[Video] Capitalism with Chinese characteristics China is discovering that under capitalism, what goes up must come down. Extreme inequality is the defining feature of Chinese society, now officially more unequal than even the USA. As it stares into the abyss of capitalist crisis, the Chinese government is facing the same dilemmas as the USA over a decade ago.
[Video] On the historical origins of Christianity At this festive time of year, we share the following lead off by Alan Woods on the origins of Christianity, which provides a Marxist answer to 2,000 years of myths, lies and distortions.
[Video] The Cuban Revolution: where is it going? The Cuban Revolution was one of the most inspiring events in history. For the first time in the Western hemisphere, a workers' state was created. The enormous achievements of the revolution in healthcare, education and in securing independence for Cuba from the clutches of US imperialism continue to be a beacon for the oppressed masses of Latin America and the whole world. This video from our British comrades’ hugely successful Revolution Festival explains where the struggle for socialism in Cuba must go from here.
[Video] COP26: can capitalism save the planet? COP26 - the latest UN Climate Change Conference - began last Sunday in Glasgow. Politicians from across the world, along with business leaders, will be holding two weeks of negotiations, panel discussions and press conferences on the question of climate change. But, far from saving us, capitalism is killing the planet. We need a revolution.
[Video] Spontaneity, organisation and the role of the state: Marxism vs. Anarchism Marxists and anarchists share many of the same objectives in common: fighting oppression, smashing the bourgeois state, creating a society without class exploitation and so on. However, there are also important differences in our ideas and methods, particularly related to the nature of power in general, and of state power in particular.
The struggle for Marxist philosophy In this talk at the International Marxist Tendency’s 2021 World Congress, Fred Weston defends the philosophy of Marxism against all the reactionary and counter-revolutionary trends assailed against it: particularly the recent vogue of ‘postmodernism’.
A People's History podcast: the Chartist Revolution Rob Sewell, editor of Socialist Appeal and author of Chartist Revolution, recently appeared on A People’s History podcast talking about the Chartist movement, alongside John McDonnell, Emma Griffin and Katrina Navickas. The Chartist movement represented the first time the organised working class fixed its eyes on the seizure of power. The Chartists unashamedly fought for radical, socialist changes. Today, the Marxist movement stands on the shoulders of the great Chartist fighters – a revolutionary tradition to which we owe a tremendous debt....
[Video] Alan Woods on the History of Philosophy On the weekend, Wellred Books hosted the launch of Alan Woods’ new text, The History of Philosophy: A Marxist Perspective. With about 200 attendees present from across the world, the event was a big success. The great turnout, and a large number of pre-orders for the book, demonstrate a thirst for ideas in this turbulent period. You can watch Alan Woods’ introduction and closing remarks at the launch event here.
[Video] ‘The History of Philosophy: a Marxist Perspective’ – the dialectical development of thought It is only a few days until the launch event for The History of Philosophy: a Marxist Perspective by Alan Woods. As marxist.com editor Fred Weston explains in this video, Woods uses the method of historical materialism to analyse the development of human thought down the ages. What is described is a process of development of thought from lower to higher – not in a linear and automatic way but through contradiction and struggle.
[Interview] Defending the Cuban Revolution Jorge Martin, editor for In Defence of Marxism, appeared on Rupture Radio talking about the Cuban Revolution, the recent protests that have broken out in the country, the imperialist blockade, and the tasks facing revolutionaries. You can listen to the entire thought-provoking discussion here.
[Video] Their morals and ours: Marxism vs. pacifism One of the many slanders hurled at the Bolsheviks is that they were bloodthirsty intriguers who got their way through violent means. This is a criticism shared both by the hypocritical bourgeois, and elements on the left. These pacifists say that we need peace, love and understanding to counter the brutal repression of capitalism, not violent revolution. But will the ruling class ever really relinquish power without a fight? What is the real Marxist attitude to violence and pacifism? This lecture from our 2020 Marxist University explains.
[Video] Marxism vs. identity politics In the current period, identity politics are in vogue. Along with the related trend of intersectionality, these ideas stress the importance of self-identification, personal experience, and the various layers of oppression people experience on racial, sexual, gender and other lines. What is the basis for identity politics? Why are they so popular with the youth in particular? And how do they square with the Marxist method of solidarity and class struggle? The following talk from last year's Marxist University deals with all these questions.
[Video] The poverty of philosophy: Marxism vs. postmodernism Postmodernism is very popular on university campuses, and has also gained an echo in the workers’ movement. This school of thought denies the very idea of historical progress. It echoes Henry Ford, saying “history is just one damn thing after another”. Scientific truth is also sidelined in favour of a ‘subjective’ emphasis on language, experience and identity. Where do these ideas come from, and what does Marxism have to say about them? For more on this subject, check out our revamped In Defence of Marxism magazine, the latest issue of which is framed around...
[Video] Is history bunk? Historical materialism on trial Bourgeois, liberal and postmodern historians alike tend to reject the Marxist view that history is driven by material laws and processes. Some also reject the idea of progress, saying this is merely a point of view. They say that history is basically random, punctuated by exceptional individuals on whom the fate of human society turns. But why is it that similar conditions result in similar events, outcomes and characters reoccurring across history? And has there really been no progress between stone tools and spacecraft? This talk from our 2020 International Marxist University demonstrates and defends the method of Marxist historical materialism.
[Podcast] The American Civil War: A Sword in One Hand and the Book of Freedom in the Other (Pt. 4) The freeing of the American slaves was accomplished by the mass action and heroism of the slaves themselves, hundreds of thousands of whom risked their lives by fleeing to join the Union Army, sabotage the Southern economy, and radicalise public opinion in the North in favour of abolition. The fourth episode of our US comrades' series on the American Civil War will deal with the Emancipation Proclamation up to the end of the conflict.