The Case for Socialism (Updated Edition)

Is socialism an impossible, discredited dream or the only realistic path for human survival? If you're not sure of the answer, or are just curious about what the Left really believes in, you need to read Maass. He's the Tom Paine of the contemporary American left."
--Mike Davis, author of Planet of Slums

"This is a vivid, fluent and rare book about socialism for those uninterested in tracts and excited by new prospects."
--John Pilger, author of Freedom Next Time

We live in a world of poverty, war, and environmental devastation. A world where living standards for working people plummet while an elite few enjoy lives of unbelievable wealth and power.

Something different—an alternative to capitalism—is desperately needed. But what should replace it?

This book proposes socialism. A society built from the bottom up through the struggles of ordinary people against exploitation, oppression, and injustice—one in which people come before profit. A society based on the principles of equality, democracy, and freedom.

"Alan Maass' The Case for Socialism…should be required reading in every high school and college civics class. Clearly and accessibly written, it posits socialism as a viable and necessary alternative to capitalism."
—Eleanor J. Bader, Truthout

Alan Maass is the editor of the website SocialistWorker.org.