SocialistStories حكايات اشتراكية

This is a very informative and interesting article (4pg) written by Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci in 1916 about the struggles of textile workers in and around Turin. I found it especially informative and significant due to the large number of industrial disputes in, and radicalization of, the textile sector in Egypt, with workers in Mahalla being in the vanguard and most well known, but also in places like Shebeen il-Kum. It also makes the very accurate point that when workers struggle together in solidarity they will never lose. Enjoy comrades:

Liberation:

I found this short story of Gogol's almost by mistake, but it really is a very interesting story and it's subject is perfect for this blog. In it Gogol describes two types of artists: one type, by far the most prevalent, is that of the begging artists, artists who callously sell themselves to the bourgeois and the prevailing order in order to gain money and fame. The second type of artist, the type of artists this blog is focused on, have principles and stick to them. They do not seek fame, nor money, they are happy to be able to feed themselves and be given time to work on their art. They do not try to cosy up to the rotten bourgeois, instead they stick to their principles with no regard to those "artists" and "critics" who may think that their style or subject is not appropriate or suitable or "good" art.

Enjoy another short satirical sketch by Czech writer Jaroslav Hasek. This sketch criticizes charitable organizations, which more often work for profit (to be used for high salaries of it's employees) and to gain positive attention for their founders. And charity in the end is no solution, it will never get rid of poverty, imperialism, racism, sexism, or homophobia, only a socialist revolution will do that. Anyway, enjoy comrades:

Liberation:

Mr. Kauble's Donation - Jaroslav Hasek.pdf

Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) was a Norwegian realist playwright. I have been reading many of his plays lately. I had read two of his plays a few years ago and I liked them, but I didn't take any particular notice of him. Yet, in the past few days I have read 11 of his most well known plays, and I must say he is really an outstanding playwright, on the artistic level, and much more importantly on the political and social level. Of the plays I have read by Ibsen, Pillars of Society is definetly my favorite, and also the most relevant to socialism with it's portrayal of industrial magnates and capitalists. Ibsen wasn't a socialist, although reading many of his works you would almost think he is, and play goes quite far in condemning capitalists, and capitalism in general.