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mothmans_mum's review
5.0
Absolute best book ever!
Chris Harman clearly demonstrates the tendency of capitalism to enter into recurrent economic and political crisis, and explores the context and outcomes of one such period of crisis, the events of 1968-74. He looks at both the objective factors shaping this crisis, but also the subjective factors--the people and organisations which took part in these events, and the arguments they made about how to best go about shaping them.
Reformist forces such as the Stalinist and eurocommunist Communist Parties, various social democratic parties, trade union bureaucracies, etc, were able to restrain the struggles of workers and students, keeping them within the bounds of the capitalist system, ultimately allowing ex-fascists, hard-right conservatives and neo-liberal social democrats hack away at workers' gains over the next few decades. Revolutionary socialists, while making gains and playing an important part throughout these struggles, were not able to make use of the opportunities presented and follow through on the full potential of the situation. The potentials that existed can be seen in the actions of the students and workers, their inspiring self activity, their occupations of universities, factories and other workplaces, and the revolutionary conclusions many of them came to.
Harman examines the weaknesses of the revolutionary socialist groups--their theoretical and organisational failings, as well as the simple fact that at the start of 1968 these groups were tiny. The message of the book is clear: if you want to change the world for the better you need to be prepared for the next crisis of capitalism, the next revolutionary upsurge--the fire next time. You need to not only be in a revolutionary socialist organisation, but you need to be active. Only through activity can a group's theory be clarified, and only by putting in the effort to help the group grow can it be sizeable enough to take advantage of the opportunities that arise.
As Rosa Luxemburg said, we stand at a crossroads between socialism and barbarism. Reading this book helps you understand why the fire last time ultimately failed to reach socialism and instead led us back to the path we are on now: to the Iraq war and Guantanamo Bay; to offshore processing of refugees and the death of Alan Kurdi; to Milo Yianoppoulos and the United Patriots Front; to the NT intervention and Aboriginal kids in spit hoods; to the ABCC and the slashing of weekend penalty rates. And hopefully people reading it will be inspired to take action and get involved in socialist politics so that next time the opportunities presented will be grasped with both hands, the working class will bring an end to class-divided society, all forms of oppression will be abolished, and instead of the horrors of capitalism, humanity will be able to live under socialism.
Chris Harman clearly demonstrates the tendency of capitalism to enter into recurrent economic and political crisis, and explores the context and outcomes of one such period of crisis, the events of 1968-74. He looks at both the objective factors shaping this crisis, but also the subjective factors--the people and organisations which took part in these events, and the arguments they made about how to best go about shaping them.
Reformist forces such as the Stalinist and eurocommunist Communist Parties, various social democratic parties, trade union bureaucracies, etc, were able to restrain the struggles of workers and students, keeping them within the bounds of the capitalist system, ultimately allowing ex-fascists, hard-right conservatives and neo-liberal social democrats hack away at workers' gains over the next few decades. Revolutionary socialists, while making gains and playing an important part throughout these struggles, were not able to make use of the opportunities presented and follow through on the full potential of the situation. The potentials that existed can be seen in the actions of the students and workers, their inspiring self activity, their occupations of universities, factories and other workplaces, and the revolutionary conclusions many of them came to.
Harman examines the weaknesses of the revolutionary socialist groups--their theoretical and organisational failings, as well as the simple fact that at the start of 1968 these groups were tiny. The message of the book is clear: if you want to change the world for the better you need to be prepared for the next crisis of capitalism, the next revolutionary upsurge--the fire next time. You need to not only be in a revolutionary socialist organisation, but you need to be active. Only through activity can a group's theory be clarified, and only by putting in the effort to help the group grow can it be sizeable enough to take advantage of the opportunities that arise.
As Rosa Luxemburg said, we stand at a crossroads between socialism and barbarism. Reading this book helps you understand why the fire last time ultimately failed to reach socialism and instead led us back to the path we are on now: to the Iraq war and Guantanamo Bay; to offshore processing of refugees and the death of Alan Kurdi; to Milo Yianoppoulos and the United Patriots Front; to the NT intervention and Aboriginal kids in spit hoods; to the ABCC and the slashing of weekend penalty rates. And hopefully people reading it will be inspired to take action and get involved in socialist politics so that next time the opportunities presented will be grasped with both hands, the working class will bring an end to class-divided society, all forms of oppression will be abolished, and instead of the horrors of capitalism, humanity will be able to live under socialism.
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