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  • Monthly Review Essays

About Victor Grossman

Victor Grossman, born in NYC, fled McCarthy-era menaces as a young draftee, landed in East Germany where he observed the rise and fall of its German Democratic Republic (GDR). He has described his own life in his autobiography Crossing the River: A Memoir of the American Left, the Cold War, and Life in East Germany (University of Massachusetts Press, 2003), and analyzed the GDR and questions of capitalism and socialism in Germany and the USA, with his provocative conclusions, along with humor, irony and occasional sarcasm in all directions, in A Socialist Defector: From Harvard to Karl-Marx-Allee (New York: Monthly Review Press). His address is wechsler_grossman [at] yahoo.de (also for a free sub to the Berlin Bulletins sent out by MR Online).
  • Berlin Bulletin by Victor Grossman

    Poetry politics and war: Berlin Bulletin no. 210, May 3, 2023

    Victor Grossman

    The fearful destruction, the displacement of families, above all the killing and maiming must be deplored, condemned and brought to an end. But the underlying reasons for this terrible war, concealed in the media, must also be mercilessly examined, regardless of well-orchestrated accusations of “Putin-friendship” or “left-over allegiance to a past Soviet Russia”.

  • Berlin Bulletin by Victor Grossman

    Child’s play?: Berlin Bulletin 209, March 26 2023

    Victor Grossman

    I recall a circle game from my childhood; after each round another chair was removed, leaving one more child out. We called it “Going to Jerusalem.” Last week Israeli boss Netanyahu arrived FROM Jerusalem. After two days he was out of the Berlin circle—one day too early.

  • Berlin Bulletin by Victor Grossman

    Despair and Joy: Berlin Bulletin 208, February 28, 2023

    Victor Grossman

    Were any flags of sympathy displayed when the people of Serbia, Iraq or Afghanistan were bombed? When drones exploded on hospitals and wedding processions—were there also calls for tribunals against Bush—or Obama?

  • Berlin Bulletin by Victor Grossman

    Animal crackers: Berlin Bulletin 207, February 5 2023

    Victor Grossman

    “Hey”, squeaked one furry lemming to another (in lemming-lingo, of course). “I saw you trying to slip away from the crowd! Do you want to betray us good lemmings. Maybe you’re a fox-lover, even a wolf-lover. You’d better keep in line till we reach our proper goal.” As lemming-lovers sadly know, that goal could be over the cliff into the sea.

  • Berlin Bulletin by Victor Grossman

    Blunders – Splits – War

    Victor Grossman

    Today the Linke is tragically split, on both political approaches and personalities.… [M]ost worrisome is the split about the present war. Some in the Left downplay the role of NATO, call for total condemnation of Russian imperialism and total military support for the Ukraine, in agreement with most media positions.

  • Berlin Bulletin by Victor Grossman

    German unity, war of peace: Berlin Bulletin 205, October 9, 2022

    Victor Grossman

    In 1990, on October 3rd, Germany could rejoice; unity at last, a single flag, a single anthem (“Deutschland über alles”), a single currency, a single foreign policy; in other words, freedom and democracy triumphant!

  • Berlin Bulletin by Victor Grossman

    Devils and the Ukraine: Berlin Bulletin 204, September 21, 2022

    Victor Grossman

    Am I mistaken in hearing echoes of grating radio voices from my childhood, in 1938, frightening even without translation, and omens of the giant tragedy which descended upon the world just one year later? Today’s tones are smoother, the words more circumspect, but I see election results in Spain, Italy, France, even Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands, the wrecking of the Labour Party in England and news from many regions of the USA—and I grow fearful.

  • Flag of East Germany

    My seventy years and the departed GDR

    Victor Grossman

    It’s a momentous day! Not for the world–for which it’s nothing special. But for me!

  • Berlin Bulletin by Victor Grossman

    The war *Germany* the left: Berlin Bulletin No. 203, July 11, 2022

    Victor Grossman

    In 1307 in Switzerland, so goes the legend, the Habsburg rulers’ local bailiff, Gessler, stuck his hat on a pole and commanded every passerby to salute it. Wilhelm Tell refused. As fearsome punishment he had to shoot an apple from his own little boy’s head with his crossbow. His aim was sure, the boy was safe. But “Gessler’s hat” still means forced obeisance to some symbol. Or else!

  • Berlin Bulletin by Victor Grossman

    Berlin  Munich  Kyiv: Berlin Bulletin No. 202, June 13, 2022

    Victor Grossman

    The tide of public opinion in Germany is as overpowering–and changeable – as elsewhere: “Stop the Russian invasion!“ – “Defend Ukraine!”–“Send money”–“More, bigger, further-reaching weapons!”- “Defeat Russia!” Sustaining this tide is an all-encompassing media campaign.

  • Berlin Bulletin by Victor Grossman

    War and peace: Berlin Bulletin No. 201, May 2, 2022

    Victor Grossman

    I’ve been toiling on this Berlin Bulletin for weeks, altering it, agonizing, starting anew. Events are simply too complicated and bitter–in the world and in Germany, too. Most dreadfully in Ukraine.

  • Berlin Bulletin by Victor Grossman

    Nonsense and panic: Berlin Bulletin no. 198, January 30, 2022

    Victor Grossman

    Why do foolhardy spoilers insist on causing embarrassment? Why must out-of-step fools upset well-steered apple-carts? Why did German vice-admiral Kay-Achim Schönbach open his big mouth on Saturday in far-off Mumbai—and spill so many beans? Many or most U.S. media overlooked it—that is, buried it. Or emasculated it. In Germany they couldn’t fully ignore it—though unpleasant […]

  • Berlin Bulletin by Victor Grossman

    Shuffled cards: Berlin Bulletin No. 197, December 30, 2021

    Victor Grossman

    After the German elections on September 26th it took, as usual, weeks and weeks for the three coalition parties to agree on one program, full of compromises, pledges and promises (some of which may even been be kept) and to resolve quarrels over who gets which cabinet seat.

  • Berlin Bulletin by Victor Grossman

    A hard loss and a triumph: Berlin Bulletin No. 196, September 30, 2021

    Victor Grossman

    The most important election result is hardly discussed in the media—and when it is, then with satisfaction or joy. It is, in fact, a truly sad result. The Left (DIE LINKE) missed the red line level of 5%—but was miraculously saved by a special rule; if three or more delegates of a party win out in their own districts—with those first crosses—then their parties and their proportionate lists are saved, just as if they had reached 5%.

  • Berlin Bulletin by Victor Grossman

    Who with whom elections: Berlin Bulletin, no. 194, September 20, 2021

    Victor Grossman

    In German elections—like the coming ones, as always on a Sunday—all you have to do is present the registration paper mailed to every citizen, then make crosses on a paper  ballot. No trouble with the boss, no missing work, long lines or quarrels about fraud or discrimination.  It sounds easy.

  • Berlin Bulletin by Victor Grossman

    Berlin Wall and Kaiser Palace: Berlin Bulletin No. 194 August 10, 2021

    Victor Grossman

    Until 1989 that terrible Berlin Wall angered many an East German. The small part of Germany it helped preserve for 28 years was always the butt of anger, sarcasm, vituperation and resistance in one form or another.

  • Berlin Bulletin by Victor Grossman

    A happy warrior + Esther Bejarano + Presente: Berlin Bulletin No. 193 July 20, 2021

    Victor Grossman

    Esther Bejarano’s death hits hard, leaving a painful gap in Germany’s anti-fascist scene. Most media and many politicians voiced their praise and mourning—after almost totally ignoring her in life and attacking and trying to squelch organizations she was active in, as an avowed Communist.

  • Berlin Bulletin by Victor Grossman

    Jack and Jill tumble: Berlin Bulletin No. 192, July 3, 2021

    Victor Grossman

    After legally receiving a Christmas gift of 24,000 euros from her party, Annalena Baerbock somehow neglected to report it in her tax returns. No big deal, some might think, but after the scandals about Christian Democrats nobly enriching themselves when purchasing face-masks, and two far bigger scandals hanging over the head of the Social Democrats’ chancellor candidate Scholz (currently still Finance Minister), the squeaky clean reputation of the Greens had been a major asset. No longer!

  • Berlin Bulletin by Victor Grossman

    Donald Rumsfeld—RIP: Berlin Bulletin No. 191, July 3, 2021

    Victor Grossman

    Don’t speak ill of the dead, they say, but if I were to choose candidates for a Hall of Evil Fame, I’d have to ignore such advice; the late Donald Rumsfeld would be close to the top of my list.

  • Berlin Bulletin by Victor Grossman

    Small State but big questions

    Victor Grossman

    A week ago Saxony-Anhalt voted! The media prediction – a neck-and-neck race – was cock-eyed! But outside Sachsen-Anhalt (in German), did anyone really give a damn? Yes, some did!

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Also By Victor Grossman in Monthly Review Magazine

  • Germany’s Hidden Social Crisis April 01, 2019

Books By Victor Grossman

  • A Socialist Defector: From Harvard to Karl-Marx-Allee March 05, 2019

Monthly Review Essays

  • Ruy Mauro Marini’s Contribution to the Political Economy of Imperialism
    Torkil Lauesen

    In “The Dialectics of Dependency,” Ruy Mauro Marini developed a theory of dependency and unequal exchange that is still invaluable today.

Lost & Found

  • Militarism and the Coming Wars
    István Mészáros What Did You Learn from Iraq?

    The dangers and immense suffering caused by all attempts at solving deep-seated social problems by militaristic interventions, on any scale, are obvious enough. If, however, we look more closely at the historical trend of militaristic adventures, it becomes frighteningly clear that they show an ever greater intensification and an ever-increasing scale, from local confrontations to […]

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