[Marxism] Brecht forum class on history of the US left 1901-2000

[Ethan Young <ethanyoung@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Attention NYC area!
Class @ Brecht Forum, Tuesdays Feb 5-March 11
http://www.brechtforum.org/

RED THREADS IN THE 20TH CENTURY: MAPPING THE ORGANIZED LEFT AND ITS POLITICAL 
IMPACT IN THE U.S.

Ethan Young

The political parties of the U.S. left never won a majority of public support. 
Yet their influence on 20th century social movementsâand society as a 
wholeâwas 
much greater than their membership numbers or bases of sympathizers. 

This series of discussions will explore the thinking and experiences of some of 
the main revolutionary and left-reformist parties and trends, from the decades 
pre-World War I to post-Soviet.

The six talks will introduce the most important organized expressions of 
socialist politics. We will examine how the Communist and Socialist parties, 
among others, developed from, interacted with, and helped construct the labor 
movement and other social movements of the last century. The importance of 
world 
events and foreign and immigrant political forces will be examined. We will 
trace
the organized left's impact on national politics, both outside and inside the 
two-party system. The talks will spotlight key leaders, some world-famous, some 
little known.

There will be open discussion and treasures of lefty lore, some from the direct 
experience of the instructor.

â     February 5: The 1900s and 10s â US Socialism becomes coherent and 
massive
â     February 12: The 1920s and 30s â Capital leaps, Communism crawls; 
Capital crashes, Communism marches
â     February 19: The 1940s and 50s â Wartime growth, postwar repression, 
new rumblings in Capital's capital
â     February 26: The 1960s â The new agents of change: African Americans 
and students
â     March 4: The 1970s â Two new lefts: reformist and revolutionary
â     March 11: The 1980s and 90s â Bitter ends and historical breaks

Ethan Young is a writer/editor with a sordid background of radical activism 
beginning in high school in the 60s. He has since moved to the left.


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