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A review by lumpyplume
How to Be an Anticapitalist in the Twenty-First Century by Erik Olin Wright
5.0
"Why do people keep calling me a neoliberal and why is there a negative connotation?" If you've had that thought, this is a good place to start. Wright's final work is a handy guide (literally, it's so slim it could fit in your pocket) for eroding capitalism that provides modern, succinct glosses of terms and gives a roadmap/structure to organizing arguments about anti-capitalist strategies. Wright explains the weight in his term, "eroding" to distinguish his approach with, for example, historical efforts to smash the system (noting examples of communist/socialist-in-name regimes which became heavily statist oligarchies rather than democratic or egalitarian systems).
If you're building up an anti-racism book club, you'll need a fulsome framework for talking about democratized socialism (or anti-capitalism) for reading comprehension and to have a real conversation. I say this because a lot of radical literature and ideas are informed by early communist and socialist writing, but also to understand the ascendancy of the progressive movement in the American political system, typified by leaders like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Wright's writing is deftly structured (sections listed below) so that you don't sit long with certain questions (like, "wouldn't putting funds in the hands of local actors provide similar or even greater opportunities for corruption?"). He is clear about when he doesn't have a solution. He also highlights some proposals that are emerging as potential solutions, regardless of whether they "feel" like they could be "viable" or not (e.g. the concept of Universal Basic Income (UBI)).
As to the pie-in-the-sky type proposals -- whether someone is guiding the sails or not, winds can change. What seems impossible today might not seem so tomorrow. Having fluidity in the menu of options will make your future insights more meaningful. Of note, Wright's book does not exhaustively describe all anti capitalist strategies.
For a definitional example, Wright defines "people" to be "conscious, reflecting initiators of acts in a structured, meaningful world." This he contrasts with "collectivities," to then explain "collective agency."
Sections:
1) Why be Anticapitalist?
2) Diagnosis and Critique of Capitalism
--> (In this section, Wright addresses bases for skepticism about diagnosing capitalism as a negative, and why these bases for skepticism should not be dismissed out of hand)
3) Varieties of Anticapitalism
4) The Destination beyond Capitalism: Socialism as Economic Democracy
5) Anticapitalism and the State
6) Agents of Transformation
--> (The problem of collective agency; From identities, interests and values to collective actors; Real politics)
Afterword
If you're building up an anti-racism book club, you'll need a fulsome framework for talking about democratized socialism (or anti-capitalism) for reading comprehension and to have a real conversation. I say this because a lot of radical literature and ideas are informed by early communist and socialist writing, but also to understand the ascendancy of the progressive movement in the American political system, typified by leaders like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Wright's writing is deftly structured (sections listed below) so that you don't sit long with certain questions (like, "wouldn't putting funds in the hands of local actors provide similar or even greater opportunities for corruption?"). He is clear about when he doesn't have a solution. He also highlights some proposals that are emerging as potential solutions, regardless of whether they "feel" like they could be "viable" or not (e.g. the concept of Universal Basic Income (UBI)).
As to the pie-in-the-sky type proposals -- whether someone is guiding the sails or not, winds can change. What seems impossible today might not seem so tomorrow. Having fluidity in the menu of options will make your future insights more meaningful. Of note, Wright's book does not exhaustively describe all anti capitalist strategies.
For a definitional example, Wright defines "people" to be "conscious, reflecting initiators of acts in a structured, meaningful world." This he contrasts with "collectivities," to then explain "collective agency."
Sections:
1) Why be Anticapitalist?
2) Diagnosis and Critique of Capitalism
--> (In this section, Wright addresses bases for skepticism about diagnosing capitalism as a negative, and why these bases for skepticism should not be dismissed out of hand)
3) Varieties of Anticapitalism
4) The Destination beyond Capitalism: Socialism as Economic Democracy
5) Anticapitalism and the State
6) Agents of Transformation
--> (The problem of collective agency; From identities, interests and values to collective actors; Real politics)
Afterword