Marxism Today: Essays on Capitalism, Socialism, and Strategies for Social Change

Early in the 20th century, revolutionary socialism was not only gaining momentum but appeared destined to conquer the world. By mid-century, the red flag flew over capitals in Eastern Europe, Russia, China, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Central America; by the 1970s over one-third of the world's population lived under socialist regimes. All that has changed. With the 20th century drawing to a close, the political map of the globe looks very different: most socialist states have collapsed, revolutionary movements have been abandoned, and the United States stands as the world's lone superpower. This unique volume examines these changes—the defeat of Marxism—and suggests that the present historical juncture is but a temporary setback in the march of the working class. The authors propose that Marxism remains the most useful approach in understanding and explaining contemporary capitalism and its decay, as well as the only path toward the liberation of society from class exploitation.

Table of Contents:
Introduction The Decline of Revolutionary Politics: Capitalist Detour and…the Return of Communism? by James Petras and Steve Vieux The Political Economy of U.S. Imperialism: From Hegemony to Crisis by Chronis Polychroniou Imperialism in Transition: The Global Political Economy Moves Toward the Twenty-First Century by Harry R. Targ Theses on Secular Crisis in Capitalism: The Insurpassability of Class Antagonisms by Harry Cleaver Capitalist Transformation: The Relevance of and Challenges to Marxism by James Petras and Chronis Polychroniou Markets, Private Property, Socialism and Capitalism by Stephen Resnick and Richard Wolff Autonomy versus Ensemble as Socialist Principles by Randy Martin A New Politics of Class by Milton Fisk Rethinking the National Question: Towards a Theory of Ethnicity and Nationality in the "New World Order" by Ashley W. Doane, Jr. Contemporary Rhetoric and Late Capitalism: Culture as an Imperializing Force by James Berlin Selected Bibliography

About the Author :
CHRONIS POLYCHRONIOU is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. He is the author of Marxist Perspectives on Imperialism (Praeger, 1991) and editor of Socialism: Crisis and Renewal (Praeger, 1993) and Perspectives and Issues in International Political Economy (Praeger, 1992). HARRY R. TARG is a Professor of Political Science at Purdue University in Indiana. Among his publications are International Relations in a World of Imperialism and Class Struggle (1983) and Cuba and the United States (1992).