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Socialism

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Without revolutionary theory, there can be no revolutionary movement.

— V. I. Lenin

In the dying capitalist hellscape we occupy, it can often seem hopeless. However, a better world is possible. We can move on from the destitution, genocide, and privation of today's society and move onto one where we consciously decide to take a scientific approach to production. We can direct society in such a fashion that satisfying the needs of the people is the goal of production, and not satisfying the bottomless avarice of a handful of billionaires. What we need is socialism. What we need is Marxism-Leninism.

Who is this guide aimed at?

Anyone wanting to begin their journey into the world of leftist theory and organizing.

How long will this guide take to follow?

Aimed at about 60 hours of active reading time. This can be stretched out over a year, or condensed into a few months of hard study, depending on your availability.


Section 0a: The Case for Marxism-Leninism [4hr 19 min]

In the 21st century, with global capitalism in crisis, now more than ever an alternative is needed. Why should we look to Marxism-Leninism, specifically?

  1. A. Einstein's Why Socialism? | Audiobook

[20 min]

From the unique scientific perspective of a legendary physicist, the case for taking a coordinated, planned, and scientific approach to production and distribution.

  1. R. Day's Why Marxism?

[26 min]

The case specifically for Marxism-Leninism as the basis of social organizing and revolutionary practice.

  1. M. Parenti's "Yellow Parenti" Speech

[1 hr 33 min]

The importance of revolution in uplifting people's lives across the 20th century.

  1. M. Parenti's Blackshirts and Reds | Audiobook

[2 hr]

A litany against anti-communist mythos, an examination of the real successes and struggles in the USSR, and an analysis of fascism.


Section 0b: Self-Education [15 min]

When beginning to study a new subject, it's important to frame why studying said subject will be useful, as well as how best to go about studying.

  1. Ho Chi Minh's Why Do We Have to Study Theory?

[11 min]

Practice alone is insufficient for developing a solid understanding of effective methodology.

  1. N. Krupskaya's General Rules for Independent Study

[4 min]

Best practices for how to get the most out of study, through active engagement with theory.


Section 1: Fundamentals of Marxism [2 hr 6 min]

Let's begin with some gentle overviews to form a base to build upon in the later sections.

  1. V. I. Lenin's The Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism | Audiobook

[10 min]

The core fundamentals of Marxism.

  1. F. Engels' Principles of Communism | Audiobook

[1 hr 11 min]

The FAQ of communism. Quick to read, and easy to reference.

  1. V. I. Lenin's Karl Marx: A Brief Biographical Sketch with an Exposition of Marxism

[~45 min]

A history of Karl Marx and the framework he created.


Section 2: Philosophy [6 hr 17 min]

By far the most critical subject to firmly grasp within Marxism-Leninism is the philosophy of dialectical materialism, the main tool by which Marxist-Leninists interpret the world so as to more effectively change it.

  1. G. Politzer's Elementary Principles of Philosophy | Audiobook

[2 hr 46 min]

A gentle and thorough introruction to dialectical materialism and how it came to be.

  1. Mao Zedong's On Practice & On Contradiction

[2 hr 16 min]

Directed towards guerilla fighters of the People's Liberation Army, this pair of essays equip the reader to apply the analytical tools of dialectical materialism to their every day practice.

  1. T. Weston's Introduction to Marxist Dialectics

[~1 hr]

An in-depth exploration of the fundamentals of Marxist dialectics.

  1. K. Marx's Theses on Feuerbach

[15 min]

Spend some time using what you have just learned, and actively engage with each of Marx's 11 theses here. This is the true germ of dialectical materialism, and proper study avoids falling into vulgar materialism.


Section 3: Economics [3 hr 37 min]

The Law of Value is the bedrock of the Marxist analysis of capitalism. Understanding how it is that capital behaves and functions will help us identify its contradictions, which we can exploit.

  1. N. Frome's An Extremely Condensed Summary of Capital

[20 min]

A basic introduction to the Law of Value. By no means a replacement for Capital, but will suffice for now.

  1. K. Marx's Wage Labor and Capital | Audiobook & Value, Price and Profit | Audiobook

[2 hr 17 min]

Best taken as a pair, these essays simplify the most important parts of the Law of Value.

  1. I. P. Wright's Marx on Capital as a Real God

[~1 hr]

An unorthodox approach to analyzing capital as a material expression of control systems.


Section 4: Scientific Socialism [6 hr 12 min]

Scientific socialism takes an analytical approach to development and class struggle. We aim to understand the laws governing development so that we can become the masters of production, and develop in a planned fashion.

  1. F. Engels' Socialism: Utopian and Scientific | Audiobook

[1 hr 32 min]

Engels introduces scientific socialism, explaining how Capitalism itself prepares the conditions for public ownership and planning by centralizing itself into monopolist syndicates and cartels.

  1. K. Marx's Critique of the Gotha Programme

[47 min]

Dissects a weak socialist program and elaborates on the dictatorship of the proletariat, as well as the early socialist stage and higher communist stage.

  1. V. I. Lenin's The State and Revolution | Audiobook

[2 hr 8 min]

Further analyzes the necessity of revolution and introduces the economic basis for the withering away of the state.

  1. H. P. Newton's In Defense of Self-Defense

[10 min]

The working class must be able to defend itself from violent reaction, it can't jump from state to non-state overnight.

  1. N. Frome's How is it to be Done?

[20 min]

What does building socialism in the real world actually look like? How do we get from capitalism to socialism to communism?

  1. R. Day's The Case for Socialized Ownership

[23 min]

Highlights the importance of collectivized and planned production from an economic, scientific, and efficency standpoint.

  1. Deng Xiaoping's Marxism is a Science

[40 min]

The struggles and contradictions in existing socialism, and the process of building to higher and more developed stages, can only be accomplished by taking a scientific and analytical approach.

  1. N. Frome's So You've Decided to Abolish the Value-Form. Now What?

[12 min]

Addresses competing interpretations of the Law of Value with respect to the transition from capitalism to communism.


Section 5: Imperialism [8 hr 48 min]

Capitalism didn't collapse in Europe, it found new ways to survive, chiefly by exporting capital. This current protracted evolution of capitalism into imperialism is the primary contradiction facing the global march to socialism.

  1. V. I. Lenin's Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism | Audiobook

[2 hr 39 min]

The formation of imperialism, as well as general characteristics of its behavior.

  1. K. Nkrumah's Neocolonialism, the Last Stage of Imperialism

[4 hr 39 min]

Over time, imperialism has managed to export the bulk of the contradictions in the global north to the global south.

  1. Cheng Enfu's Five Characteristics of Neoimperialism

[~1 hr 30 min]

The characteristics of the moribund US Empire, and its use of the dollar to dominate the global south in the current era.


Section 6: Colonialism [16 hr 14 min]

Understanding the ongoing national liberation movements in the global south, as well as the problem of settler-colonialism, is crucial for understanding the mechanisms of modern empire.

  1. Ho Chi Minh's The Path Which Led Me to Leninism

[4 min]

Decolonialization is fundamental to Marxism-Leninism.

  1. F. Fanon's The Wretched of the Earth | Audiobook

[4 hr 48 min]

A Marxist understanding of nationalism in the global south.

  1. J. Katsfoter's To Stop Marx, They Made Zion

[22 min]

The genocidal history of the settler-colonialism of Palestine, from its origins to today.

  1. J. Sakai's Settlers: The Mythology of the White Proletariat

[~7 hrs]

Analysis of the dark, bloody history of settler-colonialism in the US Empire.

  1. P. Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed | Audiobook

[4 hr]

A fiery pedagogy for those wretched of the Earth.


Section 7: Feminism [2 hr 3 min]

The historic oppression of women needs to be recognized and fought against.

  1. H. P. Newton's The Women's Liberation and Gay Liberation Movements

[6 min]

All sections of the working class must uplift each other, and not use homophobia or misogyny against capitalists, as it attacks our comrades as well.

  1. A. Kollontai's The Social Basis of the Woman Question

[45 min]

A Marxist counter to the existing bourgeois feminist movement, explaining why feminism needs Marxism, and Marxism needs feminism.

  1. Combahee River Collective's Statement

[~30 min]

An exploration of the state of the feminist movement and the importance of intersectionality as it relates to combatting oppression.

  1. J. Freeman's The Tyranny of Structurelessness

[42 min]

Throughout the history of feminist struggle, the struggle against formalized organization has been counter-productive and led to less efficient effort and increased problems with elitism, while groups with formalized structures have had far more success and open dialogue.


Section 8: LGBTQIA+ [4 hr 22 min]

We must correctly push for queer liberation, unflinchingly.

  1. L. Feinberg's Trans Liberation: Beyond Pink or Blue

[2hr 39 min]

When different social groups fight for liberation together, they are emboldened and empowered ever-further.

  1. V. Storm & E. Flores' The Gender Accelerationist Manifesto

[~40 min]

Breaks down the basis of misogyny, transphobia, and homophobia from a Marxist perspective.

  1. N. Frome's The Problem of Recognition in Transitional States, or Sympathy for the Monster

[63 min]

Trans liberation and communism go hand-in-hand.


Section 9: Party Work [5hr 12 min]

You can't build communism by reading it into existence. Roll up your sleeves, and get to work.

  1. J. V. Stalin's The Foundations of Leninism

[2 hr 2 min]

Marxism-Leninism is the living and evolving Marxism that has tested theory to practice for over a century.

  1. V. I. Lenin's What is to be Done? (Abridged)

[70 min]

The fundamental tasks of the revolutionary party.

  1. Liu Shaoqi's How to be a Good Communist | Audiobook

[~1 hour]

If we are to be successful, we must work to better ourselves, and do good party work.

  1. Liu Shaoqi's On the Party: Concerning the Mass Line of Our Party

[~30 min]

The mass line is the fundamental tool of maintaining a direct link between the working class and the vanguard, without falling into tailism or commandism.

  1. Liu Shaoqi's On the Party: Democratic Centralism Within the Party

[~30 min]

Democratic centralism turns an amorphous but radicalized working class into a solidified force to overwhelm its enemies. It takes the greatest strength of the proletariat, its mass, and aligns it in a unified direction.


Section 10: Self-Conduct [2 hr 39 min]

We cannot be dogmatic, or let the perfect socialism in our heads be the enemy of socialism in the real world.

  1. V. I. Lenin's "Left-Wing" Communism | Audiobook

[1 hr 47 min]

As organizers, we must do our best to engage where the working class is at, and not let the perfect socialism in our heads be the enemy of our own practice.

  1. J. Manoel's Western Marxism Loves Purity and Martyrdom, But Not Real Revolution

[17 min]

Marxism in western countries is often clouded by those who seem to only support socialism that failed, the "pure" socialist movements unsullied by the very real struggles involved in building socialism over a lengthy period of time. This perfect vision of socialism in our heads becomes not just the enemy of our practice, but also that of socialists in the global south that fought and died for a better world.

  1. Zhou Enlai's Guidelines for Myself

[1 min]

Simple and straightforward virtues for any good cadre.

  1. Xi Jinping's Water Droplets Drilling Through Rock

[4 min]

Tenacity is what creates valleys and shifts mountains. Through our connected struggle, even if the odds seem overwhelming, we all contribute to bringing about a better world.

  1. Ho Chi Minh's On Revolutionary Morality

[~30 min]

We must combat the notion of putting self-interest above that of our collective struggle. It is through collaboration that we emancipate all, not just ourselves.


Conclusion

Congratulations, you completed your introductory reading course! Now, if you haven't already, get organized. The Party for Socialism and Liberation, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and Red Star Caucus are all good Statesian options. Pick whichever decent org is most active in your area regardless of where you live.

Be industrious, and self-sufficient. Take up gardening, home repair, tinkering. It is through practice that you elevate your knowledge. Learn self-defense. Get armed, if practical. Be ready to protect yourself and others. Try to use FOSS if you can. Go vegan!

We will win.


Resources

a. Theory

ProleWiki - A robust library and wiki for Marxism-Leninism.

Red Sails - "Woke ML-MZT Criterion Collection with home videos thrown in"

Comrade's Library - Excellent source for .epubs

Qiao Collective - Connecting western diaspora with Chinese political commentary

b. Podcasts

Blowback - Anti-imperialist podcast about the crimes of the US Empire.

Rev Left Radio - Marxist-Leninist podcast centering theory, history, and current events

c. News

Liberation News - PSL's newsletter

Fight Back! News - FRSO's newsletter

Naked Capitalism - Economic newsletter centering capitalism's decay


Credits

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[–] tuna@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

Left monitor: theory

Right monitor: geometry dash

Play geometry dash -> take a break -> read theory -> take a break -> 🔁

I'm really liking this loop :3


One suggestion I have is an optional, guided prompt at the end of each resource/section, like "what are the 3 main points?" or "what is [thing] and why does the author argue against it?". I find it quite alarming when I read all the words but feel I missed the big ideas (regardless of whether it has my undivided attention). I think that those prompts would help retrain my mind to read the text actively and digest it better ^^

Edit: On second thought, "guided prompts" really just sounds like another name for homework, which im unsure if you really intend on having in your reading list... up to you :D

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 2 points 5 days ago

Haha, I'll keep it in mind! I have little intros for each section, might expand them a bit. Thanks!

[–] sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml 16 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

How do I add a subway surfers window for this post /s

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[–] comrade_twisty@feddit.org 13 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Where’s the 14 second TikTok Summary?

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 13 points 3 weeks ago

Worker strong together ☭

[–] KrasMazov@lemmygrad.ml 11 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

hero of lemmygrad Comrade Cowbee with the excellent work as always!

I'm really lacking on theory reading. Hopefully I can get really into it soon now that I'm slowly getting better from my depression!

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Excellent to hear, comrade! Glad you're doing better, depression fucking sucks. I haven't been depressed, but I've been super anxious lately and have been slacking in my reading lately, finally got a bit of momentum to get this revision out.

[–] KrasMazov@lemmygrad.ml 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Thanks comrade, your comforting words mean a lot! I also have anxiety, specially social anxiety so I know what that feels like, it sucks real hard, lol.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 6 points 3 weeks ago

Yep, for sure! Glad we are both on the up and up!

[–] davel@lemmy.ml 11 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Okay but when are your video essays of them coming out?

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 6 points 3 weeks ago

Absolutely never, lol.

[–] fxomt@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Is there anything different compared to the old post?

Either way, i heavily respect the effort you went through to make this + maintain it for almost a year. Good job cowbee :)

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 14 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

A bunch, actually! Here's the original list, back when it was crossposted to Lemmy.world. The biggest changes outside of structure and formatting are an expansion on areas such as settler-colonialism, more global south perspectives (such as with Nkrumah), a stronger emphasis on party work, a gentler introduction, and a more diverse range of authors from the classics to mid-20th century to the 21st century.

And thanks! The original post is the same as this one, now, but this post is meant to add a bit of visibility for feedback purposes, haha. I'm making micro-edits based on feedback, which should settle down to slumber in about a week.

[–] fxomt@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Nice, I especially do admire the focus toward global south perspectives too. Overall this is very impressive for a Lemmy post.

10/10 effort posting 🫡

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 6 points 3 weeks ago

Thanks, comrade 🫡

[–] Edie@lemmy.ml 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The old post has been updated, and then copy pasted here.

[–] fxomt@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 3 weeks ago

Thanks for the clarification 👍

[–] umb_official@lemmy.ml 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Currently going through your original reading list with a minimal order change and a few other books added, appreciate the new update!

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 6 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

No problem! What did you change, and what did you add? I'm open for suggestions! I really appreciate feedback from people who actually use my list and not just look at it, haha.

[–] umb_official@lemmy.ml 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

The changes were not my intention it was because either some books came in the mail before others or I missed a couple in the beginning lol. Books I read along with it aren’t ML specifically but still share some of the ideas they were “Feminism is for Everyone” by Bell Hooks, “Confronting Fascism” by Various authors, “Discourse on the Origin of Inequality” by JJ Rosseau, and “Are Prison’s Obselete?” by Angela Davis. So far I’m only like half way through the original list with also lots of reading on Prolewiki, Red sails, and what people are saying on here.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 4 points 3 weeks ago

Cool! Big fan of the work done by the Red Sails crew, if you haven't noticed, haha. bell hooks is fantastic, I read The Will to Change earlier. Thanks for the feedback!

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 7 points 3 weeks ago

Updated my previous reading list, wanted to post it to this community as well. I'd love any feedback!

[–] Edie@lemmy.ml 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

You got featured on hexbear! It shows up on all.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 7 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Oh wow! That's a lot of attention! I sort Hex by local so I didn't notice, lol

[–] fxomt@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Also on here, which is how I found this post in the first place

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 weeks ago

I figured you found it from sorting by all, but not that it was popular enough to show up for dbzer0, which is why I was surprised.

[–] TrippyFocus@lemmy.ml 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Great list! Really like the groupings and the variety of authors.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 7 points 3 weeks ago

Thanks! I focused on trying to mix up a bunch of perspectives from across the history of Marxism to today, and a lot of global south perspectives as well.

[–] dessalines@lemmy.ml 5 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Excellent work comrade, thanks for compiling these.

A few of these like settlers, I've recorded audiobooks for, and a few others ive recorded but the linked audiobooks are read by bots instead of a person. Might be good sometime to go through my audiobooks and see what could be added.

I also highly recommend adding Losurdo's liberalism, western marxism, and stalin, and roxanne-dunbar ortiz's an Indigenous People's History of the United States. (if they weren't already included).

Thx again!

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 5 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Thanks a lot for the audiobooks and feedback! I'll go through at some point and try to add the missing audiobooks, this new edition of my list is still a bit in-flux based on feedback, once it's fully solidified I'll add the audiobooks.

One thing that's a bit of a conundrum, is if I should rip out all of the historical texts from this list and make a second, history-focused list, or if I should unify the lists into a longer, fully comprehensive list without caring too much for length (where I would add, among others, Capital, Anti-Dühring, Losurdo's Class Struggle, Stalin, Western Marxism, Walter Rodney's How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, etc), or if I should try to strike a balance and find a "jack of all trades" list, which is where this list sits at. I don't think it's too long, but I also don't think it skimps on anything at the moment.

Once I figure that out, I'll see about adding or splitting. Right now it's around 60 hours, and I'd like to either get it down to 50, or give up and make it fully comprehensive or split into theory and history.

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[–] NotMushroomForDebate@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

When can we pre-order the hardcover? I hope it comes with free shipping because it'll probably weigh as much as a microwave.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 5 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

I'm going to go through a massive cull eventually, want to get the hour counter under 50 if I can... 🫠

I do like where the guide is at, though. It's comprehensive, engaging, and covers a broad majority of topics one might want to understand within Marxism-Leninism. The goal now is to make the guide more lean, readable, and remove overlap as much as possible.

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[–] Samsuma@lemmy.ml 5 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Good work as always! Any thoughts about Frantz Fanon's other book "Black Skin, White Masks", if you had the chance to read it? Based on my almost-done reading and understanding of it so far, it delves deeper into the psychology of people going through the oppressed-via-imperialism to European acceptance pipeline (not sure how else to describe it lol) through the lens of black diaspora in Fr*nce.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Thanks! I actually have it on my bookshelf! I plan on fleshing out the underdeveloped sections of my reading list a bit more, then consolidating and trimming the list to be more manageable. Right now it's around 70 hours of active reading time, and Black Skin, White Masks would add another 3-4 hours to that total. I'd like to get the list down to 50 hours, but that requires some sacrifices I'm not comfortable with making yet.

[–] Samsuma@lemmy.ml 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Ah fair enough. Looking forward to the Cowbee's Global South Solidarity Expansion Pack DLC (I jest... unless?) :).

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I've considered removing all history-focused texts and making essentially Read History, Darn it! I have a big focus on the global south in this list already, section 5 is 2 times the length of the second longest sections, so maybe I can trim history and move it to a new list to follow up. I like everything in one place, though... Plus I wonder if people would just follow one list and not the other, decreasing the number of people familiar with both when they are both critical.

[–] Edie@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Finding good books is can be difficult, so if you want to, you could make another list with books that could be read after this one.

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[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml 4 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

Amazing work as always, great job on evolving the guide!

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 weeks ago

Thanks, comrade!

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[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago (19 children)

Me, a scientific positivist:

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