Reviews

The Socialist Challenge Today: Syriza, Corbyn, Sanders by Stephen Maher, Leo Panitch, Sam Gindin

mcwyss's review against another edition

4.0

“The Socialist Challenge Today” contributes worthwhile and thoughtful criticisms of the strategies of three Western socialist movements once they gain power in the state, SYRIZA, Corbyn, and Sanders. Two of these movements failed to gain state power, however, so clearly there is some criticism and rethinking to be done in gaining power as well as exerting it. But, nonetheless, Panitch, Gindin, and Maher offer insight into the theories and policies that guided the campaigns of the movements discussed herein. What is made clear is that none of these movements can be successful in brining about socialism without much more serious consideration as to how we democratize our society, both in the state and the economy and how power is wielded by the working class. I think the authors fulfill the goal expounded by Marx, who they quote in the final paragraph by saying, “they must ‘engage in perpetual self criticism’ and deride ‘the inadequacies, weak points, and pitiful aspects of their first attempts.’”

afreema3's review against another edition

Read for my Socialism: History of an Idea course

I didn't have the time in the semester to finish it, so I finished it during break.

nairijan's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

2.25

This book and its title represent an egregious misnomer. The socialism this book describes is nothing more than democratic socialism and the authors falsely reject revolution in favor of advocating the best avenue for electoral gradualism. 

smlemire's review

challenging inspiring medium-paced

2.5

As I feel is the case with much neo-socialist literature, this is far too wordy for the consumption of the masses. We need to do more to stop obscuring the truth because otherwise, the vast majority of people won't ever be able to learn about socialist ideas.

boithorn's review

3.0

Good practice of Marxist analysis, but the book is immediately dated by how much it talks about Warren's presidential policy (until she is picked for VP).

Update: Gave it a second read-through, and I appreciate how they approach the problem of electoral socialism in the age of crystallized, global capital. I think looking at the case studies in the book helps examine how some level of engagement with "what are you going to do when you have the state?" is necessary to avoid pitfalls of flight from party to state apparatuses, disconnection between national politics and local politics, and wasting political capital on fights that don't inherently expand democratization. I think they are ultimately wrong about Lenin and the Bolsheviks, but that's okay, I can forgive them.

vortensity's review

4.0

I'm really glad I read this. There's a lot of information in this very short book, and while it's written very academically and therefore took me a while to get through despite being so short, I do think it was worth the time I took to read it.

I think that there could have been a lengthier and deeper discussion on Syriza, as I felt like there was more to explore there than the authors delved into. But I thought the chapter on Sanders and the American Left was fairly well-done, particularly the critique of Elizabeth Warren's platform. I also felt the overall argument made throughout the book was well-stated. I would definitely recommend this to other socialists who are willing to endure the dry, academic writing style and want to engage in critical thought about the modern democratic socialist movement.