Revolution Books, New York City
New York City, Revolution Books
HOURS: Tues-Thurs-Fri-Sat-Sun 2-7 pm
LOCATION: 437 Malcolm X Blvd (at 132nd St) (2/3 train to 135th St)
New York, NY 10037
CONTACT: 212-691-3345
revbooksnyc@yahoo.com
revolutionbooksnyc.org
Revolution Books, Berkeley
Berkeley Revolution Books
HOURS: Tues-Fri 12:30-7pm; Sat & Sun 1:00-6pm
LOCATION: 2444 Durant Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704
CONTACT: 510-848-1196
revolutionbooksberkeley@gmail.com
www.revolutionbooks.org
New York Events
437 Malcolm X Blvd (at 132nd St) (2/3 train to 135th St)
New York, NY 10037
Raymond Lotta: A talk and Q&A on "Communism Has Never Worked" WRONG!
Tuesday, July 22 @7:00pm
The Real History of the Russian and Chinese Revolutions
And the Even More Liberating Future with the New Communism
You are told that there is no alternative to this world of war, genocide, climate catastrophe, and growing fascism. You are told that the Russian and Chinese revolutions of the 20th century were unworkable “utopian projects” that turned into “totalitarian nightmares.” This is the capitalist-imperialist system talking — drilling into your head that this is the best of all possible worlds. But this does not stand up to the facts.
Raymond Lotta will cut through the lies and slanders, and set the record straight about humanity’s first attempts to create societies free of exploitation and oppression. He will bring out the truth of the history and achievements of these first socialist revolutions—as well as their errors and problems, and how capitalism was restored in those countries.
He will speak to how, through decades of work and struggle, the revolutionary leader Bob Avakian has forged the new communism—a whole new, scientific framework for human emancipation. It is now possible to make and carry forward a truly liberating revolution, to free humanity from all oppression and exploitation.
And Raymond Lotta will draw a sharp line between this real revolution and real socialism-communism...and the phony socialism of Zohran Mamdani, the DSA, and other “left" reformists.
The stakes could not be higher.
Come hear Raymond Lotta.
Bring your toughest questions and biggest concerns.
Summer Conversations at Revolution Books
Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays: 4-7pm, Saturdays & Sundays: 2-5pm
The future of humanity hangs in the balance:
There is a way out of the madness…
Come ask about, learn about and dig into – the revolution we need, and
The New Communism, developed by Bob Avakian.
Conversation Hours:
Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays: 4-7pm, Saturdays & Sundays: 2-5pm
Full RB Open Hours:
Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays: 2-7pm, Saturdays & Sundays: 2-7pm
Berkeley Events
2444 Durant Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704
Discussion of Bob Avakian's article: FASCIST CRUELTY AND ATTACK ON EMPATHY VS. THE NEW COMMUNIST VIEW OF EMPATHY
Friday, July 24th, 7 p.m.
It is not just the cruelty of Trump MAGA Fascism, they are attacking even the idea of empathy, as Bob Avakian points to in this article, The Fascist Attack on Empathy:
As a significant “philosophical rationalization” for this cruelty, a number of fascist Trump supporters, including Elon Musk as well as Charlie Kirk, have directly attacked the whole concept of empathy: the character (or ability) to understand and identify with the feelings of another. Such empathy, they insist, will lead to a situation where people who (according to these fascists) have no legitimate place in this country—people who represent “alien” cultures and ways of life—will be sympathized with and allowed to remain in this country and destroy the white, masculine, Christian way of life and “superior Western civilization” on which this country must be based.
The new communist view of empathy is fundamentally different:
The ability to empathize—to understand and identify with the feelings of another—is a capability that human beings develop at a relatively early age, and is one of the defining qualities of human beings as a species. In an overall sense, empathy is a quality, a positive moral good, that should be encouraged in any decent society—and in any society where empathy is not encouraged, but is vilified and attacked, this will lead to a situation where people’s basic humanity will be suppressed where it is not fully corrupted.
At the same time, empathy cannot be separated from, and posed in opposition to, fundamental social relations. In a system based on slavery, for example, one cannot empathize with both the slave-owners and the slaves, for the basic reason that the conditions and the basic interests of the two are in fundamental and antagonistic conflict. It is possible, even important, to understand scientifically the outlook and interests of the slave-owners, in order to most effectively struggle to eliminate the system of slavery; but it is not possible to identify and sympathize with slave-owners without failing, in reality, to empathize with—without actually betraying—those who are enslaved.
The same is true with regard to the relations between the exploiters and exploited, oppressors and oppressed, in all systems based on exploitation and oppression, including capitalism. Only when the historic objective of the communist revolution has been achieved—the abolition and uprooting of all relations of exploitation and oppression, everywhere—can empathy be applied with regard to people generally.
