Title: Socialism USA: A Plea for a Soft Variant
Author: Phillip J. Bryson
Publisher: PageTurner Press and Media
ISBN: 978-1638717621
Pages: 274
Genre: Politics & Social Sciences
Reviewed by: Anthony Avina
Pacific Book Reiew
One of the more divisive subjects in our world today has to be politics. From philosophical differences ranging from racism, gun control, medical care, and more, politics seems to be taking a much more upfront approach to our world today, especially in more recent years. One of the things which comes up in politics a lot is the nature of our economy and society as a whole, which primarily over the years has leaned towards Capitalism. Yet fears have arisen over the rise of more socialist viewpoints, and no matter what side of the fence you fall onto, this is a topic of discussion many of us have had to have in recent years. For those who are pro-capitalism, the need to study why socialism has risen to greatly has never been higher, for as Winston Churchill once said, “Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.”
In author Phillip J. Bryson’s Socialism USA: A Plea for a Soft Variant, the author explores socialism and the fears which come from a complete “hard” socialism takeover of the United States. This means that in a “hard” socialism takeover, human rights would be deprived and the government would produce an equality of poverty. Yet after exploring nations in which this method has failed, the author takes on the approach of a “soft” socialism launch, in which the key components modern and experienced socialists are currently fighting for, is the redistribution of income and social welfare policies into a capitalist society, much like Scandinavia has done successfully.
The author did an amazing job of balancing history and research with philosophy and politics in this book. The detailed way the author explored the history of socialism in various nations around the world and still worked to find a middle-ground that would appeal to both capitalists and modern socialists at the same time with this “soft variant” approach. That was what stood out to me, as too many times a book will focus so intently on one point of view that readers can often feel the message becomes very one-sided. Yet as with everything in politics, there are rarely ever black and white scenarios in life, and more often than not, everything is awash in a sea of grays. The ability to find that middle-ground is what so many of us are missing.
This is the perfect read for those who enjoy political and social sciences, philosophy, and non-fiction works involving politics and the government as a whole, in particular US Politics. The author presented the research and history of this subject in a very structured way, and yet in the author’s writing readers could feel the passion and conviction for which the author wrote, which will appeal to those who either are undecided on their political leanings in this subject matter or who lean towards a more capitalist point of view.
A memorable, thought-provoking, and engaging book, author Phillip J. Bryson’s Socialism USA: A Plea for a Soft Variant is a must-read book for non-fiction and political-driven readers alike. The way the author engages with the reader and challenges people to seek out the intricacies of all these policies was an amazing direction for the author to take, and made this book a very political-driven read.
