Marxist Reading Group Special Edition: Kim Moody, Breaking the Impasse

The Marxist Reading & Discussion Group is welcome to new and seasoned readers of Marxist literature! For this meeting, we’ll be having a discussion of a longer selection than usual: Breaking the Impasse, by Kim Moody. From the publisher:

In his latest book, veteran socialist writer Kim Moody provides a masterful analysis of the political impasse which has shaped the rise of a new socialist movement in the United States: recurring economic and political crises, sharp inequality, state violence, and climate catastrophe proceed apace as the right ascends across the world, while the US political scene remains defined and dominated by two capitalist political parties. Moody situates the historic electoral campaigns of Democratic Socialists such as Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as the growth of organizations like the Democratic Socialists of America, in this context, and incisively assesses the revived movement’s focus on electoral strategies.

Offering an important account of left attempts to intervene in the American two-party electoral system, Moody provides both a sobering historical corrective and an alternative orientation for the future, arguing that the socialist movement should turn its attention toward a politics of mass action, anti-racism, and independent, working-class organizing.

Please join us as we discuss Moody’s strategy for building a new party in the United States!

We will be meeting on the patio at Chuck’s Hop Shop in the Central District. Our meeting format is currently in person, with the reading discussion starting at 7pm! Feel free to come a bit earlier (6:30pm) to get settled, order a food or a drink, and introduce yourself! Please be respectful of fellow attendees by assessing your COVID risk, and consider taking a test before attending or wearing a mask if that risk seems high!