Thankfully Western Marxism: How it was Born, How it Died, How it can be Reborn by Losrudo was just translated into English. Have been wanting to read it for years, as it seems like it's Hexbear's position on Marxism 101. Losurdo is an unmatched thinker, never been disappointed with his work. Description:
Western Marxism: How It Was Born, How It Died, How It Can Be Reborn is a paradigm-shifting book that provides a trenchant critique of the Western left intelligentsia. It reveals how its dominant ideological orientation—characterized by defeatism, utopianism, and anti-communism—is rooted in the political economy of imperialism. Internationally acclaimed theorist Domenico Losurdo thus provides a fresh and challenging perspective on purportedly radical thinkers who have been widely promoted in the imperial core, including those affiliated with the Frankfurt School, French Theory, and operaismo, as well as Hannah Arendt, Giorgio Agamben, Michael Hardt, and Slavoj Žižek, among others. His critique also has wide-reaching implications for trend-setting discourses inspired by this coterie of intellectuals, from postcolonial and decolonial theory to subaltern studies and beyond. Far from being a negative undertaking, however, this book is grounded in the positive project of reigniting anti-imperialist Marxism.
I read through Soren Mau's Mute Compulsion earlier this year. That's the best Marxism 101 text I've encountered.
Found the Appendix which appears to be a summary of a lot of the work, perhaps a paper written prior to the book https://roland-theodore-boer.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2024-how-western-marxism-was-born-and-how-it-died-losurdo-western-marxism.pdf
The full pdf is on Anna’s Archive for those who can’t buy it, I couldn’t find an epub for free though. I’m probably gonna buy the epub from Monthly Review and share it myself soon though, since it definitely seems like a worthwhile read.
Just finished submitting it to libgen, I think it needs to be accepted first before it's available publicly but for now I think you can download it from
here? If the download link on this page is no good let me know and I'll try uploading it somewhere else.Edit: OK nevermind on that link, I just realized that page is password protected
well here's a link that should actually be visible to anyone while we wait for the libgen submission. https://gofile.io/d/OdIZlc
lmao right. Like I enjoyed the few books of his that I've read, but that knowledge isn't going to "transform everything" or whatever is meant by that. I can't nudge this fuckin empire dawg the conditions are nowhere near right for that kind of change
clearly you haven't read enough, I can feel your low plasm levels through this comment
Just gotta astral project to attack the godhead of capitalism directly.
what are his most famous/important works that haven't yet been translated? i speak italian so translating one could be a fun project
Death to America
Losurdo really was so good, one of the great Marxists of our time. RIP.
Need to get around to finishing Liberalism, but Losurdo has been a big influence on my worldview the past couple years. Reading his works is like a breath of fresh air. I hope Henry and Salvatore (or others!) can do some more translation work, because more people need to read his stuff.
I started his Stalin book hoping it would be a biography, but it felt like more of a historiography. It was talking about Trosky's criticism of Stalin and Kruschev's de-Stalinization and I wasn't really into it. Not that it seemed like bad history but it wasn't interesting or compelling from what I read.
It’s not a biography in any shape or form, that wasn’t Losurdos goal. He specifically criticises how Stalin is portrayed in media and history.
yeah I mean its in the sub-title. History and Critique of a Black Legend
It was talking about Trosky's criticism of Stalin and Kruschev's de-Stalinization and I wasn't really into it
I'm not sure I understand why you'd be interested in a book about Stalin but not those things. They are essential for understanding why the picture of Stalin among the western left is so skewed today.
I misunderstood the premise of the book. I thought it would be more biographical than historiographical.
Fuck your critical theory bullshit. I don't need to indulge myself in the frippery of western academic circlejerks to support trans people in my life. I resent the implication.
big fan of transphobia? i guess this is probably just your other account in which case fuck you.
this is literally the "bullying works" website, why are you being weird about someone putting that into practice on a bigot?
obviously you're not quite aware of what you're defending if you haven't seen this comment ... some of that stuff isn't even legal to say in my country.
quoting OP who posted this earlier on a year-old post about Feinberg... weird guy. can't believe they haven't qualified for a permaban tbh, not sure what it must take. transphobic misohynist from a different instance seems like a slam dunk to not give a second (third?) chance to for me. https://hexbear.net/modlog?page=1&actionType=All&userId=2019549
very insightful thanks. the guy who just got permabanned for being a transphobic shithead was surely misunderstood and channelling losurdo. no investigation no right to speak!
i just creep the modlog most days and saw this dudes unhinged removed posts today
Who? I still have no idea who you are talking about: I don’t know how you think I’m backing any one up. As I said I’m confused.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Flp1QeOdjDY
This is the interview I’m referring to.
i don't think you were acting in bad faith but tried to explain myself better in another reply. i understand this isn't productive to anything at this point so if you wanna leave it there it's fine by me.
Ok well the way you replied to me kinda seemed like you did assume I was acting in bad faith that’s why I asked for clarification. You also just quoted some one with no context as far as I can see so maybe make that clearer next time…I also have no idea who Feinberg is so I can’t say if I like his or her work or not…..You’re assuming I know a bunch of stuff about some random guy. As I said I haven’t had the chance to read the book yet but based off the interview which I posted lots of Losurdos criticism was aimed at the Frankfurt school in particular. Next time just add more context please.
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
Oh I didn’t check what he was saying in other threads but and I haven’t read the book yet but based on what Rockhille was saying on his interview about the book by Losurdo was very much a fuck theory guy.
look Losurdo was cool and all but vaguely using him (without dropping any quotes or even explaining your position) to back up a user who is now permabanned for transphobia dismissing a great queer theorist like Feinberg as "western academic circle jerk" is like so far beyond square hole round peg I don't know how you ever thought it was a good thing to post.
in the comment you replied to saying "that was lodurdos point" I am quoting the OP of this thread who today necro'd a year old bookclub thread about Feinberg to post that transphobic shit. they are now banned from the website. fair enough if you had no idea of context but I had already posted a reply explaining it.
Ok. Well how am I meant to know all of OPs posts? And also isn’t he saying he supports trans people in that post? once again I’m confused.
again, dismissing a seminal queer and trans theorist like Feinberg as "western academic circle jerking" is transphobic. it's one step from "bourgeois decadence". reeks of class reductionism and just general cismale ignorance and unwillingness to learn. they also necro'd a year old thread just to say that.
