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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