[Video] Alan Woods on the origins of Christianity What does 25 December have to do with the birth of Jesus Christ? As it turns out, nothing. But the official early history of Christianity has always contained more fiction than fact. At a meeting in London, Alan Woods offers a historical materialist analysis of the origins of Christianity, demonstrating how a revolutionary movement was eventually co-opted and corrupted by the ruling class of its day, and turned into an instrument of reaction. As Marxists, we are fighting for a better life and goodwill between all men: not in heaven, but here on earth. This can only be accomplished through revolution. We apologise for the first few minutes of this talk being cut off.
[Audio] Alan Woods on art and socialism Alan Woods, editor of marxist.com, was interviewed on TAK Editions (podcast of the avant-garde TAK musical ensemble) about art, class struggle, socialism and revolution. In this interview, Alan explains that while art must be free – to explore new ideas, to experiment and to develop – it will never be so under the rotten capitalist system.
[Video] Trump, Biden and the class divide in the USA Fred Weston, editor for marxist.com, discusses the most polarised US election in living memory. With little genuine enthusiasm for Joe Biden, the highest number of people in a century turned out to essentially vote either for or against Donald Trump. At the time of writing, it appears as if Biden has narrowly scraped through to take the presidency, in an election that has thoroughly exposed the rottenness of US ‘democracy’.
Livestream: US election 2020 chaos Election night has come and gone and, as expected, there are no clear results. Trump has all but declared victory, while the Biden camp calls for patience. The general picture is one of utter polarization, and the threat of a descent into an unholy mess of bourgeois democracy. Socialist Revolution (USA) Editor John Peterson will provide an analysis of where things stand one day into the post-election chaos—coming up at around 5PM ET (10PM GMT)!
[Video] Britain: defend Corbyn! Fight for socialism! In a special broadcast of Marxist Voice, Rob Sewell (editor of the British Marxist website, socialist.net) discusses today's incendiary events surrounding the release of the EHRC report into Labour and anti-semitism, and the suspension of left-wing ex-leader, Jeremy Corbyn.
Chartist Revolution: a discussion with Rob Sewell and Josh Holroyd To mark the release of Chartist Revolution by Rob Sewell (a Marxist analysis of the inspiring Chartist movement in 19th century Britain), the author and Socialist Appeal writer Josh Holroyd discuss the book, and the important lessons from these historical events for the struggles of the working class today.
[Video] System change, not climate change! Marxism and the environment This video on Marxism and the environment was recorded at our recent International Marxist University. Recordings and transcripts of all the talks can be found here!
[Video] Trump’s COVID crisis Alan Woods – editor of In Defence of Marxism – comments on the situation in the USA, where it was announced last week that President Donald Trump has contracted COVID-19, amidst a farcical presidential election and the greatest crisis in the history of US capitalism.
[Video] Spain’s Revolution Against Franco: The Great Betrayal We publish here a speech by Alan Woods on the great revolutionary movement of the Spanish workers in the 1970s, which brought down the hated Franco regime.
[Video] Villa, Zapata, and the Mexican Revolution Watch this livestream by our US comrades at Socialist Revolution about about Villa, Zapata, and the Mexican Revolution of 1910–1920! 100 years since the end of the revolution, what are its legacy and lessons for today? Presentation by John Peterson, editor of Socialist Revolution.
Esteban Volkov on his grandfather Leon Trotsky’s biography of Stalin Esteban Volkov, the grandchild of Leon Trotsky, discusses the most complete edition of Leon Trotsky's Stalin ever released (video originally published 13 December 2016). Buy the book at Wellred here, and the ebook here!
In case you missed it: catch up on Marxist University 2020! International Marxist University saw four incredibly successful days of political discussion and revolutionary optimism (read our full report here). If you weren't able to attend, or want to relive your favourite moments, we've included videos of all the sessions below. We have now also included audio files with the translation breaks removed.
[Video] 2020: A world on fire In this opening speech from the 2020 International Marxist University, Alan Woods (editor of In Defence of Marxism) discusses the historic significance of the coronavirus crisis and the perspectives for world revolution.
Review of ‘The First Five Years of the Communist International’: a revolutionary treasure trove The following is a review of The First Five Years of the Communist International, consisting of Trotsky’s writings and speeches related to the tasks of building the Third (Communist) International. This book is rich with lessons for the workers’ struggle today and is a must-read for all aspiring revolutionaries! A new edition, with an introduction by Fred Weston (editor at marxist.com) is available from Wellred Books!
The English Revolution: the world turned upside down, with Alan Woods – the complete series It is said that revolution has never come to the British Isles. In fact, modern British democracy was born out of a violent revolution and a bloody Civil War, which saw the king lose his head. Today, we are witnessing one of the most turbulent periods in British history, and the ruling class fears the nation’s revolutionary past, which is why they seek to bury it under falsehoods. This is the complete video series with Alan Woods, The English Revolution: the world turned upside down.