Building the Commune
Radical Democracy in Venezuela
-
-
3.7 • 3 Ratings
-
-
- $9.99
-
- $9.99
Publisher Description
Latin America’s experiments in direct democracy
Since 2011, a wave of popular uprisings has swept the globe, taking shape in the Occupy movement, the Arab Spring, 15M in Spain, and the anti-austerity protests in Greece. The demands have been varied, but have expressed a consistent commitment to the ideals of radical democracy.
Similar experiments began appearing across Latin America twenty-five years ago, just as the left fell into decline in Europe. In Venezuela, poor barrio residents arose in a mass rebellion against neoliberalism, ushering in a government that institutionalized the communes already forming organically. In Building the Commune, George Ciccariello-Maher travels through these radical experiments, speaking to a broad range of community members, workers, students and government officials. Assessing the projects’ successes and failures, Building the Commune provides lessons and inspiration for the radical movements of today.
Customer Reviews
Interesting
The Venezuelan experience is a very intriguing one, while my own opinions on how revolutions should be done and how socialism should be built are different, Venezuela still has my support as a socialist experiment and as a brother country. That said the Venezuelan commune has in it the seeds for a more radical shift in the construction of communism, the building of a dual power situation that could one day lead to rupture and struggle. A process I’m interested in seeing develop and evolve, it’s different from the Cuban method of Marxist-Leninist vanguard party and something resembling a mass line, with the party engaging with the people on all levels, the party becomes a massive volunteer work group, participating in the labor union, women’s federations, youth groups etc. It’s a tactic I prefer, but Venezuela still has my full attention.
Building a disaster!
Turn on the evening news and witness firsthand how well the "radical democracy" is going down in Venezuela!