The Socialist Awakening: What's Different Now About the Left

by John B. Judis

Overview

“A person of the left, Judis specializes in speaking truth to liberals.” —E.J. Dionne Jr., The Washington Post

As the pandemic depression lays bare the failure of market capitalism worldwide, and as protesters flood the streets in unprecedented numbers seeking racial and economic equality, you can find something in common among many of those disillusioned with the way things are—socialism. How did this happen? Why now?

John B. Judis, himself a veteran of socialist movements, explores how an ideology thought to be long dead has taken hold as a broad movement among younger people dissatisfied with mainstream politics both on the right and the left, in America, Great Britain, and elsewhere in Europe and the world.

From Karl Marx to Eduard Bernstein, Eugene Debs to Victor Berger, Bernie Sanders to Jeremy Corbyn, The Socialist Awakening chronicles the rebirth of an idea driven by a rising anti-capitalist resentment among those looking to reclaim public power over the direction of private enterprise—an idea that has become urgent in the wake of the pandemic and the economic depression.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781734420715
Publisher:	Columbia Global Reports
Publication date:	09/29/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	689 KB

About the Author

John B. Judis is Editor-At-Large at Talking Points Memo and author of many books, including The Nationalist Revival: Trade, Immigration, and the Revolt Against Globalization, The Populist Explosion: How the Great Recession Transformed American and European Politics, Genesis: Truman, American Jews, and the Origin of the Arab-Israeli Conflict, and The Emerging Democratic Majority, co-written with Ruy Teixeira. He has written for numerous publications, including The New Republic, The National Journal, The New York Times Magazine, Mother Jones and The Washington Post. Born in Chicago, he received his B.A. and M.A. degrees in Philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley. He lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.
John B. Judis is Editor-at-Large at Talking Points Memo and author of many books, including The Populist Explosion: How the Great Recession Transformed American and European Politics, The Nationalist Revival: Trade, Immigration, and the Revolt Against Globalization, Genesis: Truman, American Jews, and the Origin of the Arab-Israeli Conflict, and The Emerging Democratic Majority, cowritten with Ruy Teixeira. He has written for numerous publications, including The New Republic, The National Journal, The New York Times Magazine, and The Washington Post Magazine. Born in Chicago, he received his B.A. and M.A. degrees in Philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley. He lives in Silver Spring, MD.

Editorial Reviews

In The Socialist Awakening, the journalist John B. Judis proposes that a new socialism is emerging among the young and educated. He builds on his earlier volumes on nationalism and populism, collectivist ideas that have surged because of a ‘breakdown’ of the ‘consensus on the virtues of the free market and of globalization.’” —New York Times Book Review

“The rebirth of American socialism has come complete with any number of explanatory and exhortatory books, the best of which is The Socialist Awakening, a brief, incisive volume by veteran political journalist and longtime democratic socialist, John B. Judis.... Judis writes not merely as an analyst of an ideology‘s return but as an advocate for its necessity, with particularly shrewd assessments of how the new American socialism can advance, and, alternatively, how it may marginalize itself into irrelevance...essential reading for progressives and socialists.” —The American Prospect

“An eye-opening read.... I felt an emotional connection to this book about how socialism has evolved over the years in America and Great Britain, and where it stands today. His is an unvarnished rendition—the highs and lows, warts and all—of how we got to today and where we might go from here if we’re successful.” —LA Progressive

“One extremely helpful recent intervention in the debate on how the American left should move forward is John Judis’ The Socialist Awakening. Judis analyses the left resurgence accompanying Bernie Sanders’ surprisingly successful campaigns for nomination as the Democratic presidential candidate in 2016 and 2020. He sees signs of hope in developments on the left in recent years—but also reasons for concern.” —Sheri Berman, Social Europe

“Completing the trilogy he began with The Populist Explosion and The Nationalist Revival, journalist and political analyst Judis offers a cogent, incisive examination of growing interest in socialist ideals in the U.S., U.K., and Europe.... A pragmatic view of systemic social change.” —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2020-07-22
A self-described "longtime leftist" sees new interest in post-Marxist, post–Cold War socialism.

Completing the trilogy he began with The Populist Explosion and The Nationalist Revival, journalist and political analyst Judis offers a cogent, incisive examination of growing interest in socialist ideals in the U.S., U.K., and Europe. “The failure of market capitalism,” he writes, “has been heightened by the threat posed by the novel coronavirus. All the weaknesses of the previous era—from the over-reliance on global supply chains to underfunded social services; from tax avoidance by the wealthy and large corporations to the immiseration of what are known as ‘essential workers’—have been laid bare.” The recession of 2008, worries over climate change, and Donald Trump’s presidency have all fueled anti-capitalist sentiments, causing membership in the Democratic Socialists of America to grow, especially among younger people. “In 2013,” writes the author, “the average age of a DSA member was sixty-eight.” By 2017, it was 33. New socialists, Judis asserts, “place a high importance on the ideals of justice as integral to socialism.” The author chronicles the evolution of socialism in the U.S., beginning with Eugene V. Debs and culminating in Bernie Sanders, who calls himself a “Swedish-style socialist,” and Elizabeth Warren, whose platform incorporated many socialist ideals. In the U.K., socialism has been embraced since 1918 by the Labour Party, although it’s recently been undermined by the candidacy of Jeremy Corbyn. New leadership, Judis points out, is essential to instituting needed reforms, including partial public takeover of the health care industry, transportation, and energy production and use; public financing of elections; a guaranteed annual income; and massive investment in public welfare. Contrary to assumptions by some on the left, nationalism is integral to socialism: Any socialist or economically progressive appeal, Judis warns, depends on a “clearly defined” citizenry, “their common commitment to the nation assumed.”

A pragmatic view of systemic social change.

Kirkus Reviews