Socialism for a Sceptical AgeThis outstanding and original volume offers a critical examination of a number of developments which in recent years have undermined the idea of socialism and eroded its electoral appeal. Among these developments are the collapse of Communist regimes, the fragmentation of the constituencies upon which earlier socialist advances had depended, changes in the organization and the dynamics of capitalism and a dearth of agencies committed to the socialist project. The book also takes up and seeks to rebut older objections to socialism, such as the notion that it is inevitably totalitarian, that it is based on too optimistic a view of human nature and that it fails to take account of the tendency of power to accumulate in the hands of minorities. The book argues that a social order dominated by the logic of capital and competition cannot, despite all the positive claims made on its behalf, produce the conditions which make true citizenship and community possible. By contrast, socialism offers an attractive and feasible programme for the realization of those ideals. Miliband argues that socialism cannot be seen as an answer to all the ills which have plagued humankind. Socialism, in his view, has to be understood as part of an age-old struggle for a more just society, and he believes that, seen in this light, socialism remains not only desirable but also perfectly possible. Moreover, he believes, socialism will, in time, come to command a majority support which its advancement requires. Socialism has to be seen as a permanent striving for the achievement of democracy, egalitarianism and the creation of an economy under democratic control. |
Contents
Socialist Aspirations | 43 |
Mechanisms of Democracy | 71 |
The Mixed Economy Socialist Style | 98 |
Constituencies Agencies Strategies | 126 |
The Politics of Survival | 159 |
Prospects | 188 |
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achieve advanced capitalist countries agencies authoritarian bourgeois capitalism capitalist democracies capitalist societies cent challenge chapter Cold War committed Communism Communist parties Communist regimes concerned conservative constitute context cooperation corporate power cracy crucial defend demo democratic forms dictatorship dominant class egalitarian election electoral existing fact fascism firms forces fundamental government's greatly important interests involved issues labour leaders least left parties London majority Marx Marxism ment Miliband minority movements neo-fascist neo-liberal oligarchy opposition organization policies political popular population possible Press pressure problems production programme public enterprise public ownership purposes question radical reform Ralph Miliband reality relation remain revolution revolutionary role rule seek social democratic parties social order socialist democracy socialist government South Korea Soviet Union struggle taken to mean tion trade unions Trotskyism United vast wage wage-earners workers World War II