The Socialist Challenge Today

by Leo Panitch, Sam Gindin

In what direction should the left move in the 21st century? The 'Third Way' lacked both realism and imagination. The social democratic embrace of neoliberal globalisation now lies threadbare amid multiple economic, ecological, and migration crises. Political institutions have been undermined: both national parties and the European Union. These developments have opened political space for the far right, with its ultra-nationalist, racist, sexist and homophobic agendas. Yet it has also restored some credibility to the socialist case for transcending capitalism as necessary to realise the collective, democratic, egalitarian and ecological aspirations of humanity. Amidst a significant shift from protest to politics on the contemporary left, Leo Panitch and Sam Gindin focus on some key recent moments, providing essential historical, theoretical and critical perspective for understanding the potential as well as the limits of: the Sanders electoral insurgency in the USA, the Syriza experience in Greece, and Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the Labour Party in Britain. Presenting a powerful and inspirational argument for transcending earlier social democratic and communist practices, Panitch and Gindin stress the need for renewing working-class politics through new kinds of socialist parties. Most important, they insist, will be to foster the development of strategic and practical capacities to democratically transform state structures - so as to render them fit for realising collective democracy, social equality, sustainable ecology and human solidarity. This is the central challenge for socialists today.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Social Issues, Theory, History

102 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really glad I read this. There's a lot of information in this very short book, and while it's written very academically and therefore took me a while to get through despite being so short, I do think it was worth the time I took to read it.

I think that there could have been a lengthier and deeper discussion on Syriza, as I felt like there was more to explore there than the authors delved into. But I thought the chapter on Sanders and the American Left was fairly well-done, particularly the critique of Elizabeth Warren's platform. I also felt the overall argument made throughout the book was well-stated. I would definitely recommend this to other socialists who are willing to endure the dry, academic writing style and want to engage in critical thought about the modern democratic socialist movement.

[Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

These short essays are trying to look at the current crop of democratic socialist parties and put them in a historical context of the last century of the parliamentary left, and above all look at their many limitations and weaknesses.

The key points for me are that putting forward a programme and winning an election is the easy bit. Once in power enacting change is fraught with problems, and not enough thought is given as to the How to achieve that programme. Even then it will be a bumpy road, and a lot of care has to be given how to keep the project on the road.

The case made is that the key crucial components are democratising institutions, public and private, and generating maximum grassroots participation. This includes organs of the party, and the party's supporting organisations, such as unions. Out of this must come public educational programmes. The goal of which is empowering the working class to keep the pressure on the state and move the whole thing along.

Transforming the economy locally (in one nation) whilst capitalism is dominant globally has endless pitfalls too, and often programmes are short on detail as to how this will happen, other than a bit of nationalisation and nods towards co-ops, and scant detail on how to deal with capital flight and other negative reactions.

Thinking about it, much of the above was successfully and effectively done on a scale in recent years by Hugo Chavez in Venezuela.

The reckoning on Syriza in the book matches my own impression, which is that they were truly stuck. Backed into a corner by the Troika the only card they had to play was leave the Euro and the EU, and not only was public opinion against that, but the practicalities of doing so were deemed as an even more damaging option than capitulating. So capitulate they did. Doomed in a game that couldn't be won.

Although it's short, its not an easy read. Its written in the technical language of political science, and the train of thought can meander a bit. I found it hard. But in a short dose I found it useful to get inside this kind of precise and technical thinking, even though I expect the points could've been made clearer in less academic language.

[Soph Nova · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short tract is packed with lots of information and lessons from the SYRIZA, Corbyn, and Sanders campaigns, while also being grounded in over 60 years of debate on socialist strategy.

“The inability of the working class to renew itself and discover new organizational forms in light of the dynamism of capital and capacities of the state to contain worker resistance has allowed the far right today to articulate and contextualize a set of common sentiments linked to the crisis - frustrations with insecurity and inequality and anger with parties that once claimed to represent workers’ interests.”

[Stephen Morrissey · Rating 3 out of 5]

In an age of rising "democratic socialism," it is useful to understand the what, why, and where are we heading aspects of socialist politics. "The Socialist Challenge" delivers mostly theory, but also a smattering of some "real-world" analysis of Syriza, Bernie Sanders, and Jeremy Corbyn.

What is most intriguing about the book is the author's repeated insistence that socialist parties, in order to truly succeed, should focus on political grassroots transformation at the local/grassroots level. As the authors posit, if school boards and local governments develop socialist programs, perhaps that will pave the way for more national-scale changes.

The book leans quite heavily on the theory of socialism, state development, and political theory. The case for Syriza and Bernie Sanders ultimately not succeeding could have also benefitted from more contextual analysis (i.e., the 2016 election in America re: Bernie; and the EU troika in the case of Syriza), but overall this is an interesting take on what socialism might look like in the 21st Century.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is much to be admired in this short book. It takes at face value the good-faith efforts to pursue, and tries to articulate the main strategies and policies for, transformative social and political change of Syriza in Greece, Corbynism in the UK, and Sandersism within the U.S., while offering sympathetic and intelligent critiques of each. It explicitly rejects the easy, but hollow, ultra-left criticisms of each of these as being insufficiently “pure”, finding material, historical and conjunctural roots for the obstacles and limits encountered. It is especially subtle on the organizational limitations internal to the left, and helpfully connects its critique of these particular movements with larger theoretical questions about the interplay of class formation, party, and state. Chapter 2, in particular, is a super-pithy review of the major intellectual currents within Marxism on these questions, right through the late 20th century, from a perspective that is attuned to revolutionary transformation and the centering of class analysis and equally attuned to the realities of the evolution of capitalism in western bourgeois democracies. (Study groups on any of these topics could easily use this chapter as a great starting off point.)
I think of the three “case studies”, the one on Syriza is strongest, and the one on Sanders weakest.
On Syriza, the authors underscore the dilemma of almost all the leading, skilled, talented cadre moving into government, leaving the party threadbare just when the Euro-austerity-debt crisis required the most advanced forms of social organization to enhance class formation and ties of class to party. I learned a lot from this study.
A good chunk of the study of Corbyn/Momentum/Labor and even more so of Sanders is devoted to critiques of their respective programs. I found myself agreeing with all the critiques (e.g., yes, worker control at the enterprise level is inadequate, and possibly even dangerous, in relation to “solidaristic democratic planning” for society as a whole), but also feeling that they dodged the main political questions about these movements: why did they not enjoy more popular support than they did? There is a bit of a default answer for the U.K. in the role of Brexit in splitting the class. But for the U.S., I’ll summarize the question as “why was Jim Clyburn able to steer the DP nomination to Hillary and to Biden?” (I do not subscribe to the analysis that Bernie’s defeats were all because corporate Democratic leadership put their collective thumb on the scale, although I certainly recognize that they did that.) There is very little discussion in the book about the limits of the Sanders appeal to primary voters, something that I think must be faced in taking stock of the Sanders campaigns.
Despite these limitations, I strongly recommend this clearly written, intelligent, book.

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good practice of Marxist analysis, but the book is immediately dated by how much it talks about Warren's presidential policy (until she is picked for VP).

Update: Gave it a second read-through, and I appreciate how they approach the problem of electoral socialism in the age of crystallized, global capital. I think looking at the case studies in the book helps examine how some level of engagement with "what are you going to do when you have the state?" is necessary to avoid pitfalls of flight from party to state apparatuses, disconnection between national politics and local politics, and wasting political capital on fights that don't inherently expand democratization. I think they are ultimately wrong about Lenin and the Bolsheviks, but that's okay, I can forgive them.

[Mason Wyss · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Socialist Challenge Today” contributes worthwhile and thoughtful criticisms of the strategies of three Western socialist movements once they gain power in the state, SYRIZA, Corbyn, and Sanders. Two of these movements failed to gain state power, however, so clearly there is some criticism and rethinking to be done in gaining power as well as exerting it. But, nonetheless, Panitch, Gindin, and Maher offer insight into the theories and policies that guided the campaigns of the movements discussed herein. What is made clear is that none of these movements can be successful in brining about socialism without much more serious consideration as to how we democratize our society, both in the state and the economy and how power is wielded by the working class. I think the authors fulfill the goal expounded by Marx, who they quote in the final paragraph by saying, “they must ‘engage in perpetual self criticism’ and deride ‘the inadequacies, weak points, and pitiful aspects of their first attempts.’”

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

lovely essay on the experiences of SYRIZA, 2017 Bernard and Corbyn.. I definitely want to reread this and dive into it some more having read some of Zizek's comments on SYRIZA.

overall thought there was some good commentary on the possibility of building democratic socialism, and a dive into the experiences in Greece, England and the USA and what is/was needed within those movements to mobilise and build socialist momentum

[Marlon · Rating 4 out of 5]

very worthy read, dense and nuanced in exploring the strengths and weaknesses of contemporary democratic socialist movements. it is unsettling to reflect on the challenges we face creating a society that provides for all people - I can't say I feel better after reading this. I am however, inspired to reflect on empowering myself and others in small ways in our local and workplace communities, and working to create a hypothetical framework to carry into future politics.

[Sydney · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I feel is the case with much neo-socialist literature, this is far too wordy for the consumption of the masses. We need to do more to stop obscuring the truth because otherwise, the vast majority of people won't ever be able to learn about socialist ideas. 2.5 stars

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The critique of Warren and Sanders’ plans to provide workers a greater ownership in companies is spot on and will stick with me.

[kyndal · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Aidan]

Read for my Socialism: History of an Idea course

I didn't have the time in the semester to finish it, so I finished it during break.

[Alexander Veee · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The inability of the working class to renew itself and discover new organizational forms in light of the dynamism of capital and capacities of the state to contain worker resistance has allowed the far right today to articulate and contextualize a set of common sentiments linked to the crisis---frustrations with insecurity and inequality and anger with parties that once claimed to represent workers' interests. Escaping this crisis of the working class is not primarily a matter of better policies or better tactics. It is primarily an organizational challenge to facilitate new processes of class formation rooted in the multiple dimensions of workers' lives that encompass so many identities and communities."

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is all about current socialist movements, their successes, but mostly their failures and makes a strong case about what we need to do to stay clear-headed about what to do next. Definitely recommend.

[Nathan Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish the chapter on Sanders was as occasionally concrete as those on Syriza/Corbyn vis-a-vis organization, but overall this orientation is broadly correct. And I say this as someone who is often unimpressed by Panitch's variant of Marxism.