marxism itself - it sees Marx as the answer and the only answer, when there may well be other ways to look at things. For example, we won't worry about gender inequity right now, because economic inequity is a larger problem and after the revolution we will have the leisure to sort it out, seems like a strange approach.
I will say though, that with the reading and learning I've done this winter, I've certainly reconsidered my position as a liberal. I used to think being a liberal was a good thing and it meant I cared about people. Now I realise we need to go much, much further. We need to redistribute wealth and seize the means of production. Fine fine. This book explains why we need the revolution, and why (in Helen's opinion) it must be a Marxist revolution. It doesn't actually explain how the revolution starts. This wasn't the goal of the book, but it's something I really want to know. Not what changes we need, but how do we do it.
arevikheboyan's review against another edition
2.0
Frankly, I don't know how I feel about this book...
Intellectually, I do appreciate bringing up and constructively criticizing the philosophy that was a base of a social regime for several countries over the time of the 20th century. On the other hand, knowing China's obsession and nowadays understanding of Marxism and social relations and regime... I mean this book gives a very good idea of financial systems, good read overall, but writing and overall emotional tone, I wish was more not politically correct, but less harsh...
Intellectually, I do appreciate bringing up and constructively criticizing the philosophy that was a base of a social regime for several countries over the time of the 20th century. On the other hand, knowing China's obsession and nowadays understanding of Marxism and social relations and regime... I mean this book gives a very good idea of financial systems, good read overall, but writing and overall emotional tone, I wish was more not politically correct, but less harsh...
currerbell's review against another edition
5.0
May be one of the most enlightening books I’ve read.
bear's review
5.0
Fan-fucking-tastic. A great entry point into Marxism and why Capitalism and Neo-Liberalism are trash ideas for trash people. If you've tried to get into Marxist theory before but found texts written by Marx to be... long. Give this a shot instead. Great stuff.
nlfharrison's review against another edition
4.0
Solid and accessible primer/refresher on Marxism, with some great discussion of the ideas in the context of the US election/centrism/etc.
waynewaynus's review
4.0
I want to say up front how ever you look at it Marxism has failed. It has failed over and over in different countries and in different cultures and in different time periods. We can say not only does it not work but it fails at the cost of millions of lives.
Having said that I will also say that much of Marx's understanding was pretty accurate in describing and predicting capitalism. It is just his solutions have never worked.
So if you want to know about what Marxism offers us in terms of understanding today then this is an accessible and well constructed book.
Having said that I will also say that much of Marx's understanding was pretty accurate in describing and predicting capitalism. It is just his solutions have never worked.
So if you want to know about what Marxism offers us in terms of understanding today then this is an accessible and well constructed book.
sarahlw96's review
4.0
I am completely surprised by how brilliant I found this!
It is for sure aimed at a younger audience than myself, but as someone totally new to Marxism it hit the right notes. It was engaging, informative and actually very funny. I liked how it contextualised some of the ideology against current politics and simplified the ideas without me as a reader feeling completely thick.
*I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
It is for sure aimed at a younger audience than myself, but as someone totally new to Marxism it hit the right notes. It was engaging, informative and actually very funny. I liked how it contextualised some of the ideology against current politics and simplified the ideas without me as a reader feeling completely thick.
*I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
gilmae's review
3.0
I don’t know what to make of this book. I’ve read it twice now and I keep coming away with very mixed feelings. I start off enthusiastic - I’m sympathetic to the ideals - but I end with a very wary feeling. And that leaves me unable to even say anything. So I get to the point of trying to write a review and not quite knowing what to say.
As I said, I am sympathetic - and increasingly so - to the view points. I can feel the walls that capitalism has constructed around me. But I am also very aware that I am almost completely privileged compared to even most people in Australia let alone the rest of the world. Razor builds an argument that while discrimination of all sorts is painful and important, class is more important. And she keeps losing me while making this argument. The most egregious example is her support for the class anxiety theory of Trump’s victory as opposed to racism. This is a point of view I am never going to agree with and it undermines my ability to be convinced by the back third of her book.
So, first two thirds, great. Last third … your milage may vary.
As I said, I am sympathetic - and increasingly so - to the view points. I can feel the walls that capitalism has constructed around me. But I am also very aware that I am almost completely privileged compared to even most people in Australia let alone the rest of the world. Razor builds an argument that while discrimination of all sorts is painful and important, class is more important. And she keeps losing me while making this argument. The most egregious example is her support for the class anxiety theory of Trump’s victory as opposed to racism. This is a point of view I am never going to agree with and it undermines my ability to be convinced by the back third of her book.
So, first two thirds, great. Last third … your milage may vary.