In a local branch meeting I attended last month, a young Socialist Party member suggested that we use alternative media instead of traditional books. They argued that newer, younger members may struggle to grasp or have the patience to read Marx, Engels, or even Lenin. The member suggested that we ‘get with the times’ and introduce new forms of media like audiobooks, films, and podcasts.
Personally, I was recommended State and Revolution as an introduction to socialism, but I am middle-aged and haven’t had my brain zapped by TikTok and YouTube shorts. So, I ask for advice here: should we offer easier-to-digest media?
It’s not patience that prevents me from reading Marx or whoever - it’s lack of interest or need.
I’d rather spend time actually doing community stuff than reading about doing stuff in a theoretical future. My political opinions & activism work on a very basic “be kind to people + everyone deserves to live without suffering” ethos which doesn’t really require background reading
Also a lot of men who’ve suggested theory to me in person have been
insufferable misogynistic knobheadsunkind, so I figure reading theory didn’t improve their behaviour