Portside

The only way back to political relevance for socialists lies through realistic engagement with politics as it exists today.

The struggle for structural reforms is essential to changing the "common sense" of the US political arena. But it is not enough to wound the rabid beast; one must ultimately bring it down. Alperovitz's views are shaped by several assumptions. First, actually existing capitalism is not working. Second, socialism, as we have known it, did not work. Third, people need to actually see what an alternative world would look like in order to be encouraged to fight for one.

With Americans' interest in socialism rising, we need to seriously consider alternative designs to the current system, argues Alperovitz, in this practical critique of some known models.

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Historian Mark Solomon looks at the prospects for a new socialist left.