Monthly Review Press

“The militarized identity politics that was ‘whiteness’”: Marxism-Leninism Today on The Apocalypse of Settler Colonialism

“The militarized identity politics that was ‘whiteness’”: Marxism-Leninism Today on The Apocalypse of Settler Colonialism

Gerald Horne introduces his book about 17th century English colonial aggression in the Caribbean and North America by mentioning a three-part ‘Apocalypse.’ He indicates that its ‘three horsemen’—slavery, capitalism, and white supremacy—were present and sowing grief at the formation of the United States. But the first two play only supporting roles in his narrative. They give rise to conflicts and crises that provoke white supremacy, his third protagonist, into existence….

Socialist Review considers Karl Marx’s Ecosocialism

Socialist Review considers Karl Marx’s Ecosocialism

This fascinating book builds on the work of Marxists such as John Bellamy Foster to argue that Karl Marx’s thought is central to understanding that humanity’s destruction of the planet is due to the capitalist mode of production. It is a further blow against the perception that Marx was a naive Promethean—someone who believed that simply increasing production will solve all humanity’s ills and that therefore Marxism has nothing to say about ecological crisis....

New! Culture as Politics: Selected Writings of Christopher Caudwell

New! Culture as Politics: Selected Writings of Christopher Caudwell

Considered by many to be the most innovative British Marxist writer of the twentieth century, Christopher Caudwell was killed in the Spanish Civil War at the age of 29. Although already a published writer of aeronautic texts and crime fiction, he was practically unknown to the public until reviews appeared of Illusion and Reality: A Study of the Sources of Poetry, which was published just after his death. A strikingly original study of poetry’s role, it explained in clear language how the organizing of emotion in society plays a part in social change and development. Culture as Politics introduces Caudwell’s work through his most accessible and relevant writing. Material is drawn from Illusion and Reality, Studies in a Dying Culture, and his essay, “Heredity and Development.”

Eric Holt-Giménez talks about our indigestible capitalist food system on KPFA, 94.1FM

Eric Holt-Giménez talks about our indigestible capitalist food system on KPFA, 94.1FM

Eric Holt-Giménez is the Executive Director of Food First, a “people’s think tank” dedicated to ending the injustices that cause hunger. He’s also the author of the recently published A Foodie’s Guide to Capitalism: Understanding the Political Economy of What We Eat. Here, he talks to C.S. Soong, host of “Against the Grain,” a radio show emanating three times a week from Pacifica station KPFA 94.1 FM in the San Francisco Bay Area....

International Socialist Review: Helena Sheehan’s The Syriza Wave

International Socialist Review: Helena Sheehan’s The Syriza Wave

Anyone interested in a comprehensive account of what happened in Greece between 2012 and 2016—the struggles of the Left; the social devastation as a result of austerity; the rise, election, and capitulation of Syriza—should pick up Helena Sheehan’s latest book. Those already familiar with the period’s political drama, in search of an opportunity to reengage with the debates of the time, should also read The Syriza Wave, for the book opens multiple windows on a story that is still unraveling...

The Ammunition to Answer Back: Counterfire on The Politics of Immigration

‘I’m not against immigrants. I’m against illegal ones. … Our country is already too full. We must put a limit on how many can come in. We simply can’t afford it. They’ll put too much pressure on our already squeezed public finance. It’s a simple case of supply and demand. Wages will fall if you increase the supply of workers.’ ¶ Who hasn’t heard such statements in our workplace, pubs or family meals? You disagree with them, but you might not have the facts or arguments to back up your opinion, so you keep quiet to avoid a shouting match and to keep the peace….

“A world worth fighting for”: Agrarian South reviews Creating an Ecological Society

“A world worth fighting for”: Agrarian South reviews Creating an Ecological Society

At a time when capitalism is widely considered as the only and inevitable system, there are seldom critiques that go beyond understanding the inherent faults of the capitalist system to establishing the possibility of an alternative. This book is the latest contribution by Fred Magdoff and Chris Williams in their lifelong commitment not only to elucidate the ecological crises entailed in capitalism, but to provide the basis and the possibilities for an alternate system: eco-socialism....