Moments of Decision: Political History and the Crises of Radicalism - Softcover

Radical politics has gone through many trials and tribulations over the past century. With great lucidity and impressive erudition, Bronner critically revisits decisions taken by the Left at important historical junctures. Building on the acclaimed first edition of Moments of Decision, Bronner adds compelling analyses of 1989, 9/11, the 2012 elections, and the Arab uprisings. For anyone interested in reviving a progressive political agenda, this book will be essential reading. * Micheline Ishay, author of The History of Human Rights * We live in hard times. Economic collapse, political decay and ideological chaos have come together to produce a general social crisis of uncommon brutality. This will not last forever, but an intolerable present doesn't guarantee a better future all by itself. Stephen Eric Bronner's contribution to the revival of radical thought and action is a particularly welcome reminder of how important it is to know history, respect tradition, and fight for progress with an intelligent and militant commitment to enlightenment. Moments of Decision is a principled guide to a socialism that embodies the highest ideals of cosmopolitanism, democracy and equality. It is a light that shines in our darkness and can illuminate the way forward. * John Ehrenberg, Senior Professor of Political Science, Long Island University, Brooklyn, NY, author of four books and co-editor of The Iraq Papers (2010) *

In this expanded second edition, the radical classic Moments of Decision has been updated more than 20 years since it was first published and received the Michael Harrington Book Award. Reexamining observations made after the fall of communism, Stephen Eric Bronner blends political meditation, philosophical critique, and history lessons to illuminate the monumental crises that shaped the 20th and 21st centuries. A cosmopolitan work that touches on the implications of conflicts ranging from World War I to the Arab Spring, Moments of Decision explores the assumptions of socialist historiography and the character of modernity. In clear, accessible prose, Bronner has revived and revised a seminal work that is ideal for students, scholars, and anyone interested in political history, theory, and international relations. PRAISE FOR THE PREVIOUS EDITION: "To guess about the future Bronner has rightly looked into the past, going back to the first world war and the momentous split in the labor movement. His book is a learned, lively and inevitably controversial contribution to the political and historical debates of our age." - Daniel Singer, THE NATION "Stephen Bronner is a distinctive voice on the American left. He combines a deep understanding of working class political history with a passionate interest in devising a democratic strategy for our time, and is willing to take risks in saying just what that strategy should be. Bronner's analysis is both principled and shrewd, unsparing and hopeful. Even where one disagrees with it, one learns." - Joel Rogers, University of Wisconsin Law School, Editor, POLITICS AND SOCIETY