Revolution Books Chicago

Monday, November 16, 2015

Wednesday, Nov 18, 7 pm

Ongoing discussion of articles from Demarcations,
A Journal of Communist Theory and Polemics

"On the 'Driving Force of Anarchy' and the Dynamics of Change--A Sharp Debate and Urgent Polemic: The Struggle for a Radically Different World and the Struggle for a Scientific Approach to Reality," by Raymond Lotta

The article we're discussing this week is described as a contribution to "a consistently scientific political economy, a consistently dialectical materialist approach to the relation between the economic base and the superstructure of politics and ideology," in Bob Avakian's "The New Synthesis of Communism: Fundamental Orientation, Method and Approach, and Core Elements." We will focus on Part I, getting as far as we can with these four concepts:

--The fundamental contradiction of the capitalist-imperialist system is the contradiction between socialized production and private accumulation--between an internationalized system of production involving millions of producers and the private ownership and control of this socialized production by a relatively tiny capitalist class.

--This fundamental contradiction manifests itself and moves in two forms of antagonism:

* The struggle between classes (especially but not only between the ruling class of capitalists--the bourgeoisie--and the working class--the proletariat); and

* The struggle between "the organization of production at the level of the individual workshop, factory, enterprise, and unit of capital, and the anarchy of production in society overall."

--Between these two manifestations, the "anarchy/organization" contradiction is principal overall.

--There is opposition to this analysis, including within the international communist movement, but also among those who say that the capitalist system can be reformed (see Part II).

You don't have to have read the whole article to join this discussion; we welcome everyone, and together we will break down these complex theoretical concepts.

Chicago Book Expo

Sat, Nov. 21 - 11 am to 5 pm
1104 S. Wabash, 8th Floor
Columbia College Chicago

This is the fourth annual celebration of Chicago independent presses and authors - an event no book lover would want to miss. Here's the complete schedule. Revolution Books' volunteer Jay Becker will be conversing with Jerry Coyne, University of Chicago professor and best-selling author (Why Evolution Is True) about his new book, Faith vs Fact: Why Science and Religion Are Incompatible. (Noon, Room 835-836)

Sat., Nov 21, 11 am

Book Club Discussion
The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall

This novel tells the story of tomboyish Stephen, who hunts, wears trousers and cuts her hair short - and who gradually comes to realize that she is attracted to women. Charting her romantic and professional adventures during the First World War and beyond, the novel provoked a furor on first publication in 1928 for its lesbian heroine and led to a notorious legal trial for obscenity. Virginia Wolfe and E.M. Forster testified at the trial and statements in support of Hall came from authors including Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Sinclair Lewis, Sherwood Anderson, H. L. Mencken, Upton Sinclair, Ellen Glasgow, and John Dos Passos. Hall saw the book as a pioneer work and today it is recognized as a landmark work of gay fiction.

Tuesday, Nov. 24, 7 pm

Max Blumenthal, author & filmaker

Grace Place, 637 S. Dearborn

American journalist Max Blumenthal has reported widely from Israel and Palestine and was in Gaza during the 2014 war on Gaza. His experience is reported in his most recent book, The 51 Day War: Ruin and Resistance in Gaza. Blumenthal combines intimate testimonies from residents with clear-eyed analysis of the political trajectory that has led to repeated catastrophe. This event, sponsored by Committee for A Just Peace in Israel and Palestine, will be an unflinching look at the disastrous violence in and repeated assaults on Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, the international failure to change this pattern, and the rise of radical nationalism in Israel. The Facebook event with more details is here. Revolution Books will be the bookseller at this event; call us to reserve a copy today!

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