Overview

Contrary to reports at the time, Marxism and socialism did not die in 1991. While some on the left succumbed to demoralisation, the Democratic Socialist Party saw the new situation as both a setback and an opportunity. The reports in this volume document the DSP's efforts over a decade to expand and rejuvenate revolutionary socialism in Australia and internationally. For more than four decades, including the period related in this volume, John Percy was a central leader of Resistance and the Democratic Socialist Party. Over many years, his widely varied political activity included work on an intended three-volume History of the DSP and Resistance. Volume 1, covering 1965-72, was published in 2005. Volume 2, 1972-92, was not totally complete when John died in August 2015, but most sections were finished, and the others contained sufficient indication of John's intentions to allow them to be filled out and the volume published in 2017.* No comparable manuscript existed for Volume 3. However, throughout the period 1992-2002, John regularly gave organisational reports to meetings of the National Committee and/or the DSP's decision-making or educational conferences. Most of these reports and talks were subsequently published in the Activist, the DSP's internal discussion and information bulletin. Based on extensive selections from those reports and talks, Volume 3 is a documentary history. As the world confronts intensifying environmental, economic and social crises, this is a record from whose successes and failures activists today can draw lessons for their struggles.

Full Product Details

9780994537881

Table of Contents

Reviews

'This book should be read by every cadre, and all progressives. It is a unique insider's view of a vibrant socialist party as it continually renewed and transformed itself in order to maintain its relevance under new and challenging domestic and international conditions. It allows us to revisit party debates and self-criticism on fundamental issues such as party-building, principled policy making and actions, and much more.' - Gill H. Boehringer, former head, now honorary senior research associate, Macquarie University Law School. 'The 1990s were the decade in which the Democratic Socialist Party launched the newspaper Green Left Weekly and saw a period of steady growth in size and influence on the Australian left and among social movements. The book gives the reader a detailed and in-depth insight into the party's perspectives and methods. It will be of interest especially to those who want to learn from this history in order to join the process of building a revolutionary party in Australia.' - Max Lane, visiting senior fellow, Institute for Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, and author of Unfinished Nation: Indonesia before and after Suharto.

'This book should be read by every cadre, and all progressives. It is a unique insider's view of a vibrant socialist party as it continually renewed and transformed itself in order to maintain its relevance under new and challenging domestic and international conditions. It allows us to revisit party debates and self-criticism on fundamental issues such as party-building, principled policy making and actions, and much more.' - Gill H. Boehringer, former head, now honorary senior research associate, Macquarie University Law School. 'The 1990s were the decade in which the Democratic Socialist Party launched the newspaper Green Left Weekly and saw a period of steady growth in size and influence on the Australian left and among social movements. The book gives the reader a detailed and in-depth insight into the party's perspectives and methods. It will be of interest especially to those who want to learn from this history in order to join the process of building a revolutionary party in Australia.' - Max Lane, visiting senior fellow, Institute for Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, and author of Unfinished Nation: Indonesia before and after Suharto.

Author Information

John Percy, a founding member of Resistance and the Democratic Socialist Party, was national secretary of the DSP during the period covered by this volume. His reports included here document the campaigns and activities of the DSP when it was the largest organisation on the Australian left. Allen Myers as a DSP member was the founding editor of Green Left Weekly. He is now a member of Socialist Alternative and a subeditor and occasional contributor for Red Flag.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available