Review of "Communism: Opposing Viewpoints," by Bruno Leone

 Review of

Communism: Opposing Viewpoints, by Bruno Leone ISBN 0912616520

Five out of five stars

Very dated, but remains interesting

 Published in 1978, just before the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and a decade before the collapse of the Soviet Union, this book is very dated. In it noted commentators put forward points of view regarding the value of communism as it was practiced in the Soviet Union and the associated nations of what was known as the Warsaw Pact.

 To understand the position of some of the authors, it is necessary to understand the historical context of their writings. The dates of the papers go back to the 1920’s and 1930’s. This was shortly after the Bolsheviks took power in the former Russian Empire and there was reason for optimism regarding how successful communism would be. There is also the reality of race and gender oppression in the United States and at least in theory, women were the equals of men in a communist society.

 I found this book to be very interesting, even with the advantage of hindsight. The writers truly believed in their positions regarding communism, both for and against. On the surface and in terms of promises of equality, there is some idealistic appeal of communism. However, as we have learned since, the practical applications are brutal and oppressive.

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