Sat, Apr 13
|Autumn Leaves Books
Social Struggles and Leftwing Opposition in China During Socialism and Capitalism
In this event, Ralf Ruckus will present the arguments of two recent books- The Communist Road to Capitalism: How Social Unrest and Containment Have Pushed China’s (R)evolution since 1949 (PM Press, 2021), and The Left in China: A Political Cartography (Pluto Press, 2023).
Time & Location
Apr 13, 2024, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Autumn Leaves Books, 115 W State St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
About the event
Join PM Press at Autumn Leaves Books for a conversation between Ralf Ruckus and Ellen David Friedman on "Social Struggles and Leftwing Opposition in China During Socialism and Capitalism."
In this event, Ralf Ruckus will present the arguments of two recent books. The Communist Road to Capitalism: How Social Unrest and Containment Have Pushed China’s (R)evolution since 1949 (PM Press, 2021) provides a history of the social, economic, and political trajectory in China since 1949. Throughout this history, social struggles were met by countermeasures from the Communist Party regime which again triggered social conflicts. This dynamic of struggles and countermeasures was the driving force behind the development not only of China’s socialism from the 1950s on, but also of the reforms and the transition to capitalism after the 1970s and until today.
The Left in China: A Political Cartography (Pluto Press, 2023) looks deeper into the social conflicts and struggles in China since 1949 and analyses how they inspired different generations of leftwing opposition. The dialectic of struggles and leftwing movements repeatedly challenged the Communist Party regime and produced subversive critiques and practices directed against the oppressive socialist order and later the capitalist system.
The discussion aims at deepening the understanding of political currents in China and will address forms of solidarity with movements of workers, migrants, and women* in China today.
Ralf Ruckus has been focusing on the analysis, and support of workers’, migrants’, and women*’ struggles in China for two decades. This included translations of a series of books by Chinese workers, activists, and leftwing scholars into English and German. Besides publishing the above- mentioned books, Ralf Ruckus recently co-edited China from Below. Critical Analysis & Grassroots Activism (gongchao.org, 2023).
Ellen David Friedman is a longtime union organizer and Labor Notes board member.
5pm Saturday April 13th at Autumn Leaves Books on the Ithaca Commons