Imperialism And The Transition To Socialism

This collection of essays is designed to shed light on the issues of imperialism and the transitions to socialism. Delving into the theoretical aspects, whose analysis is key for understanding the subject under consideration, and practical experiences of socialist transition in China, Vietnam, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Brazil.

We fully endorse the concepts as set out by Lenin in 'State and Revolution'. It is now necessary, however, to incorporate the new elements of history into them. Lenin was writing with one Workers State before him, at a time when the profile of the capitalist State was neat. Today, that profile is no longer neat: in the Revolutionary State, the army no longer has the force, the status and the transcendence of the army in a full capitalist State. Here you see categories of distinct phases of the State in need of definition. We call these Revolutionary States because, under the spur of the revolution, they gradually let go of the capitalist State character. The structure of their relations, institutions and juridical functions continues to be that of capitalism. They maintain that structure, which is capitalist, but they do so under leaderships who declare themselves contrary, and take measures against capitalism.It is still necessary to destroy this capitalist structure, for it is a hub of counter-revolution in constant renewal. It contains the mechanisms of State that defend capitalism: army, church and juridical functions. This is why the first task of any Revolution is to dismantle the army.

Out of early twentieth-century Russia came the world’s first significant effort to build a modern revolutionary society. According to Marxist economist Samir Amin, the great upheaval that once produced the Soviet Union has also produced a movement away from capitalism – a long transition that continues even today. In seven concise, provocative chapters, Amin deftly examines the trajectory of Russian capitalism, the Bolshevik Revolution, the collapse of the Soviet Union, the possible future of Russia – and, by extension, the future of socialism itself. Amin manages to combine an analysis of class struggle with geopolitics – each crucial to understanding Russia’s singular and complex political history. He first looks at the development (or lack thereof) of Russian capitalism. He sees Russia’s geopolitical isolation as the reason its capitalist empire developed so differently from Western Europe, and the reason for Russia’s perceived “backwardness.” Yet Russia’s unique capitalism proved to be the rich soil in which the Bolsheviks were able to take power, and Amin covers the rise and fall of the revolutionary Soviet system. Finally, in a powerful chapter on Ukraine and the rise of global fascism, Amin lays out the conditions necessary for Russia to recreate itself, and perhaps again move down the long road to socialism. Samir Amin’s great achievement in this book is not only to explain Russia’s historical tragedies and triumphs, but also to temper our hopes for a quick end to an increasingly insufferable capitalism. This book offers a cornucopia of food for thought, as well as an enlightening means to transcend reductionist arguments about “revolution” so common on the left. Samir Amin’s book – and the actions that could spring from it – are more necessary than ever, if the world is to avoid the barbarism toward which capitalism is hurling humanity.

In Part I, this booklet traces the post-Independence struggles in the United States for the realization of the ideals of the early Enlightenment thinkers, with particular emphasis on the practical struggles of the working class. The mid nineteenth to the mid twentieth centuries origin and fates of the theories of Charles Darwin and Karl Marx in this country, are seen through the ideological lenses of the various classes, groups, and individual. We get glimpses of the pracgtical objectives of the culturally influential religious revivals, social Darwinist movement, and the current "dunbing down" of the US population - al of which had (and have ) the support and/or blessings of the corporate and political elite, down through the decades. In Part II, the author presents a reappraisal, mainly by academic Marxists in the advanced capitalist ststes,of the demise of soviet socialism, and their alternatives for a non- market socialism with transparency - Democratic Participatory Socialism. It is the hope of this writer that the ideas within will seed more discussion on socialsit theory and practice.

This book discusses the case for socialism and the models of socialist planning. Through examining different countries, each chapter examines the successes and failures of contrasting socialist policies. The theories and techniques of socialist planning are discussed in relation to the Soviet Union and India, with additional attention given to Great Britain, Scandinavia, and the former Yugoslavia. Imperialism and Capitalism, Volume 2: Normative Perspectives aims to explore the alternatives to capitalism within different sectors and situations. The book is relevant to those interested in economics, development studies, international relations, and global politics.

Out of early twentieth-century Russia came the world’s first significant effort to build a modern revolutionary society. According to Marxist economist Samir Amin, the great upheaval that once produced the Soviet Union has also produced a movement away from capitalism – a long transition that continues even today. In seven concise, provocative chapters, Amin deftly examines the trajectory of Russian capitalism, the Bolshevik Revolution, the collapse of the Soviet Union, the possible future of Russia – and, by extension, the future of socialism itself. Amin manages to combine an analysis of class struggle with geopolitics – each crucial to understanding Russia’s singular and complex political history. He first looks at the development (or lack thereof) of Russian capitalism. He sees Russia’s geopolitical isolation as the reason its capitalist empire developed so differently from Western Europe, and the reason for Russia’s perceived “backwardness.” Yet Russia’s unique capitalism proved to be the rich soil in which the Bolsheviks were able to take power, and Amin covers the rise and fall of the revolutionary Soviet system. Finally, in a powerful chapter on Ukraine and the rise of global fascism, Amin lays out the conditions necessary for Russia to recreate itself, and perhaps again move down the long road to socialism. Samir Amin’s great achievement in this book is not only to explain Russia’s historical tragedies and triumphs, but also to temper our hopes for a quick end to an increasingly insufferable capitalism. This book offers a cornucopia of food for thought, as well as an enlightening means to transcend reductionist arguments about “revolution” so common on the left. Samir Amin’s book – and the actions that could spring from it – are more necessary than ever, if the world is to avoid the barbarism toward which capitalism is hurling humanity.

The eight books reprinted in this set played an important role in defining attitudes and expectations about imperialism on the British Left in the twentieth century. They are vital in understanding the transition from the liberal anti-imperialism of the nineteenth century to the more overtly socialist critiques of the twentieth.

Cuba and Venezuela have been argued to be examples of state capitalism, populist capitalism, socialism, or simply the ambiguous "mixed economy." By focusing on these countries as social formations in movement, or in transition, a more adequate understanding is presented. The first essay develops a theory of socialist transition, with focus on the dynamic, rather than static character of socialism. Furthermore, worker cooperatives are analyzed with a focus on the roles they play in the different stages of the transition to socialism. Finally, this framework is utilized to analyze the experience of the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela. The second essay utilizes this framework to analyze the particular cases of countries dominated by imperialist relations. As this essay argues, throughout history two opposing conceptions regarding the relation between anti-imperialism and socialist transition have been present in the Marxian tradition. The first argues that an anti- imperialist capitalist development stage within dominated regions is required before a socialist transition can begin. The second view argues that capitalist development is blocked in dominated regions, and as a result the only route to economic development is through a transition to socialism. This essay undertakes an examination of key Marxist thinkers and revolutionary processes across the globe to assess the theories and the processes associated with these conceptions. Finally, the third essay assesses the current direction of institutional change in Cuba. Some analysts believe the current changes in the Cuban system indicate the beginning of a transition to capitalism, while others disagree. By focusing on one particular institution, the non-agricultural worker cooperatives, this essay demonstrates that the current reform process in Cuba has included features that could contribute to the mergence of a new socialist formation characterized by participatory planning.

Underdevelopment and the Transition to Socialism: Mozambique and Tanzania evaluates the promise and problems of socialism in the Third World by considering the political economies of Mozambique and Tanzania. The aim is to provide a basic account, for Marxists and non-Marxists alike, interested in alternative strategies of development in the Third World. It offers a materialist political economy approach that should be useful to an interdisciplinary group of scholars and practitioners. The book is organized into four parts. Part I maps out purposes and procedures. Part II on Mozambique is a factually grounded analysis of an initial conjuncture in the transition to socialism—the capture of state power by workers and peasants. Part III on Tanzania focuses on another vital step on the way to socialism—the nationalization of leading financial institutions and the attempt to place them under the aegis of the immediate producers. Part IV knits together the main strands of the foregoing analysis and ties them to the broad themes discussed at the beginning of this book.