WHOSE MILLENNIUM? THEIRS OR OURS?

A book by Daniel Singer. You can find it through Monthly Review.

I read the first half of this book in 2001. It's been sitting on my shelf for 3 years. I picked it up and finally finished it since I don't have much else to do right now. It is an incredible book that everyone must read right now!

It is great for anyone left-of-center who couldn't help but get a little inspred by the Democratic National Convention. It was a fucking show, now read this book and get back to the real project of political change.

It is great for anyone who easily resisted the DNC's show, but who are pessimistic about the future and the prospect for real change as opposed to Republicrat, evil-exploitation, turn-taking. Investing all your time in co-ops or some other alternative lifestyle is fine, but it aint goin' to change the world, much less make a dent in a system that has nuclear weapons and cluster bombs at its disposal.

It is simple, not overly-formulaic and not dismissive. But it makes its point forcefully. We cannot hope to end the environmental destruction, warfare and human exploitation of capitalism without a clear alternative, not a mere tweaking of the system. There is no elaborate map provided, but Singer does an excellent job of exploring history and the successes and failures of previous social upheavals. In doing so, he points us in the right direction and gives us tips for avoiding pitfalls or wrong turns.

There is no hiding the fact that Singer is a socialist and sees this as our best hope out of our mess. But he doesn't shout at the reader, he deals with much anticipated reader eye-rolling through sensibility and reasoning. In the end, I was left with hope and a sense of urgency. Even those constant skeptics should take a look at Singer's book.