Educate yaselves!

I don't necessarily feel like writing a thing right now but thought now might be a good time to post some resources that I like pertaining to studying Marx and the global worker's movement :3

YouTube / Podcasts
Starting off with one of the easiest ways to introduce yourself to socialism without diving head-first into 100-150 year old books, there are some creators online that provide a well-rounded first look into the topic. Do Not base your entire education off these videos/podcasts. They are a great starting point to a topic or form of entertainment, but never rely entirely on these.

If you are new to socialism in general, Second Thought has provided to me an amazing baseline when I was just honing in my political ideals. If you want a starting point to this starting point, I would recommend "Why You Should Be A Socialist in 2024."

One of my personal favorite communist creators is Hakim. He goes a bit more into detail than JT's Second Thought, but his quality is unparalleled. He provides amazing book recommendations for a range of Marxist topics and one of my favorite videos of his is "Former Socialism's Faults," self-criticism is missing from too many socialist spaces but Hakim leads the discussion amazingly.

To top off the trifecta in the podcast (featured later), YUGOPNIK makes content on socialist concepts on more uncommon topics, such as online dating. I particularly like his analysis of the American red scare.

One of my favorite speakers of all-time is undoubtedly Michael Parenti. While most of his lectures took place in the 80s/90s, they are ever-relevant and his style of speaking is very collected yet entertaining. There is an amazing archive of many of his works, but the "Yellow Lecture" is generally regarded as a rite of passage of sorts.

The Marxist Project aims to provide education on Marxist topics in a mostly concise nature, putting complex topics like the Falling Rate of Profit. While a bit dry at times, it is nonetheless a valuable resource.

Honorable Mentions: Luna Oi! and TheFinnishBolshevik :3

Before speaking on podcasts, listen to any lecture by Malcolm X, Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael), and Norman Finkelstein, it's well worth it .

Now onto the dreaded podcast... I am not particularly a fan of podcasts in general, but The Deprogram, RevLeft Radio, and Proles of the Roundtable are amazing in their quality and variety of topics/guests.

Online Archives/Resources
If you want to further your own research past absorbing some information through podcast or videos, but you don't want to buy a book, there are plenty of publications and archives to supplement this!

The Marxists Internet Archive is single-handedly one of the best sources for primary documents and old books on Marxism. The Library provides a look at a few different categories of Marxists. The archive is unfortunately skewed towards Trotskyism (subject of a later rant), but it is undeniably one of the greatest contributions to making Marxism more accessible online. The Encyclopedia is an amazing resource as well. The Search feature is convoluted but if you know what you're looking for, its not too bad.

The Massline Organization is similar to the MIA, but with a focus more towards Leninism and Maoism as opposed to the adventurism of Trotskyism. It's not very pretty, but the sources it provides are top-tier and has connections to plenty of other sources.

It's hard to provide materials in this form, as this type of research takes knowing what you want in advance.

Books
I recommend alternative content before jumping into books, because unless you're looking at newer publications, old books can be difficult to read and pertain your interest as a burgeoning Marxist.

Despite that, Blackshirts and Reds by Michael Parenti provides an amazing starting point for someone who still isn't convinced to the side of socialism but is open to accepting new ideas.

If the Communist Manifesto is too much to start with, Engels' "Principles of Communism" is incredibly succinct and provides a basis for discerning what communism actually is as opposed to what is taught about it. I would also pair "Socialism: Utopian and Scientific" as a brief history of utopian socialism and an intro to Historical Materialism.

If you want to continue on with classical Marxism past Marx and Engels, Lenin's "State and Revolution" and "'Left-Wing' Communism: An Infantile Disorder" are both perspective-altering books that pushed me firmly towards Leninism. Also check out "Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism" if you can!

For a few modern-ish books: "Stasi State or Socialist Paradise" is one of the best pieces on the former GDR, and "Soviet Democracy" does the same for the USSR in the 30s. "The Jakarta Method" is a phenomenal book detailing American imperialism in the latter half of the 20th century with amazing storytelling. I also just finished "Women, Race & Class" by Angela Davis, which applies a socialist perspective to the women's liberation movements up to the 70s!

Hopefully this will reach someone who is on the fence about learning about Marxism or someone willing to put effort into broadening their perspective who just hasn't found the right sources yet.

Take care!