Communism in Theory and Practice

by William Ebenstein

A brief note at the beginning of the book:

Some of the material in this pamphlet has been adapted from William Ebenstein's Two Ways of Life: The Communist Challenge to Democracy, copyright 1962 by Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, Inc.

96 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1964

Reviews

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ebenstein provides a helpful explanation of communism's rise in the (former) Soviet Union--as well as what, exactly, communism means. Of course, Ebenstein clearly delineates the dichotomy between Marx's communism and the later Leninism (and Maoism); the latter, of course, respond to the fact that Marx's democratic revolution to overthrow capitalism never happened, so Lenin placed a select group of élites to encourage the masses and to reign in tyranny over them. Ebenstein also provides a fascinating view into life behind the "Iron Curtain," not least of all due to the fact that he wrote when Krushchev still held power. Indeed, his explanations not only show the poor quality of life in the Soviet Union, but also why this poor country experienced such advanced technological innovations.

Ebenstein's writing did surprise me, however. Due to his perspective of the United States and Europe after WWII but before Vietnam, he displays a great confidence in the U.S., and a great patriotism for the U.S. to continue developing in order to keep the Soviet Union in check. I don't see this patriotic zeal in many contemporary writers. Overall, Evenstein provides a great analysis of the Soviet Union and Communism that, I think, might benefit many folks, especially those who unknowingly conflate all flavors of communism into a monolithic idea.