TOTAL PROPAGANDA

Acerbic exegesis of Marx’s relevance as “capitalism’s constant shadow,” directed toward younger readers.

Australian journalist and radio presenter Razer takes the unapologetically Marxist perspective that capitalism’s self-destructive tendencies are fueling social chaos. “If you want to learn about a capitalist’s morals, follow his money,” writes the author. “If you want to learn about the inevitable decline of capitalism, and the morals that sustain it, read Marx.” Calling her book “a basic introduction to the revolutionary project of sorting shit out, begun in earnest by Marx,” Razer encourages young people to “become what you…call ‘woke,’ or what we old Marxists call ‘class conscious.’ ” By focusing on the interplay between material needs and the superstructures imposed by capitalist society, she forcefully argues for Marxism’s renewed relevance, and she uses this flexible, updated approach as a lens for subtopics including gender, intersectionality, labor, and automation. Razer delves into the language developed by Marx and related thinkers like Walter Benjamin, and she connects her discussion to such ugly crisis markers as the rise of Donald Trump and White nationalism. “Trump was not, regrettably, too stupid to intuit one basic tenet of Marxism: changed material conditions force a change in political opinion,” she writes. “If you listen to some of Trump’s campaign speeches, you’ll see that he echoed, albeit quite feebly, the anti–big bank sentiments of Bernie Sanders.” Razer constructs a bleak panorama of late-stage capitalism’s failings, ranging from Uber’s planned move toward driverless cars to Bill Gates’ self-interested philanthropy. The author finds cause for hope in Sanders’ movement, seeing “rallies and political parties full of kids united by one crucial understanding: capitalism cannot be trusted to determine our future.” Razer provides a reassuringly irascible presence, energetic, humorous, and cheerfully vulgar (“this is some heavy shit”), even if her colloquial overtures to young readers are sometimes forced.

A relevant, approachable guide to socialism’s continued value as “largely a tool for understanding capitalism.”