To kick off our six-part series on the lessons of the Communist International, Fiona Lali outlines the rich history of Marxist internationalism, stretching from Marx and Engels' efforts to build the First International, through to Trotsky's Fourth International.🌐 Check out Socialist Appeal's website for theory, news, and analysis: https://socialist.net/✊ Join the fight for revolution with the International Marxist Tendency: https://www.socialist.net/join📰 Subscribe to the Socialist Appeal newspaper: https://www.socialist.net/subscribe🚩 Subscribe to the Revolution Scotland newspaper: https://revolution.scot/subscribe💸 Support the fight for revolution by making a donation: https://www.socialist.net/donate

To kick off our six-part series on the lessons of the Communist International, Fiona Lali outlines the rich history of Marxist internationalism, stretching from Marx and Engels' efforts to build the First International, through to Trotsky's Fourth International. 🌐 Check out Socialist Appeal's website for theory, news, and analysis: <a href="https://socialist.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://socialist.net/</a> ✊ Join the fight for revolution with the International Marxist Tendency: <a href="https://www.socialist.net/join" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.socialist.net/join</a> 📰 Subscribe to the Socialist Appeal newspaper: <a href="https://www.socialist.net/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.socialist.net/subscribe</a> 🚩 Subscribe to the Revolution Scotland newspaper: https://revolution.scot/subscribe 💸 Support the fight for revolution by making a donation: <a href="https://www.socialist.net/donate" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.socialist.net/donate</a>

From Marx to Trotsky: The history of the Communist International

As the working class flexes its muscles on the industrial front today, many have drawn comparisons with the class struggle of the 1970s - a decade which saw workers topple governments, occupy factories, and raise the question of socialism.In this episode of Marxist Voice, Ben Gliniecki draws the lessons from the successes and failures of this decade of struggle.🌐 Check out Socialist Appeal's website for theory, news, and analysis: https://socialist.net/✊ Join the fight for revolution with the International Marxist Tendency: https://www.socialist.net/join📰 Subscribe to the Socialist Appeal newspaper: https://www.socialist.net/subscribe🚩 Subscribe to the Revolution Scotland newspaper: https://revolution.scot/subscribe💸 Support the fight for revolution by making a donation: https://www.socialist.net/donate

As the working class flexes its muscles on the industrial front today, many have drawn comparisons with the class struggle of the 1970s - a decade which saw workers topple governments, occupy factories, and raise the question of socialism. In this episode of Marxist Voice, Ben Gliniecki draws the lessons from the successes and failures of this decade of struggle. 🌐 Check out Socialist Appeal's website for theory, news, and analysis: <a href="https://socialist.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://socialist.net/</a> ✊ Join the fight for revolution with the International Marxist Tendency: <a href="https://www.socialist.net/join" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.socialist.net/join</a> 📰 Subscribe to the Socialist Appeal newspaper: <a href="https://www.socialist.net/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.socialist.net/subscribe</a> 🚩 Subscribe to the Revolution Scotland newspaper: https://revolution.scot/subscribe 💸 Support the fight for revolution by making a donation: <a href="https://www.socialist.net/donate" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.socialist.net/donate</a>

Strikes and industrial militancy in the 1970s

In 1920s Italy, all of the objective conditions were ripe for socialist revolution, and yet this period saw the triumph of Mussolini's fascists. In this talk, Fred Weston discusses why the workers' movement failed, and how its defeat paved the way for the victory of fascism.🌐 Check out Socialist Appeal's website for theory, news, and analysis: https://socialist.net/✊ Join the fight for revolution with the International Marxist Tendency: https://www.socialist.net/join📰 Subscribe to the Socialist Appeal newspaper: https://www.socialist.net/subscribe🚩 Subscribe to the Revolution Scotland newspaper: https://revolution.scot/subscribe💸 Support the fight for revolution by making a donation: https://www.socialist.net/donate

In 1920s Italy, all of the objective conditions were ripe for socialist revolution, and yet this period saw the triumph of Mussolini's fascists. In this talk, Fred Weston discusses why the workers' movement failed, and how its defeat paved the way for the victory of fascism. 🌐 Check out Socialist Appeal's website for theory, news, and analysis: <a href="https://socialist.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://socialist.net/</a> ✊ Join the fight for revolution with the International Marxist Tendency: <a href="https://www.socialist.net/join" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.socialist.net/join</a> 📰 Subscribe to the Socialist Appeal newspaper: <a href="https://www.socialist.net/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.socialist.net/subscribe</a> 🚩 Subscribe to the Revolution Scotland newspaper: https://revolution.scot/subscribe 💸 Support the fight for revolution by making a donation: <a href="https://www.socialist.net/donate" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.socialist.net/donate</a>

Italy in the 1920s: From factory occupations to fascism

Under capitalism, an ocean of talent is left untapped: creativity is crushed by the profit motive; and culture sector workers endure exploitation and oppression. In this talk, Joe Attard will discuss the links between art, culture, and revolution.📚 Grab a copy of our pamphlet "Marxism and art": https://wellredbooks.co.uk/product/marxism-and-art/🔗 Explore this topic and many others over on our education hub: https://socialist.net/art🌐 Check out Socialist Appeal's website for theory, news, and analysis: https://socialist.net/✊ Join the fight for revolution with the International Marxist Tendency: https://www.socialist.net/join📰 Subscribe to the Socialist Appeal newspaper: https://www.socialist.net/subscribe💸 Support the fight for socialism by making a donation: https://www.socialist.net/donate

Under capitalism, an ocean of talent is left untapped: creativity is crushed by the profit motive; and culture sector workers endure exploitation and oppression. In this talk, Joe Attard will discuss the links between art, culture, and revolution. 📚 Grab a copy of our pamphlet "Marxism and art": <a href="https://wellredbooks.co.uk/product/marxism-and-art/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://wellredbooks.co.uk/product/marxism-and-art/</a> 🔗 Explore this topic and many others over on our education hub: <a href="https://socialist.net/art" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://socialist.net/art</a> 🌐 Check out Socialist Appeal's website for theory, news, and analysis: <a href="https://socialist.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://socialist.net/</a> ✊ Join the fight for revolution with the International Marxist Tendency: <a href="https://www.socialist.net/join" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.socialist.net/join</a> 📰 Subscribe to the Socialist Appeal newspaper: <a href="https://www.socialist.net/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.socialist.net/subscribe</a> 💸 Support the fight for socialism by making a donation: <a href="https://www.socialist.net/donate" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.socialist.net/donate</a>

Art, culture, and revolution

The Marxists in Britain have launched a communist recruitment drive, aimed towards revolutionary workers and youth who want to get organised in the fight to overthrow capitalism.In this episode, we are joined by Ben Gliniecki, the national secretary of the International Marxist Tendency (IMT) in Britain, to discuss why you should get organised, and what being a member of the IMT looks like.✊ Join the fight for revolution with the International Marxist Tendency: https://socialist.net/join🌐 Check out Socialist Appeal's website for theory, news, and analysis: https://socialist.net/🚩 Check out the website of Revolution Scotland, where you can also subscribe to our Scottish newspaper: https://revolution.scot📰 Subscribe to the Socialist Appeal newspaper: https://socialist.net/subscribe💸 Support the fight for revolution by making a donation: https://socialist.net/donate

The Marxists in Britain have launched a communist recruitment drive, aimed towards revolutionary workers and youth who want to get organised in the fight to overthrow capitalism. In this episode, we are joined by Ben Gliniecki, the national secretary of the International Marxist Tendency (IMT) in Britain, to discuss why you should get organised, and what being a member of the IMT looks like. ✊ Join the fight for revolution with the International Marxist Tendency: <a href="https://socialist.net/join" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://socialist.net/join</a> 🌐 Check out Socialist Appeal's website for theory, news, and analysis: <a href="https://socialist.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://socialist.net/</a> 🚩 Check out the website of Revolution Scotland, where you can also subscribe to our Scottish newspaper: https://revolution.scot 📰 Subscribe to the Socialist Appeal newspaper: <a href="https://socialist.net/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://socialist.net/subscribe</a> 💸 Support the fight for revolution by making a donation: <a href="https://socialist.net/donate" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://socialist.net/donate</a>

Are you a communist? Then get organised.

Karl Popper dedicated his life to dressing up very commonplace arguments against socialism with philosophical and political critiques.The most famous one was to claim that Marxism is not scientific, since it does not satisfy his ‘falsifiability criterion’. Marx’s insights, therefore, did not make any serious advance from the utopian socialists that preceded him.In this episode of Marxist Voice, Khaled Malachi defends the scientific status of Marxism, and reveals the faults in Popper’s one-sided approach to both science and history.🔗 Read more about Marxist philosophy over on our Marxist education hub: https://socialist.net/science-and-technology/📚 Get a copy of 'Reason in Revolt: Marxism and Modern Science': https://wellredbooks.co.uk/product/reason-in-revolt/🌐 Check out Socialist Appeal's website for theory, news, and analysis: https://socialist.net/✊ Join the fight for revolution with the International Marxist Tendency: https://socialist.net/join📰 Subscribe to the Socialist Appeal newspaper: https://socialist.net/subscribe💸 Support the fight for socialism by making a donation: https://socialist.net/donate

Karl Popper dedicated his life to dressing up very commonplace arguments against socialism with philosophical and political critiques. The most famous one was to claim that Marxism is not scientific, since it does not satisfy his ‘falsifiability criterion’. Marx’s insights, therefore, did not make any serious advance from the utopian socialists that preceded him. In this episode of Marxist Voice, Khaled Malachi defends the scientific status of Marxism, and reveals the faults in Popper’s one-sided approach to both science and history. 🔗 Read more about Marxist philosophy over on our Marxist education hub: <a href="https://socialist.net/science-and-technology/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://socialist.net/science-and-technology/</a> 📚 Get a copy of 'Reason in Revolt: Marxism and Modern Science': <a href="https://wellredbooks.co.uk/product/reason-in-revolt/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://wellredbooks.co.uk/product/reason-in-revolt/</a> 🌐 Check out Socialist Appeal's website for theory, news, and analysis: <a href="https://socialist.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://socialist.net/</a> ✊ Join the fight for revolution with the International Marxist Tendency: <a href="https://socialist.net/join" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://socialist.net/join</a> 📰 Subscribe to the Socialist Appeal newspaper: <a href="https://socialist.net/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://socialist.net/subscribe</a> 💸 Support the fight for socialism by making a donation: <a href="https://socialist.net/donate" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://socialist.net/donate</a>

Is Marxism a science? The poverty of Popper

15 May marks 75 since the 'Nakba', a campaign of terror against Palestinians, led by Zionist paramilitaries as part of the proclamation of Israel in 1948. This resulted in over 700,000 Palestinians being expelled from their land. And it paved the way for the chaos that has engulfed Israel-Palestine ever since.Today, Palestinians continue to suffer under the iron heel of the Israeli imperialist state.In this episode of Marxist Voice, Khaled Malachi outlines the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict, the current crisis in Israel, and a revolutionary programme for the liberation of Palestine.📚 Get your copy of our brand new pamphlet 'Israel-Palestine: a revolutionary way forward': https://wellredbooks.co.uk/product/pre-order-israel-palestine-a-revolutionary-way-forward/🌐 Check out Socialist Appeal's website for theory, news, and analysis: https://socialist.net/✊ Join the fight for revolution with the International Marxist Tendency: https://www.socialist.net/join📰 Subscribe to the Socialist Appeal newspaper: https://www.socialist.net/subscribe💸 Support the fight for socialism by making a donation: https://www.socialist.net/donate

15 May marks 75 since the 'Nakba', a campaign of terror against Palestinians, led by Zionist paramilitaries as part of the proclamation of Israel in 1948. This resulted in over 700,000 Palestinians being expelled from their land. And it paved the way for the chaos that has engulfed Israel-Palestine ever since. Today, Palestinians continue to suffer under the iron heel of the Israeli imperialist state. In this episode of Marxist Voice, Khaled Malachi outlines the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict, the current crisis in Israel, and a revolutionary programme for the liberation of Palestine. 📚 Get your copy of our brand new pamphlet 'Israel-Palestine: a revolutionary way forward': <a href="https://wellredbooks.co.uk/product/pre-order-israel-palestine-a-revolutionary-way-forward/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://wellredbooks.co.uk/product/pre-order-israel-palestine-a-revolutionary-way-forward/</a> 🌐 Check out Socialist Appeal's website for theory, news, and analysis: <a href="https://socialist.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://socialist.net/</a> ✊ Join the fight for revolution with the International Marxist Tendency: <a href="https://www.socialist.net/join" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.socialist.net/join</a> 📰 Subscribe to the Socialist Appeal newspaper: <a href="https://www.socialist.net/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.socialist.net/subscribe</a> 💸 Support the fight for socialism by making a donation: <a href="https://www.socialist.net/donate" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.socialist.net/donate</a>

Israel-Palestine: a revolutionary way forward

With the coronation of Charles III around the corner, many workers and youth are responding with apathy and revulsion at this royal circus. But is the British monarchy just a feudal relic, or does it play a more important role for the ruling class?In this episode of Marxist Voice, Jack Tye Wilson discusses the real role that the monarchy plays, as a reserve weapon that can and will be deployed to defend capitalism against the growing class struggle.📚 Leon Trotsky discusses the role of the monarchy in his Writings on Britain - a treasure trove for Marxists. Get your copy from Wellred Books: https://wellredbooks.co.uk/product/trotskys-writings-on-britain/🌐 Check out Socialist Appeal's website for theory, news, and analysis: https://socialist.net/✊ Join the fight for revolution with the International Marxist Tendency: https://www.socialist.net/join📰 Subscribe to the Socialist Appeal newspaper: https://www.socialist.net/subscribe💸 Support the fight for socialism by making a donation: https://www.socialist.net/donate

With the coronation of Charles III around the corner, many workers and youth are responding with apathy and revulsion at this royal circus. But is the British monarchy just a feudal relic, or does it play a more important role for the ruling class? In this episode of Marxist Voice, Jack Tye Wilson discusses the real role that the monarchy plays, as a reserve weapon that can and will be deployed to defend capitalism against the growing class struggle. 📚 Leon Trotsky discusses the role of the monarchy in his Writings on Britain - a treasure trove for Marxists. Get your copy from Wellred Books: <a href="https://wellredbooks.co.uk/product/trotskys-writings-on-britain/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://wellredbooks.co.uk/product/trotskys-writings-on-britain/</a> 🌐 Check out Socialist Appeal's website for theory, news, and analysis: <a href="https://socialist.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://socialist.net/</a> ✊ Join the fight for revolution with the International Marxist Tendency: <a href="https://www.socialist.net/join" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.socialist.net/join</a> 📰 Subscribe to the Socialist Appeal newspaper: <a href="https://www.socialist.net/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.socialist.net/subscribe</a> 💸 Support the fight for socialism by making a donation: <a href="https://www.socialist.net/donate" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.socialist.net/donate</a>

The monarchy: a weapon of the ruling class

The crisis of capitalism is not just an economic and political crisis. It is a crisis of culture, of art, and of science. Mysticism and idealism are increasingly being reflected in the sciences.In this episode of Marxist Voice, Ben Curry puts forward a defence of materialism: against idealist interpretations of quantum mechanics, mystical theories of consciousness, Big Bang creationism, and many other examples of the garbage that passes today as ‘science’.🔗 Read more about Marxism and science over on our Marxist education hub: https://socialist.net/science-and-technology/🌐 Check out Socialist Appeal's website for theory, news, and analysis: https://socialist.net/✊ Join the fight for revolution with the International Marxist Tendency: https://www.socialist.net/join📰 Subscribe to the Socialist Appeal newspaper: https://www.socialist.net/subscribe💸 Support the fight for socialism by making a donation: https://www.socialist.net/donate

The crisis of capitalism is not just an economic and political crisis. It is a crisis of culture, of art, and of science. Mysticism and idealism are increasingly being reflected in the sciences. In this episode of Marxist Voice, Ben Curry puts forward a defence of materialism: against idealist interpretations of quantum mechanics, mystical theories of consciousness, Big Bang creationism, and many other examples of the garbage that passes today as ‘science’. 🔗 Read more about Marxism and science over on our Marxist education hub: <a href="https://socialist.net/science-and-technology/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://socialist.net/science-and-technology/</a> 🌐 Check out Socialist Appeal's website for theory, news, and analysis: <a href="https://socialist.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://socialist.net/</a> ✊ Join the fight for revolution with the International Marxist Tendency: <a href="https://www.socialist.net/join" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.socialist.net/join</a> 📰 Subscribe to the Socialist Appeal newspaper: <a href="https://www.socialist.net/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.socialist.net/subscribe</a> 💸 Support the fight for socialism by making a donation: <a href="https://www.socialist.net/donate" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.socialist.net/donate</a>

Creeping mysticism: The philosophical crisis in modern science

Over the last year, a spectre that was thought by many to be dead-and-buried has returned with a vengeance: the spectre of inflation.Across the world, prices continue to soar. And yet, whilst the capitalists profit from scarcity and shortages, the ruling class scandalously blames workers and their pay demands for causing a ‘wage-price spiral’.In this episode of Marxist Voice, Adam Booth explains the real causes behind inflation, and presents a revolutionary alternative to this menace and madness.📚 If you want to dive into Marxist economics, get yourself a copy of "Understanding Marx's Capital" by Adam Booth and Rob Sewell: https://wellredbooks.co.uk/product/understanding-marxs-capital/🌐 Check out Socialist Appeal's website for theory, news, and analysis: https://socialist.net/✊ Join the fight for revolution with the International Marxist Tendency: https://www.socialist.net/join📰 Subscribe to the Socialist Appeal newspaper: https://www.socialist.net/subscribe💸 Support the fight for socialism by making a donation: https://www.socialist.net/donate

Over the last year, a spectre that was thought by many to be dead-and-buried has returned with a vengeance: the spectre of inflation. Across the world, prices continue to soar. And yet, whilst the capitalists profit from scarcity and shortages, the ruling class scandalously blames workers and their pay demands for causing a ‘wage-price spiral’. In this episode of Marxist Voice, Adam Booth explains the real causes behind inflation, and presents a revolutionary alternative to this menace and madness. 📚 If you want to dive into Marxist economics, get yourself a copy of "Understanding Marx's Capital" by Adam Booth and Rob Sewell: <a href="https://wellredbooks.co.uk/product/understanding-marxs-capital/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://wellredbooks.co.uk/product/understanding-marxs-capital/</a> 🌐 Check out Socialist Appeal's website for theory, news, and analysis: <a href="https://socialist.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://socialist.net/</a> ✊ Join the fight for revolution with the International Marxist Tendency: <a href="https://www.socialist.net/join" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.socialist.net/join</a> 📰 Subscribe to the Socialist Appeal newspaper: <a href="https://www.socialist.net/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.socialist.net/subscribe</a> 💸 Support the fight for socialism by making a donation: <a href="https://www.socialist.net/donate" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.socialist.net/donate</a>

The menace of inflation: Where it comes from and how to fight it

Marxist theory, news and analysis brought to you by Socialist Appeal - the British section of the International Marxist Tendency. Get involved in the struggle for socialism today!

Clear, Concise & Correct

Marxist Voice

In this talk from last year's Revolution Festival, Ben Gliniecki looks at the current collapse of the liberal status quo, providing a Marxist analysis of liberalism's rise and fall.In November 2016, American voters dispatched “the electoral equivalent of a suicide bomber to Washington”, according to the Financial Times. Only months before, the British public had delivered a shocking blow to the European establishment by voting by a narrow majority to leave the European Union.Today, nationalist parties across Europe are rising in the polls and a series of constitutional crises are opening up in Italy, Brazil and Britain (of course).These are again highlighting the weakness of the liberal political and economic order that, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, had been considered by many to be indestructible.But what exactly is liberalism? What does it represent? And why is it now in crisis everywhere? Ben Gliniecki considers these questions and discusses the possibility of a new world order based on the  power of the working class.

In this talk from last year's Revolution Festival, Ben Gliniecki looks at the current collapse of the liberal status quo, providing a Marxist analysis of liberalism's rise and fall. In November 2016, American voters dispatched “the electoral equivalent of a suicide bomber to Washington”, according to the Financial Times. Only months before, the British public had delivered a shocking blow to the European establishment by voting by a narrow majority to leave the European Union. Today, nationalist parties across Europe are rising in the polls and a series of constitutional crises are opening up in Italy, Brazil and Britain (of course). These are again highlighting the weakness of the liberal political and economic order that, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, had been considered by many to be indestructible. But what exactly is liberalism? What does it represent? And why is it now in crisis everywhere? Ben Gliniecki considers these questions and discusses the possibility of a new world order based on the power of the working class.

The crisis of liberalism

In this talk from the 2018 Revolution Festival, Hamid Alizadeh (editor of www.marxist.com) looks at the ideas of Georg Hegel, the German thinker who resurrected the philosophy of dialectics.Dialectics, as Hamid outlines, is a philosophy that explains change, motion, and development. In this respect, Hegel's ideas provided a profound leap from the mechanical and rigid outlook of those who preceded him.Hegel's dialectics were the basis for the revolutionary philosophy of Marxism - dialectical materialism. But in order to make sense of Hegel, Marx and Engels had to turn him upside down, taking his philosophy from the realm of idealism to that of materialism.With this method, Marx revolutionised philosophy, history, and economics, providing the tools with which we can not only interpret the world, but fundamentally change it.

In this talk from the 2018 Revolution Festival, Hamid Alizadeh (editor of <a href="http://www.marxist.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.marxist.com</a>) looks at the ideas of Georg Hegel, the German thinker who resurrected the philosophy of dialectics. Dialectics, as Hamid outlines, is a philosophy that explains change, motion, and development. In this respect, Hegel's ideas provided a profound leap from the mechanical and rigid outlook of those who preceded him. Hegel's dialectics were the basis for the revolutionary philosophy of Marxism - dialectical materialism. But in order to make sense of Hegel, Marx and Engels had to turn him upside down, taking his philosophy from the realm of idealism to that of materialism. With this method, Marx revolutionised philosophy, history, and economics, providing the tools with which we can not only interpret the world, but fundamentally change it.

Dialectics: from Hegel to Marx

Fred Weston (editor of marxist.com) discusses the world situation as the coronavirus pandemic rages on. The bourgeois are trying to blame the current social and economic turmoil on the virus alone. But it was in fact just the trigger for a crisis that was prepared in the last period.The anaemic recovery of world capitalism after 2008 was coming to an end even before the virus hit. China once held the system together, but it has become a centre of the current crisis. The EU is mired in in-fighting. And in countries like Pakistan, where healthcare infrastructure and public sanitation are in a dire state, the coronavirus will lead to a nightmare scenario.People are sick of the system. Years of austerity have cultivated a radical mood, which found an expression through the Corbyn and Sanders movements in Britain and the USA, and in mass protest movements worldwide. Now, a layer of workers and youth are further enraged by the callous and inept response to this public health emergency, with strikes breaking out in Italy, Spain, Canada, the USA etc.The bourgeois are desperately printing money to save the system today - but this will mean more austerity in future, which will provoke workers even further.The period we will enter into after the pandemic is one of extreme crisis and struggle, where the ruling class will find it impossible to govern in the old way, and the workers will move to change society. It is vital to build up the forces of Marxism to prepare for these titanic events.

Fred Weston (editor of <a href="http://marxist.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">marxist.com</a>) discusses the world situation as the coronavirus pandemic rages on. The bourgeois are trying to blame the current social and economic turmoil on the virus alone. But it was in fact just the trigger for a crisis that was prepared in the last period. The anaemic recovery of world capitalism after 2008 was coming to an end even before the virus hit. China once held the system together, but it has become a centre of the current crisis. The EU is mired in in-fighting. And in countries like Pakistan, where healthcare infrastructure and public sanitation are in a dire state, the coronavirus will lead to a nightmare scenario. People are sick of the system. Years of austerity have cultivated a radical mood, which found an expression through the Corbyn and Sanders movements in Britain and the USA, and in mass protest movements worldwide. Now, a layer of workers and youth are further enraged by the callous and inept response to this public health emergency, with strikes breaking out in Italy, Spain, Canada, the USA etc. The bourgeois are desperately printing money to save the system today - but this will mean more austerity in future, which will provoke workers even further. The period we will enter into after the pandemic is one of extreme crisis and struggle, where the ruling class will find it impossible to govern in the old way, and the workers will move to change society. It is vital to build up the forces of Marxism to prepare for these titanic events.

The COVID-19 pandemic: capitalism's deepest ever crisis

In this talk from Revolution Festival 2019, Adam Booth - editor of www.socialist.net - compares and contrasts the economic ideas of Karl Marx, John Maynard Keynes, and MMT.The crash of 2008 brought all the established neoliberal economic ideas into question. As Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman told an audience at the London School of Economics in the wake of the financial crisis: “Most work in macroeconomics in the past 30 years has been useless at best and harmful at worst.”Over a decade on, and mainstream capitalist economists still have no answers or solutions.Some on the left have attempted to fill the vacuum with alternative economic theories. These include old ideas, such as those of John Maynard Keynes; and new concepts, such as 'Modern Monetary Theory'.Neither of these tendencies, however, provide a genuine, scientific analysis of capitalism. Instead, both seek to patch up and reform the broken capitalist system.In this talk, Adam looks at these economic ideas - old and new - and explains why only a Marxist perspective can offer a way out of capitalism's crisis for the left and the labour movement.

In this talk from Revolution Festival 2019, Adam Booth - editor of <a href="http://www.socialist.net" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.socialist.net</a> - compares and contrasts the economic ideas of Karl Marx, John Maynard Keynes, and MMT. The crash of 2008 brought all the established neoliberal economic ideas into question. As Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman told an audience at the London School of Economics in the wake of the financial crisis: “Most work in macroeconomics in the past 30 years has been useless at best and harmful at worst.” Over a decade on, and mainstream capitalist economists still have no answers or solutions. Some on the left have attempted to fill the vacuum with alternative economic theories. These include old ideas, such as those of John Maynard Keynes; and new concepts, such as 'Modern Monetary Theory'. Neither of these tendencies, however, provide a genuine, scientific analysis of capitalism. Instead, both seek to patch up and reform the broken capitalist system. In this talk, Adam looks at these economic ideas - old and new - and explains why only a Marxist perspective can offer a way out of capitalism's crisis for the left and the labour movement.

Marxism, Keynesianism, and Modern Monetary Theory

Rosa Luxemburg

On 15th January 1919, Rosa Luxemburg - one of the main leaders of the German Revolution - was brutally murdered by reactionary state forces, depriving the working class of one of its greatest fighters.To commemorate Luxemburg's life, we republish here a video from an IMT school in London in 2014, where Marie Frederiksen (editor of the Danish Marxist newspaper Revolution) discusses the real revolutionary history, ideas, and traditions of Rosa Luxemburg, drawing out the valuable lessons we can learn for today.

On 15th January 1919, Rosa Luxemburg - one of the main leaders of the German Revolution - was brutally murdered by reactionary state forces, depriving the working class of one of its greatest fighters. To commemorate Luxemburg's life, we republish here a video from an IMT school in London in 2014, where Marie Frederiksen (editor of the Danish Marxist newspaper Revolution) discusses the real revolutionary history, ideas, and traditions of Rosa Luxemburg, drawing out the valuable lessons we can learn for today.

The revolutionary ideas of Rosa Luxemburg

In this talk from Revolution Festival, Fiona Lali - national organiser of the Marxist Student Federation - outlines the ideas of historical materialism: the Marxist theory that provides a scientific explanation for how change and development occurs in society."The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggle." So begins the Communist Manifesto, written by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels.Rather than trying to make society conform to a timeless ideal, or to discover some fixed ‘human nature’, Marxists see society as a process, evolving through stages of development, driven forward by the struggle between the exploiters and the exploited.Ultimately, it is not morality or our ideas that determine the structure and dynamics of society, but economic conditions.Importantly, as Fiona explains, by studying the past we can understand how to bring about a socialist future.

In this talk from Revolution Festival, Fiona Lali - national organiser of the Marxist Student Federation - outlines the ideas of historical materialism: the Marxist theory that provides a scientific explanation for how change and development occurs in society. "The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggle." So begins the Communist Manifesto, written by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels. Rather than trying to make society conform to a timeless ideal, or to discover some fixed ‘human nature’, Marxists see society as a process, evolving through stages of development, driven forward by the struggle between the exploiters and the exploited. Ultimately, it is not morality or our ideas that determine the structure and dynamics of society, but economic conditions. Importantly, as Fiona explains, by studying the past we can understand how to bring about a socialist future.

The Marxist view of history

In this talk from the recent Revolution Festival, Marie Frederiksen - editor of the Danish Marxist paper 'Revolution' - discusses the impact of the Berlin Wall, which was broken apart 30 years ago, on 9th November 1989.This marked the beginning of the end for the Stalinist regimes of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. Subsequently, liberal commentators declared that these events marked the final victory of capitalism over Communism.As Marie explains, however, what collapsed was not genuine Communism, but a deformed caricature of Communism, strangled and suffocated by the growth of an enormous bureaucracy.Despite this, enormous gains were made as a result of the planned economy. And vice-versa, huge falls in living standards were experienced in Russia and Eastern Europe following the collapse into capitalism.The task for Marxists today is to counter the hysteria of the liberal establishment, and to understand why the Russian Revolution degenerated into Stalinism.Above all, as Marie emphasises, we must stress that - 30 years on - it is now capitalism that is collapsing across the world, and workers and youth are looking towards the revolutionary ideas of Marxism.

In this talk from the recent Revolution Festival, Marie Frederiksen - editor of the Danish Marxist paper 'Revolution' - discusses the impact of the Berlin Wall, which was broken apart 30 years ago, on 9th November 1989. This marked the beginning of the end for the Stalinist regimes of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. Subsequently, liberal commentators declared that these events marked the final victory of capitalism over Communism. As Marie explains, however, what collapsed was not genuine Communism, but a deformed caricature of Communism, strangled and suffocated by the growth of an enormous bureaucracy. Despite this, enormous gains were made as a result of the planned economy. And vice-versa, huge falls in living standards were experienced in Russia and Eastern Europe following the collapse into capitalism. The task for Marxists today is to counter the hysteria of the liberal establishment, and to understand why the Russian Revolution degenerated into Stalinism. Above all, as Marie emphasises, we must stress that - 30 years on - it is now capitalism that is collapsing across the world, and workers and youth are looking towards the revolutionary ideas of Marxism.

The fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of Stalinism

In this recent live-streamed talk, Fred Weston - editor of www.marxist.com - discusses the explosive developments surrounding the global coronavirus outbreak, which has wrought havoc on society.    The COVID-19 pandemic has provoked a severe economic and social crisis. The stock markets have plummeted; panicked people are bulk-buying supplies; and governments are scrambling to respond. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has bluntly informed the population: "your loved ones will die". At the same time, it is clear that the Tory government has no clue how to tackle the epidemic and its fallout.As Fred explains, the virus is ultimately the trigger for a global crisis of capitalism, bringing all the existing accumulated contradictions to the fore. This pandemic is exposing the rottenness of the capitalist system worldwide, and is preparing the way for a furious backlash from the masses in the period ahead.

In this recent live-streamed talk, Fred Weston - editor of <a href="http://www.marxist.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.marxist.com</a> - discusses the explosive developments surrounding the global coronavirus outbreak, which has wrought havoc on society. The COVID-19 pandemic has provoked a severe economic and social crisis. The stock markets have plummeted; panicked people are bulk-buying supplies; and governments are scrambling to respond. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has bluntly informed the population: "your loved ones will die". At the same time, it is clear that the Tory government has no clue how to tackle the epidemic and its fallout. As Fred explains, the virus is ultimately the trigger for a global crisis of capitalism, bringing all the existing accumulated contradictions to the fore. This pandemic is exposing the rottenness of the capitalist system worldwide, and is preparing the way for a furious backlash from the masses in the period ahead.

The coronavirus pandemic and the crisis of capitalism

In this talk from the Revolution Festival, Nigel Warren provides an introduction to Marxist economics - discussing why capitalism goes into crisis, and explaining why socialism is the only way forward.It is over a decade now since the economic crash of 2008. And with the coronavirus pandemic paralysing production, and stock markets tumbling once again, a new slump is about to hit.The epidemic is not the cause of the crisis, however, but merely its trigger; the historical 'accident' that exposes the 'necessity' of the system's contradictions. The real cause of capitalist crisis, as Nigel outlines, is overproduction.The defenders of capitalism have no answers or solutions. By their own admission, the economic ideas they put forward have proven useless at best, and harmful at worst.Over 150 years since Karl Marx first published Capital, it remains the only work that comprehensively explains the workings of the capitalist system - and why it must be overthrown.

In this talk from the Revolution Festival, Nigel Warren provides an introduction to Marxist economics - discussing why capitalism goes into crisis, and explaining why socialism is the only way forward. It is over a decade now since the economic crash of 2008. And with the coronavirus pandemic paralysing production, and stock markets tumbling once again, a new slump is about to hit. The epidemic is not the cause of the crisis, however, but merely its trigger; the historical 'accident' that exposes the 'necessity' of the system's contradictions. The real cause of capitalist crisis, as Nigel outlines, is overproduction. The defenders of capitalism have no answers or solutions. By their own admission, the economic ideas they put forward have proven useless at best, and harmful at worst. Over 150 years since Karl Marx first published Capital, it remains the only work that comprehensively explains the workings of the capitalist system - and why it must be overthrown.

Marxist economics: How capitalism works - and how it doesn't

In this talk from Revolution Festival 2019, Ben Curry (of the Socialist Appeal editorial board)discusses the Marxist philosophy of dialectical materialism and its application to the natural world.Dialectics is a philosophy of change, explaining that all matter is in a state of motion and flux. But how does this change take place?Using a number of examples from science - from thermodynamics, to evolution, to chaos theory - Ben demonstrates one of the basic principles of dialectics: that change occurs through a process of 'quantity and quality'.In other words, the gradual accumulation of small quantitative changes eventually leads to the qualitative transformation of a system to a new equilibrium state.Such 'tipping points' are seen all around us in nature - and, Ben stresses, in society also, in the form of capitalist crises and revolutions.This is why an understanding of dialectics is so vital for all Marxists and revolutionary activists today.

In this talk from Revolution Festival 2019, Ben Curry (of the Socialist Appeal editorial board)discusses the Marxist philosophy of dialectical materialism and its application to the natural world. Dialectics is a philosophy of change, explaining that all matter is in a state of motion and flux. But how does this change take place? Using a number of examples from science - from thermodynamics, to evolution, to chaos theory - Ben demonstrates one of the basic principles of dialectics: that change occurs through a process of 'quantity and quality'. In other words, the gradual accumulation of small quantitative changes eventually leads to the qualitative transformation of a system to a new equilibrium state. Such 'tipping points' are seen all around us in nature - and, Ben stresses, in society also, in the form of capitalist crises and revolutions. This is why an understanding of dialectics is so vital for all Marxists and revolutionary activists today.

Marxism and science: Tipping points, catastrophe, and revolution

In this talk from Revolution Festival, Jack Halinski-Fitzpatrick - Socialist Appeal activist and manager of Wellred Books - introduces the revolutionary philosophy of Marxism: dialectical materialism.As Marx famously stated: “philosophers have only interpreted the world, the point however is to change it.” In order to change the world, however, we need to understand how it works. And for that we need philosophy.Dialectical materialism is a philosophy of change, recognising that nothing in the universe is static but in a constant motion, in a process of evolution. Nothing simply ‘is’, but is in a stage of becoming - of going beyond its limits to become something new. As the Greek philosopher Heraclitus once profoundly noted: one can never step into the same river twice.In the natural world, Darwin’s theory of evolution was - to Marx and Engels - a vindication of their philosophy. Human society, meanwhile, is emergent from the material world, and thus also operates dialectically. Hence, Marx and Engels explained that our current society - capitalism - is just one stage in a historical process; a stage that has now reached its limits. Only with a firm grasp of dialectical materialism can we understand the capitalist system and its contradictions. And only by understanding capitalism can we fight to overthrow it.

In this talk from Revolution Festival, Jack Halinski-Fitzpatrick - Socialist Appeal activist and manager of Wellred Books - introduces the revolutionary philosophy of Marxism: dialectical materialism. As Marx famously stated: “philosophers have only interpreted the world, the point however is to change it.” In order to change the world, however, we need to understand how it works. And for that we need philosophy. Dialectical materialism is a philosophy of change, recognising that nothing in the universe is static but in a constant motion, in a process of evolution. Nothing simply ‘is’, but is in a stage of becoming - of going beyond its limits to become something new. As the Greek philosopher Heraclitus once profoundly noted: one can never step into the same river twice. In the natural world, Darwin’s theory of evolution was - to Marx and Engels - a vindication of their philosophy. Human society, meanwhile, is emergent from the material world, and thus also operates dialectically. Hence, Marx and Engels explained that our current society - capitalism - is just one stage in a historical process; a stage that has now reached its limits. Only with a firm grasp of dialectical materialism can we understand the capitalist system and its contradictions. And only by understanding capitalism can we fight to overthrow it.

The revolutionary philosophy of Marxism

In a special podcast episode of IMTV, Arturo Rodriguez - activist from Lucha de Clases and editor of the Catalan paper Revolucio - discusses the dramatic events that have taken place in Catalonia and the rest of Spain over the past 12 months.The movement for independence has erupted onto the scene in Catalonia, but has been temporarily been beaten back as a result of political repression and a lack of revolutionary leadership.Nevertheless, the mood across Spain is now one of polarisation and radicalisation, as workers and youth take to the streets in cities all over the country. The hated Rajoy government has been defeated.But how should the left unite the fight for Catalan independence with the wider struggle against austerity and the hated 1978 regime?

In a special podcast episode of IMTV, Arturo Rodriguez - activist from Lucha de Clases and editor of the Catalan paper Revolucio - discusses the dramatic events that have taken place in Catalonia and the rest of Spain over the past 12 months. The movement for independence has erupted onto the scene in Catalonia, but has been temporarily been beaten back as a result of political repression and a lack of revolutionary leadership. Nevertheless, the mood across Spain is now one of polarisation and radicalisation, as workers and youth take to the streets in cities all over the country. The hated Rajoy government has been defeated. But how should the left unite the fight for Catalan independence with the wider struggle against austerity and the hated 1978 regime?

Catalonia: a year of turbulence and struggle

In this talk from the recent Revolution Festival, Jorge Martin discusses a new book co-authored by himself and John Roberts, which explores the application of Leon Trotsky's theory of permanent revolution to the experiences of Latin America.Trotsky's theory explained how the capitalists in the colonial countries could not play a progressive role, but would instead be a barrier in the fight for agrarian reform, parliamentary democracy, and national independence.In their new book, John Roberts (author of "China: from Permanent Revolution to Counter-Revolution") and Jorge Martin (of the International Marxist Tendency) discuss how this theory can be applied to Latin America and the anti-imperialist struggles that have taken place across the continent over the past 60 years.In particular, Jorge discusses the examples of Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, comparing and contrasting the different revolutionary processes - each of which, in their own way, provide a validation of the correctness of Trotsky’s ideas.Buy your copy of "Permanent Revolution in Latin America" today from Wellred Books:https://wellredbooks.net/permanent-revolution-in-latin-america.html

In this talk from the recent Revolution Festival, Jorge Martin discusses a new book co-authored by himself and John Roberts, which explores the application of Leon Trotsky's theory of permanent revolution to the experiences of Latin America. Trotsky's theory explained how the capitalists in the colonial countries could not play a progressive role, but would instead be a barrier in the fight for agrarian reform, parliamentary democracy, and national independence. In their new book, John Roberts (author of "China: from Permanent Revolution to Counter-Revolution") and Jorge Martin (of the International Marxist Tendency) discuss how this theory can be applied to Latin America and the anti-imperialist struggles that have taken place across the continent over the past 60 years. In particular, Jorge discusses the examples of Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, comparing and contrasting the different revolutionary processes - each of which, in their own way, provide a validation of the correctness of Trotsky’s ideas. Buy your copy of "Permanent Revolution in Latin America" today from Wellred Books: <a href="https://wellredbooks.net/permanent-revolution-in-latin-america.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://wellredbooks.net/permanent-revolution-in-latin-america.html</a>

Permanent revolution in Latin America

In this talk from last year's Revolution Festival, Daniel Morley (writer for Socialist Appeal) looks back at the events leading up to the 1949 Chinese Revolution, explaining why the revolution played out as it did, and discussing the process that has unfolded since: from revolution to Tiananmen to capitalism.After the 1917 Russian Revolution, as Daniel discusses, the Chinese Revolution of 1949 is the most significant event in history. Fighting first Japanese occupation and then Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang, the Chinese Communists took power and swept away the old relics of landlordism and feudalism in China.Under the threat of counter-revolution and US imperialist aggression, Mao and his Red Army went even further, abolishing capitalism and establishing a planned economy.But, unlike the revolution in Russia, the working class had not played the leading role in the Chinese Revolution. As a result, the new state that was set up was riddled with contradictions from the beginning, taking as its model the totalitarian Stalinist regime that was firmly cemented by now in the Soviet Union. This, in turn, led to the disastrous policies implemented by Chairman Mao, such as the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution.By the 1980s, after the death of Mao, the bureaucracy had begun to reintroduce capitalism into China, paving the way for the rapid transformation of the country seen in the last two decades.But now a new revolution is brewing in China, as the largest working class in the world begins to flex its muscles. And when this sleeping giant begins to move, it will send tremors across the whole world.

In this talk from last year's Revolution Festival, Daniel Morley (writer for Socialist Appeal) looks back at the events leading up to the 1949 Chinese Revolution, explaining why the revolution played out as it did, and discussing the process that has unfolded since: from revolution to Tiananmen to capitalism. After the 1917 Russian Revolution, as Daniel discusses, the Chinese Revolution of 1949 is the most significant event in history. Fighting first Japanese occupation and then Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang, the Chinese Communists took power and swept away the old relics of landlordism and feudalism in China. Under the threat of counter-revolution and US imperialist aggression, Mao and his Red Army went even further, abolishing capitalism and establishing a planned economy. But, unlike the revolution in Russia, the working class had not played the leading role in the Chinese Revolution. As a result, the new state that was set up was riddled with contradictions from the beginning, taking as its model the totalitarian Stalinist regime that was firmly cemented by now in the Soviet Union. This, in turn, led to the disastrous policies implemented by Chairman Mao, such as the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. By the 1980s, after the death of Mao, the bureaucracy had begun to reintroduce capitalism into China, paving the way for the rapid transformation of the country seen in the last two decades. But now a new revolution is brewing in China, as the largest working class in the world begins to flex its muscles. And when this sleeping giant begins to move, it will send tremors across the whole world.

The 1949 Chinese Revolution

Oliver Cromwell

In this video from the 2018 Revolution Festival, Alan Woods (editor of In Defence of Marxism) discusses the events of the English Civil War - England's revolution.The civil war in the 17th century saw the forces of Parliament battling against the monarchy of Charles I, fighting for power over England.In essence, this was a revolutionary struggle for domination by the rising bourgeois class of merchants and bankers - an attempt to usurp the old feudal institutions of the monarchy.Pivotal to the success of the 'Roundheads' (the supporters of Parliament) in the conflict against the Royalists was the role played by Oliver Cromwell, leader of the New Model Army.And within Cromwell's army were an even more radical wing - the Levellers - who wanted to go even further, anticipating the mass movements of the Chartists in the 19th century and their demands for universal democratic rights.The task today is to fight for a new revolution - one that throws both the monarchy and the capitalists into the dustbin of history where they belong.

In this video from the 2018 Revolution Festival, Alan Woods (editor of In Defence of Marxism) discusses the events of the English Civil War - England's revolution. The civil war in the 17th century saw the forces of Parliament battling against the monarchy of Charles I, fighting for power over England. In essence, this was a revolutionary struggle for domination by the rising bourgeois class of merchants and bankers - an attempt to usurp the old feudal institutions of the monarchy. Pivotal to the success of the 'Roundheads' (the supporters of Parliament) in the conflict against the Royalists was the role played by Oliver Cromwell, leader of the New Model Army. And within Cromwell's army were an even more radical wing - the Levellers - who wanted to go even further, anticipating the mass movements of the Chartists in the 19th century and their demands for universal democratic rights. The task today is to fight for a new revolution - one that throws both the monarchy and the capitalists into the dustbin of history where they belong.

Oliver Cromwell and the English Revolution

Daniel Morley, writer for Socialist Appeal, discusses the mass movement that is taking place in Hong Kong against the repressive extradition law.Millions have participated in the protests against the newly proposed extradition bill - this in a city of around 7.5 million. This shows the scale of the anger that exists towards the Hong Kong government, and the Beijing regime that stands behind them.Hong Kongers are rightly terrified of seeing their democratic rights torn to shreds, as Xi Jinping seeks to shore up China against the instability of class struggle, trade wars, and international meddling.The movement has grown in militancy since its beginning, and is now demanding the resignation of Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam. The call for a general strike has also gained an echo.The task ahead for this movement is to organise mass strike action, and to forge links with the working class internationally - particularly the workers and youth of mainland China.On this basis, the Hong Kong protests could act as a spark to a revolutionary movement capable of transforming the world.

Daniel Morley, writer for Socialist Appeal, discusses the mass movement that is taking place in Hong Kong against the repressive extradition law. Millions have participated in the protests against the newly proposed extradition bill - this in a city of around 7.5 million. This shows the scale of the anger that exists towards the Hong Kong government, and the Beijing regime that stands behind them. Hong Kongers are rightly terrified of seeing their democratic rights torn to shreds, as Xi Jinping seeks to shore up China against the instability of class struggle, trade wars, and international meddling. The movement has grown in militancy since its beginning, and is now demanding the resignation of Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam. The call for a general strike has also gained an echo. The task ahead for this movement is to organise mass strike action, and to forge links with the working class internationally - particularly the workers and youth of mainland China. On this basis, the Hong Kong protests could act as a spark to a revolutionary movement capable of transforming the world.

Hong Kong protests: What do they represent?

As the covid-19 pandemic spreads, Hamid Alizadeh (editor of www.marxist.com) discusses how capitalism and the ruling class are completely incapable of addressing the crisis.Healthcare systems across the world are overstretched and underfunded, decimated by years of austerity. Working-class families - already struggling to make ends meet - now face months of uncertainty about where their next paycheque will come from. And financial contagion threatens to spread, as households and businesses default on debts.Desperate to keep production going, and profits flowing, big business politicians are dragging their heels. The measures proposed by world leaders such as Donald Trump and Boris Johnson are completely inadequate for tackling the epidemic.We need to plan and take bold socialist measures to stop the virus and its impacts. But capitalism is anarchy; it is barbarism. It is, in the words of Lenin, 'horror without end'.This crisis, however, will have a dramatic effect on consciousness, as anger accumulates amongst workers against the out-of-touch establishment and elites. This, Hamid explains, will have revolutionary consequences for the period ahead.

As the covid-19 pandemic spreads, Hamid Alizadeh (editor of <a href="http://www.marxist.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.marxist.com</a>) discusses how capitalism and the ruling class are completely incapable of addressing the crisis. Healthcare systems across the world are overstretched and underfunded, decimated by years of austerity. Working-class families - already struggling to make ends meet - now face months of uncertainty about where their next paycheque will come from. And financial contagion threatens to spread, as households and businesses default on debts. Desperate to keep production going, and profits flowing, big business politicians are dragging their heels. The measures proposed by world leaders such as Donald Trump and Boris Johnson are completely inadequate for tackling the epidemic. We need to plan and take bold socialist measures to stop the virus and its impacts. But capitalism is anarchy; it is barbarism. It is, in the words of Lenin, 'horror without end'. This crisis, however, will have a dramatic effect on consciousness, as anger accumulates amongst workers against the out-of-touch establishment and elites. This, Hamid explains, will have revolutionary consequences for the period ahead.

Coronavirus, contagion and crisis

Alan Woods

Alan Woods (editor of marxist.com) joins us for a special broadcast, to discuss the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the worst-ever crisis of capitalism.The coronavirus outbreak has dealt a savage blow to the world economy and political situation. The leaders of most countries initially downplayed the severity of the emergency in an attempt to keep business going, and are now desperately scrambling to stabilise the situation and avoid social unrest.They are breaking all their own rules in the process: underwriting wages, taking certain industries under state control and spending huge sums of money to keep the system afloat. They will try to retract these short-term solutions and investments when the dust settles, and issue a bill to the working class in the form of cuts and austerity, but appetite comes with eating, and the bourgeoisie might not find it so easy to take back tomorrow what they give today.The bosses, meanwhile, are pressuring the workers to choose between health and employment. In countries like Italy, the bosses’ organisations are pushing back against the government to keep the factories open, by arguing that arms manufacture and textiles are “essential industries”, for example. At the same time, health services everywhere are struggling to cope, with health workers increasingly becoming casualties in the fight against the virus.Despite a temporary ‘wartime spirit’ of national unity causing people to rally behind their governments for a time, as the body count rises and the rotten nature of the capitalist system is laid bare, millions of people will undergo a political awakening. The coronavirus pandemic has unleashed a new, tumultuous period in world politics.

Alan Woods (editor of <a href="http://marxist.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">marxist.com</a>) joins us for a special broadcast, to discuss the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the worst-ever crisis of capitalism. The coronavirus outbreak has dealt a savage blow to the world economy and political situation. The leaders of most countries initially downplayed the severity of the emergency in an attempt to keep business going, and are now desperately scrambling to stabilise the situation and avoid social unrest. They are breaking all their own rules in the process: underwriting wages, taking certain industries under state control and spending huge sums of money to keep the system afloat. They will try to retract these short-term solutions and investments when the dust settles, and issue a bill to the working class in the form of cuts and austerity, but appetite comes with eating, and the bourgeoisie might not find it so easy to take back tomorrow what they give today. The bosses, meanwhile, are pressuring the workers to choose between health and employment. In countries like Italy, the bosses’ organisations are pushing back against the government to keep the factories open, by arguing that arms manufacture and textiles are “essential industries”, for example. At the same time, health services everywhere are struggling to cope, with health workers increasingly becoming casualties in the fight against the virus. Despite a temporary ‘wartime spirit’ of national unity causing people to rally behind their governments for a time, as the body count rises and the rotten nature of the capitalist system is laid bare, millions of people will undergo a political awakening. The coronavirus pandemic has unleashed a new, tumultuous period in world politics.

Alan Woods: Coronavirus and the world crisis of capitalism

In this talk from the 2018 Revolution Festival, Josh Holroyd discusses the origins of the capitalist system, the violent and contradictory revolution it carried out across the world, and the implications these hold for the fight against capitalism today.As Josh explains, the society in which we live is often presented as something eternal; a natural expression of human nature and common sense. But the reality could not be further from the truth.Capitalism - a system based on competition and production for profit - has in fact existed for only a few hundred years. It is only a brief and unique episode in the history of humanity.And far from being the organic product of human nature, the birth of the “free” market required the violent overthrow of the entire existing economic, social and political order. It brought with it the greatest wave of dispossession and enslavement the world has ever seen.True freedom, therefore, can only be brought about by breaking with the anarchy of the capitalist market and introducing a socialist plan of production based on needs, not profits.

In this talk from the 2018 Revolution Festival, Josh Holroyd discusses the origins of the capitalist system, the violent and contradictory revolution it carried out across the world, and the implications these hold for the fight against capitalism today. As Josh explains, the society in which we live is often presented as something eternal; a natural expression of human nature and common sense. But the reality could not be further from the truth. Capitalism - a system based on competition and production for profit - has in fact existed for only a few hundred years. It is only a brief and unique episode in the history of humanity. And far from being the organic product of human nature, the birth of the “free” market required the violent overthrow of the entire existing economic, social and political order. It brought with it the greatest wave of dispossession and enslavement the world has ever seen. True freedom, therefore, can only be brought about by breaking with the anarchy of the capitalist market and introducing a socialist plan of production based on needs, not profits.

Freedom and slavery: the birth of capitalism

Alan Woods - editor of In Defence of Marxism - analyses last week's UK election results, explaining the real reasons behind Labour's dramatic defeat.In doing so, Alan answers the lies of the establishment media and the Blairites, who have falsely attempted to place all the blame for Labour's election loss on Jeremy Corbyn.In reality, however, it is not Corbynism that has failed, but Blairism, liberalism, and the centre ground. The areas that have abandoned Labour are those that have been left behind by capitalism; those that voted Leave as a rejected of the broken status quo.It is vital to learn the lessons of this election defeat. But Labour activists must now regroup to kick the right-wingers and careerists out of the PLP, to fight Boris Johnson and the Tories, and to continue the struggle for socialism.

Alan Woods - editor of In Defence of Marxism - analyses last week's UK election results, explaining the real reasons behind Labour's dramatic defeat. In doing so, Alan answers the lies of the establishment media and the Blairites, who have falsely attempted to place all the blame for Labour's election loss on Jeremy Corbyn. In reality, however, it is not Corbynism that has failed, but Blairism, liberalism, and the centre ground. The areas that have abandoned Labour are those that have been left behind by capitalism; those that voted Leave as a rejected of the broken status quo. It is vital to learn the lessons of this election defeat. But Labour activists must now regroup to kick the right-wingers and careerists out of the PLP, to fight Boris Johnson and the Tories, and to continue the struggle for socialism.

Alan Woods: After the election - continue the Corbyn revolution

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