A review by mcomer
Twenty-First Century Socialism by Jeremy Gilbert

4.0

Pretty good overview of the global political situation and a fairly good (if basic) guide as to how socialism can get us out of it. The first part, which details how we have gotten to a point where capitalism and its strictures rule and ruin the globe, can be a little eye-rollingly polemical, but the points are sharp and solid. The second part outlines the crises we as a global society face today, including the climate crisis, the cybernetic revolution, and increasing atomization; this part focuses on how capitalists and their cronies have shaped all of these issues, and how previous socialist movements have tried and often failed to combat it. Many such manifestos, when it gets to the part about the future, provide stirring rhetoric but no real plan to move forward. Jeremy Gilbert, conversely, does lay out some clear steps and principles that societies, groups, and individuals can follow to achieve a socialist future. He particularly emphasizes the importance of building truly democratic groups, workplaces, and societies - this, not individual atomization, is true freedom. All in all, a good introduction to the state of play in 2021, especially for those new to socialism and the left.