Publisher Description

Clifton Ross has made a name for himself making films and writing books about the Bolivarian revolution in Venezuela. This book is an about-face: an exploration of how he realised the degree to which he was duped by a cult of personality - and how this has happened to him, and to much of the Left, over and over again. Part memoir, part historical and political analysis, Home From the Dark Side of Utopia is one man's reassessment of his faith in political parties and revolutionary vanguards.

Author Biography

Clif Ross grew up on military bases in the U.S. and Europe. He's worked as a laborer, translator, editor, writer, printer, filmmaker and teacher.
Ross edited and co-translated A Dream Made of Stars: A Bilingual Anthology of Nicaraguan Poetry (1986, Berkeley, Ca: Co-Press); Quetzalcóatl by Ernesto Cardenal (1990, Berkeley, Ca: New Earth Publications); and the first collection of Zapatista materials to appear in English, Voice of Fire: Communiqués and Interviews of the Zapatista National Liberation Army (1994, Berkeley: New Earth Publications).
In 2005 Clif represented the U.S. in Venezuela's World Poetry Festival and from 2005-2006 he reported from Mérida, Venezuela and began work on his movie, Venezuela: Revolution from the Inside Out (2008, Oakland, Ca: PM Press). His book of poetry, Translations from Silence (2009, San Francisco: Freedom Voices), won Oakland PEN's Josephine Miles Award in 2010 and was released in Spanish in 2011 (2006, Caracas, VE: Editorial Perro y Rana) as Traducciones del Silencio. His most recent book was Until the Rulers Obey: Voices from Latin American Social Movements, co-edited with his wife, Marcy Rein (2014, Oakland, CA: PM Press).

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 From Nowhere to Nowhere The apocalyptic world of military-civic religion during the Cold War years. Conversion to fundamentalist Evangelical Christianity. Closer look at apocalyptic, utopian, millenarian matrix (AUMM) Hal Lindsey and the Strange, Ever Changing Map of the End Times Chapter 2 In the Priesthood of Believers Arriving in Berkeley and the Anabaptist community The Simple Life Radical Catholics, pacifists, priests and poets Historical look at origins of Anabaptists Chapter 3 Sandinista Revolution: Liberation Theology and Apocalyptic Spiritualism Liberation Theology and Sandinism The first trip to Nicaragua (1982) Historical look at Augusto Sandino Christians for Socialism Red Star Black Rose, radical Catholics and Anabaptists Historical look at Liberation Theology and Sandinista Revolution Chapter 4 Wobblies and Zapatistas: General Strike and Apocalyptic Cycles Historical look at Wobblies; Redwood Summer and General Strike In an IWW job shop Zapatistas and punks break the boredom of the New World Order La Realidad Tour, 1996 Chapter 5 The Bolivarian Revolution of Venezuela Part One Living in a Venezuela in transition, 2005-2006 What is the "Bolivarian Revolution" Questions no one wants to ask Chapter 6 The Bolivarian Revolution of Venezuela Part Two The Enantiodromic Law: Decline at the Peak, 2007 Ideals and the Real Elections of 2013 Venezuela's dark future Chapter 7 The Place of Utopia, the Utopia of Place Conclusions and questions

Competing Titles

Inspiring Participatory Democracy Tom Hayden 9781612052625 29.95 Paradigm Publishers 9/12 Two Cheers for Anarchism James Scott 9780691161037 17.95 Princeton 3/14 You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train Howard Zinn 9780807071274 16 Beacon 9/2

Description for Sales People

Clear-eyed and bracingly honest insider critique of left-wing political movements. An engaging personal memoir that shares important, hard-earned political insights. A former vanguardist's persuasive account of his anti-vanguardist enlightenment.

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