Customer Reviews

Women and Socialism: Essays on Women's Liberation

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Women & Socialism" by Sharon Smith is an enlightening series of essays on the topic of women's struggle for liberation. In an engaging and accessible writing style, Ms. Smith analyzes the class basis of women's oppression and discusses how building a socialist society is critical to achieving equality between the sexes. The book is refreshing in its ability to wade through the current feminist intellectual impasse and presents a clear-cut vision of how to achieve meaningful change for men and women everywhere.

Ms. Smith centers her analysis in Frederick Engels' groundbreaking work on historical materialism. Engels understood that the burden of domestic production falls on women and provides capital with a cheap means of reproducing labor power and allowing men to dominate the production and distribution of surplus value and culture. This relegates women to a subordinate status within the nuclear family and is often characterized by sexual exploitation. But through socialism, women can achieve equality by lifting the burden of privatized production.

In fact, the positive example provided by Russia's experience in the early years of the 1917 revolution supports the theory that socialism can measurably improve women's lives. Ms. Smith provides evidence of how Lenin and others in the revolutionary government specifically sought to empower women through unprecedented legislation that was in accordance with Marx and Engels' theories; unfortunately, these substantial gains were lost when Stalin rolled back these particular laws during the counterrevolution.

After reminding us that many of Russia's bourgeois feminists supported Stalin's reimposition of classism, Ms. Smith goes on to critique the contemporary feminist movement as exemplified by Naomi Wolf, NOW and others for its elitism and predisposition to accomodating the needs of capital which have practically ground the movement down to irrelevance. Ms. Smith points out that the individual achievements of exceptional persons such as Hillary Clinton does little for working class households who are suffering from steadily declining wages and deteriorating public services. Ms. Smith helps to reenergize the debate by demanding an uncompromising brand of socialism that can help improve the lives of all women, including universal health care, child care, and abortion rights for all.

Ms. Smith exposes the extreme hypocrisy of the Religious Right and the Conservative movement's promotion of war as a solution to the plight of Islamic women. She asserts that religious ideology serves the interests of class society and she finds little difference between the church and the mosque in their repressive treatment of women. In fact, the Religious Right's agenda is principally political and its agenda is inherently hostile to women, as evidenced by the Bush administration's myriad assaults on abortion rights and public services.

I highly recommend this timely, original and insightful book to everyone.

Sharon Smith's Women and Socialism, a collection of essays on women's liberation, is an indispensable critique of the systemic roots of women's oppression, and the limitations of liberal feminism in combating it. The volume is all the more valuable because the war currently being waged against women's rights demands the response of a massive grassroots movement that understands the true nature of its enemy.

Countering ideas of patriarchy, that men are inherently predisposed toward dominating women, Smith convincingly argues that women's oppression is the inevitable product of class society. This is no academic argument; it has real implications for how people organize for a better world. As Smith writes, "It is not possible for working class women to simultaneously unite with working class men in the class struggle and to unite with ruling class women in the struggle against working class men, as part of the patriarchy."

To prove her point, Smith points to the numerous betrayals of middle class feminist organizations which, because of their class allegiances, all too often do more to hurt the vast majority of working class women than they do to help them. There is the case of NOW taking a stand in court *against* the right to maternity leave. There is the Feminist Majority thanking George W. Bush for his "liberation" of Afghani women, providing ideological cover for a "War on Terror" which has killed hundreds of thousands of women in Iraq and Afghanistan, while bleeding working class families in the U.S. And finally, there are NARAL and Planned Parenthood staking the defense of abortion rights on the Democratic Party, which by constantly ceding ground to the right wing, itself undermines abortion rights.

The real value of Women and Socialism is that by laying out a Marxist analysis of women's oppression, it offers direction for those seeking to end such oppression for good - to transcend reforms within the capitalist system, which are inevitably chiseled away by the ruling class as mass struggle ebbs. The social movements of the 50's, 60's, and 70's on the one hand offered a glimpse of what is possible - ending Jim Crow, ending the war in Vietnam, winning the right to an abortion, ending the death penalty - but also show the consequences of failing to overturn the apple-cart entirely, in that the American working class is now stuck fighting many of those very same battles once again. Women and Socialism is essential reading for anyone who takes seriously the possibility of radical social change in the U.S. and the world at large.

This book is written in series of essays that is based on extreme points of view, that I don't have any agreement. here is why: many people nowadays try to change this nation into communist or socialism ( same role, just different name) not really knowing the truth, just based on some political ideology that human history had repeatedly proved to be failed. In fact communism is the worst political system that ever presented on earth. Because of its brutality, I escaped from that regime. And I am happy to be in this country where human freedom is mostly respected, and protected. Communist lies saying every one shares equally: In fact only, those few comrades who caused the shift of power enjoy the wealth and power, but the rest of the general citizens have no equality nor basic human right. Any one speak against government---disappear next day to "concentration camp" w/o fair trials nor justice. Communist shut down all religious freedom, or freedom of speech ( all medias are government controlled) Communists deny any form of gods but instead, they set the status of Stalin or Ma chiding, or Kimjung ill, and have to sing songs and salute for them, worship them. From elementary children to elders... Anyone dares to go against the government, ---labor camp! Several millions who stand for their freedom were killed brutally in early 20th century, during the communism overturn. 1989, Tinamen square, a million chines college students marched to protest against their communist government of oppression: it was broadcasted all over the world, they were asking communist government to give them ;freedom for speech, media, business, religion, true-democracy( not like few communist party people controlling) by election. Sooner the communist government sent them tanks and guns and indiscriminately shoot them and ran over with tank. Whole world watched through television broadcast. There is no "equal Justice" like the communist ideologist deceives people. Only "Elite Party Comrades" have the privileges of special health care, food market for themselves only, supply stores for them only, but the rest of the citizens live in dirt poor situation deprived from basic human rights. It's just a power shift from have to have not. Maybe somebody to arrange some "exchange living tourism" between these communist countries and America, Send those "Deceived communism lovers" to live in those communist countries for a year or two years by themselves without any privileges as American, but just as like their citizen, then maybe all these communism, socialism, totalitarian movement in American will learn the true lessons of the reality, and waken up.
Now some ignorant Americans already forgot about this just 20 years ago's brutality that we watched with our own eyes, want to change this great nation into communist?
Please study the real history. I mean the "real history" not just that stupid "ideology of communist". In a word, if you study the true history, communist repeatedly failed last 150 years.
and it's the most evil regime in the history. Why?: Stalin communist government killed 90 millions including the vicinity nations that were turn into communism, Macho-tong communist killed 100 millions, 2 millions by North Korea, by Cambodia each, 2 millions in Africa, 200,000 latin America..so on . But most of all they all became terribly poor after communist regime,oppressing the free capitalism, except China, because they started to adapt the partial capitalism from 10 years ago after they realized the harsh economic state. Now history tells also other evil regime; Hitler killed 6 million jew with other 4 million of Europeans; Japan' imperialism killed 20 million Asians during WWII, ..so on.
When communism and socialism oppress people's creativity and force them to work for "common Good", the productivity drops automatically. Why? men were not made to work for Common good. Maybe some aliens from different planet or maybe Jesus will do for common good. But not men's nature. That's why communism make every one poorer and poorer from their establishments throughout the history. When men get prosperous by working w their hards, with their creativity, they eventually help others if they are normal. because normal people appreciate God's wisdom of love and peace. But if the much power goes to God-hating communist, socialists or totalitarianistic government, you will see the corruption everywhere in their regime, instead of trying to help others or common good. Because they basically don't know, or appreciate God's wisdom of love and peace for all, they will fully manifest their selfishness and brutality filling only their throats. Why? that's the human nature w/o god. Human nature could be most brutal and selfish if they don't learn the true love from the creator as history repeatedly teach us.

Men can't govern themselves.They are naturally selfish, greedy and evil w/o god. If any political party, government have too much power, they will certainly hurt others unless they truly know jesus who always teach love and peace. That's why our America's constitution is truly great, because it was written by the God's fairness and wisdom protecting basic human rights that is originally from God , over any political unbalance. I realized only those who hate God fall into these"denying the constitution, or "let's change it "theory saying they are too old or whatever nonsense. Too old constitution? Then why the whole world always look upon America when it comes, most well practiced freedom and human right? Please have reasons.

If USA turned into communism, the power will shift to only those who hate the existing American system. They secretly controlling medias ( I already see it happened ) and brainwashing the youth with distorted facts in textbooks last 20 years. They keep change their names, their activity, and theory. Why? if they openly speak up, they know they will fail because any normal mind people will see the deception and its perversion. Look at these behind scenes of the head members. They are not normal mind, full of hatred, and causing always divisions, manipulations. Sadly this government & Geroge Soro' socialic, communistic, riots causing union leaders, hired many "paid bloggers from 4 years ago intensively promoting public hatreds & division. Real sad thing is most American publics are so ignorant, not knowing the behind scenes, get brain wash step by step through facebook, twitters, googles' net traffic.
Many good people's web site had been already blocked from public access from 2010.Do u know who r the major donors to all the ivy league schools in America? Middle Eastern Islamic terrorists sponsoring extremists. We pour our oil money into these middle eastern countries, these islamic extremists trains terrorists w our money, sending back to USA to brain wash college kids, funding mosques, from 1960' pouring into American textbook committees to distort our history, fanning the Anti-america propaganda w socialists, communism movement
together to destroy this great nation, but Americans are sleeping. While these trillion's forein oil money are eating up our nation, last prolong Democratic congress, government prohibit our own oil production saying "environmental protection". no wonder our debt is no more controllable. To any nation to be strong, they have to have their own supply of power sources. Get it? Can't go on with debts, especially to middle east. Though we fully develop all forms of green energy,it is still less than 50% of our energy sources. Before polar bears or dolphins, we are getting total broke, can't even protect them from international slaughters. Please think people & wake up from those hired bloggers & medias who were own by few extreme liberal bosses.

Collect the real historic facts, separate from the author's propaganda. Lineup the real facts, then you will see the history more accurately. Always develop the "reasoning power" of your own this way, not swayed by many false propagandas in most books, medias out there. If you don't have your own reasoning power, you will be always vulnerable and get deceived.
Interestingly always angry, poor people seem becoming the front line of deceived victims of these evil ideology. So instead, ask God to enlighten your heart to live with love and peace& goodness with others and ask your personal blessing instead of trying to destroy others who seems have.

If you believe somebody or some classes hurt your people, look at this. Bible says: forgive your enemy, don't live with your past: Don't covet your neighbors: work diligently on your own hands so you don't steal, become a burden to others. And lastly, love your neighbors as yourself. Then you will live in the true blessing of God, the creator.Robbing others' or violance, riots r not the answers. God wants us to be : good, righteous, & truthful. Those citizens of china and all the other communist countries, including north koreaa, who are brutally oppressed in the middle Eastern Islam tyrannies still wants their human freedom with the destruction of the oppressing totalitarianistic regime still today. So why move to backward of mistakes people?