Marxism and Cuba
Hello, I'm Agata Montanini and I'm currently attending Guilderland High School as a junior. Lockdown left me with a lot of free time on my hands, which surprisingly brought me to my new passion for philosophy, specifically that concerning Marxism. On my journal tab, you'll find my step-by-step thinking process. I've added three subtabs, one of which is filled with my annotations and notes on Marx's Das Kapital, the other is the same but done with Fidel Castro's speeches, and the third is a quick biography on Karl Marx. On the assignment tabs you'll be able to watch or listen to my Self-Designed Assignments (SDA's).
Resource recommendations:
On Marxism
Books
Marx's Concept of Man
- Author: Erich Fromm
- Published: 1961
- Personal note: Erich Fromm is a German social psychologist and philosopher who was heavily influenced by Marx. I recommend reading his book because it's short and concise, summarizing most of Marx's major points in simple terms.
The Communist Manifesto
- Author: Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
- Published: 1848
- Personal note: The best place to begin in understanding Marx's utopian ideal is through his Communist Manifesto, which Friedrich Engels also contributed to its creation. It's a short book, with only 50 pages to it, and easy to follow. It also warms you up to Marx's stylistic writing.
The Relevance of the Communist Manifesto
- Author: Slavoj Žižek
- Published: 2018
- Personal note: Žižek is a Slovenian philosopher, known for his critiques of Marxism. In this extremely small book, he explores the core themes of the Manifesto, and how they apply to current-day situations. It's an interesting book because beyond just critiquing the Manifesto, it manages to relate a pamphlet published almost 200 years ago to today.
Why Socialism?
- Author: Albert Einstein
- Published: 1949
- Personal note: I would call this more of an essay than a book because of its length. What's interesting is that Einstein was a believer in Socialism, but not many knew or know this. This essay primarily focuses on the problems of Capitalism and the growing wealth inequality.
The Civil War in France
- Author: Karl Marx
- Published: 1871
- Personal note: This book shows you the impact the French Revolution had on Marx, in particular the Paris Commune of 1871. It goes into a deep analysis of the Franco-Prussian War and the Commune, giving you an inside look at Marx's Historical Materialism.
Marxism and Literary Criticism
- Author: Terry Eagleton
- Published: 1976
- Personal note:
Black Bolshevik
- Author: Harry Haywood
- Published: 1978
- Personal note:
The Teachings of Karl Marx
- Author: Vladimir Lenin
- Published: 1933
- Personal note:
Podcasts/Videos
Liberation Audio
- Podcast
- Personal note:
David Harvey's Anti-Capitalist Chronicles
- Podcast
- Personal note:
Reading Capital With Comrades
- Podcast
- Personal note:
Reading Marx's Capital with David Harvey
- Videos
- Personal note:
Year as Long as Life
- Documentary published 1966
- Personal note:
Week End
- Documentary published 1967
- Personal note:
On Cuba
Books
Socialism and Man in Cuba
- Author: Fidel Castro and Che Guevara
- Published: 1965
- Personal note:
This is Cuba
- Author: David Ariosto
- Published: 2018
- Personal note:
Cuba: An American History
- Author: Ada Ferrer
- Published: 2021
- Personal note:
History Will Absolve Me
- Author: Fidel Castro
- Published: 1953
- Personal note:
In Defense of Socialism
- Author: Fidel Castro
- Published: 1989
- Personal note:
The Yankee Comandante
- Author: Michael Sallah and Mitch Weiss
- Published: 2015
- Personal note:
The Cubans: Ordinary Lives in Extraordinary Times
- Author: Anthony DePalma
- Published: 2020
- Personal note:
Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba
- Author: Tom Gjelten
- Published: 2008
- Personal note:
Podcasts/Videos
Blowback
- Podcast
- Personal note:
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- Podcast
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- Podcast
- Personal note:
Cuba and the Cameraman
- Documentary published 2017
- Personal note:
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- Documentary published 1966
- Personal note:
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- Documentary published 1967
- Personal note: