Building the Commune

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"Ciccariello-Maher's book is a triumph of reporting, narrative, and theoretical analysis. It's a testament to what happens when you keep your eyes open, your ear to the ground, and your head on straight." Corey Robin, author of The Reactionary Mind
"George Ciccariello-Maher reminds us of the extraordinary achievement of Venezuela's communes in fostering direct democracy at the community and workplace scales. Whatever storms may come, they represent the highest level of popular self-organization in modern Latin American history."
Mike Davis, author of Planet of Slums
"A sharp and important book that puts at center stage the ambitions of ordinary people to govern themselves." Vijay Prashad, author of The Poorer Nations
"Attuned to the ways left and right exploit the streets and social media. Building the Commune is essential to the Left's renewed discussion of the tactics and strategies for building collective power."
Jodi Dean, author of Crowds and Party
"In the post-Chavez... Tovább

Fülszöveg

"Ciccariello-Maher's book is a triumph of reporting, narrative, and theoretical analysis. It's a testament to what happens when you keep your eyes open, your ear to the ground, and your head on straight." Corey Robin, author of The Reactionary Mind
"George Ciccariello-Maher reminds us of the extraordinary achievement of Venezuela's communes in fostering direct democracy at the community and workplace scales. Whatever storms may come, they represent the highest level of popular self-organization in modern Latin American history."
Mike Davis, author of Planet of Slums
"A sharp and important book that puts at center stage the ambitions of ordinary people to govern themselves." Vijay Prashad, author of The Poorer Nations
"Attuned to the ways left and right exploit the streets and social media. Building the Commune is essential to the Left's renewed discussion of the tactics and strategies for building collective power."
Jodi Dean, author of Crowds and Party
"In the post-Chavez era in Venezuela, one under-reported institution stands out as the repository of popular aspirations: the Commune. Ciccariello-Maher brilliantly describes its activities against the background of increasing political strife. Essential reading for all those anxious about the future of Venezuela."
Richard Gott, author of Hugo Chavez and the Bolivarian Revolution
LATIN AMERICA'S EXPERIMENTS IN DIRECT DEMOCRACY.
Since 20II, a wave of popular uprisings has swept the globe, taking shape in the Occupy movement, the Arab Spring, 15M in Spain, and the anti-austerity protests in Greece. The demands have been varied, but have expressed a consistent commitment to the ideals of radical democracy.
Similar experiments began appearing across Latin America twenty-five years ago, just as the left fell into decline in Europe. In Venezuela, poor barrio residents arose in a mass rebellion against neoliber-alism, ushering in a government that institutionalized the communes already forming organically. In Building the Commune, George Ciccariello-Maher travels through these radical experiments, speaking to a broad range of community members, workers, students and government officials. Assessing the projects' successes and failures, Building the Commune provides lessons and inspiration for the radical movements of today. Vissza