The malaise on the left - Maurice Brinton
Among thinking socialists there is a deep malaise. The purpose of this article is to explore the roots of this malaise, and to show that they lie in the transformations of class society itself. Over the last few decades - and in many different areas - established society has itself brought about the number of the things that the revolutionaries of yesterday were demanding. This has happened in relation to economic attitudes, in relation to certain forms of social organisation, and in relation to various aspects of the personal and sexual revolutions. When this adaptation in fact benefits established society, it is legitimate to refer to it as "recuperation". This article seeks to start a discussion on the limits of recuperation.
Capitalism and socialism - Maurice Brinton
Maurice Brinton of Solidarity outlines his view of traditional socialists, and libertarian socialists.
Capitalism and socialism
by Maurice Brinton
from Solidarity, V, 6 (December 1968)
Portugal: The Impossible Revolution?
Submitted by libcom on Aug 7 2005 07:53
Phil Mailer of Solidarity's excellent history and analysis of the Portuguese Revolution from 1974-1976.
Theses on the Chinese revolution - Cajo Brendel
Submitted by libcom on Jul 25 2005 10:59
Solidarity's Cajo Brendel discusses the Chinese revolution and conflicts between the Chinese Communist Party and the working class and peasantry, and conflicts within the Party itself.
By Cajo Brendel Solidarity (U.K.) Pamphlet # 46 (1974)
Preface to the Second English Edition
Suicide for socialism? - Maurice Brinton
Submitted by libcom on Jul 25 2005 01:00
Maurice Brinton's analysis of the bizarre mass suicide of a socialist cult led by American Jim Jones in Jonestown, Guyana, which discusses the dynamics of political sects in general.
'We're gonna die for the revolution. We're gonna die to expose this racist and fascist society. It's good to die in this great revolutionary suicide.'
Paris: May 1968 - Maurice Brinton's diary
Submitted by libcom on Jul 22 2005 13:08
A vivid and exciting eyewitness diary by Maurice Brinton (the writing pseudonym of Chris Pallis) of Solidarity on the events in Paris in May 1968.
Despite the optimism of the time, however, Brinton does not get too swept up in the events, and unlike some accounts of the time, manages to keep his views firmly rooted in reality.
Paris:May 1968
First edition published by Solidarity, June 1968 This edition published jointly by Dark Star Press and Rebel Press, 1986
Introduction
The Irrational in Politics - Maurice Brinton
Maurice Brinton outlines his Reichian views on human psychology, arguing that sexual repression is an important factor in social conditioning.
Written in 1970 we do not agree with the text but reproduce it here for reference. It also contains comments which are patriarchal and may be offensive.
Propaganda and policemen, prisons and schools, traditional values and traditional morality all serve to reinforce the power of the few and to convince or coerce the many into acceptance of a brutal, degrading and irrational system.
As we see it / Don't see it - Solidarity
An introduction to the ideas and activity of the UK libertarian socialist group Solidarity. The articles provide an interesting and clear summary of revolutionary ideas.
As We See It is followed by As We Don't See It, a series of clarifications and explanations published later, and later revisions to both.
These texts were taken from the on-line Solidarity and Subversion archive at af-north.org
The Bolsheviks and workers' control: the state and counter-revolution - Maurice Brinton
Submitted by libcom on Apr 26 2005 15:43
A remarkable pamphlet by Maurice Brinton exposing the struggle that took place over the running of workplaces between workers and the new state in the Russian Revolution.
In doing so not only does it demolish the romantic Leninist 'history' of the relationship between the working class and their party during these years (1917 - 21) but it also provides a backbone to understanding why the Russian revolution failed in the way it did.
A Contribution to the Critique of Marx - John Crump
This essay was published in pamphlet form in February 1976. It was published jointly by Social Revolution and Solidarity.
A number of us who went on to form Subversion were members of Social Revolution at the time. It marked our first attempts to get away from hanging on every word of Karl Marx's and to try to understand why his works spawned such a diverse variety of political thought - ranging from communism to state capitalism.
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