Marxism

Marxism

• What did Engels say about revolution?

  

  Engels was a revolutionary democrat and a revolutionary realist, argues Dragan Plavšić

• The problem with citizens’ assemblies

  

  As a citizens' assembly to deal with climate change is announced, Elaine Graham-Leigh looks at the idea’s limitations

• Take the fight to the Tories: they are unfit to govern - Counterfire freesheet June 2019

  

  Tory meltdown, the crisis in British Steel, how we should remember D-Day, a Marxist analysis of Game of Thrones and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet

• Marxism made easy

  

  Despite the nonsense that gets talked about it, Marxism is a clear, powerful, and relevant philosophy, argues Morgan Daniels

• Marxism in 30 minutes with John Rees - video

  

  John Rees gives a presentation explaining what Marxism is and why it's still relevant at a London Counterfire public meeting

• Dump Trump: Protest the State Visit, June 3/4/5 - Counterfire freesheet May 2019

  

  Protest against Trump's state visit, austerity and record levels of inequality, Algeria in revolt, Marxism made easy, Palestine, eco-demands and more in this month's Counterfire Freesheet

• Spring into sport

  

  As one sport’s contest approaches its climax another has barely begun - Philosophy Football’s Mark Perryman reviews Spring books for those who measure their years out in seasons not months

• Thank God it's Friday: 300 years of Robinson Crusoe

  

  On the 300 year anniversary of the publishing of Robinson Crusoe, Morgan Daniels analyses what the book really tells us from a Marxist perspective

• World in Crisis: A Global Analysis of Marx’s Law of Profitability - book review

  

  Marx’s law of profitability is shown in World in Crisis to explain today’s long depression, but ending capitalism requires a political strategy, argues Dominic Alexander

• Marxists, so-called Marxists, and parliamentary socialists

  

  John Rees tries to distil some sense from recent tabloid exchanges, and looks at the real relationship between Marxism, parliament and Jeremy Corbyn

• A Marxist guide to crime drama

  

  At its best, crime drama does not simply try to terrify us with pure unblinking evil but gives us studies of dysfunctional human beings mangled by capitalism, argues Sofie Mason

• Marx and the meaning of private property

  

  Marx's stance on private property is far from the horror we're told it is, writes John Westmoreland 

• International Women's Day and revolution

  

  102 years on from the Russian Revolution, we publish Alexandra Kollontai writing on the history of International Women's Day

• Climate Leviathan and A Foodie's Guide to Capitalism - book reviews

  

  Two books on environmental crisis say that anti-capitalist politics are needed, but mistakenly reject the existing revolutionary tradition, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh

• Conspiracy theory: the answer is more left-wing theory not less

  

  Ruling class power can’t be understood as a conspiracy, argues John Rees

• Old Gods, New Enigmas: Marx’s Lost Theory - book review

  

  Mike Davis punctures many myths about Marx and shows how important the history of working-class struggle remains for today, finds Dominic Alexander

• The revolutionary life of Sylvia Pankhurst - Counterfire Media Podcast

  

  Tom Lock Griffiths talks to biographer and activist Kate Connelly about Sylvia Pankhurst and why the militant socialist and suffragette is still powerfully relevant today in this episode of Counterfire Media's Podcast

• Marx in Engels' words

  

  Following the attack on Marx's grave in Highgate, we reprint a transcript of Engels speaking at his graveside on why he is worth remembering

• Marxism and the Brexit crisis

  

  The Brexit crisis is best understood through a strong methodological framework, argues John Rees

• Rosa Luxemburg, Karl Liebknecht and the 100 year revolution

  

  One hundred years on from the murders of Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, their revolution still breathes, writes Evan Sedgwick-Jell

• For a left populism - book review

  

  Mouffe’s elaboration of a left populist strategy contains some useful insights but ultimately rests on the centrist ideology that it appears to criticise, argues Josh Newman

• Rosa Luxemburg: a revolutionary for our times

  

  Rosa's commitment to her class against the greatest of odds is an enduring inspiration, writes Dana Mills

• Rosa Luxemburg was a revolutionary socialist

  

  Written in 1983, Lindsey German's introduction to Tony Cliff's book on Rosa Luxemburg gives a brief snapshot of her revolutionary life and ideas

• Standing on the shoulders of a giant: Rosa Luxemburg and The Mass Strike

  

  Marking the centenary of her assassination, Richard Allday looks at Rosa Luxemburg's The Mass Strike and the lessons it holds for revolutionary socialists today

• Rosa Luxemburg: reform or revolution?

  

  The life of the influential revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg provides inspiration and lessons for today, writes Judy Cox

• Obituary - Bruno da Ponte: 1932 - 2018

  

  Chris Bambery remembers the life of Portuguese revolutionary, Bruno da Ponte

• The limits of Keynesianism - Counterfire Media Podcast

  

  Tom Lock Griffiths talks to Dominic Alexander about his new book The Limits of Keynesianism in this episode of Counterfire Media's Podcast

• Counterfire's books of the year - part two

  

  The second instalment of the books that have inspired leading activists on the left over the last twelve months

• Marxism and Feminism - Counterfire Media Podcast

  

  Feyzi Ismail talks to Hester Eisenstein on current trends in Feminism and Marxism, #MeToo, intersectionality and reformulating issues of class as central to feminist theory and practice in this episode of Counterfire Media's Podcast

• About time to kick the Tories out

  

  This campaign by the People's Assembly will tour the country to unite those compaigning against the devastating effects of Austerity

• Stop bombing Yemen

  

  Our movement has set its sights on the UK's barbaric arms trade, reports Jonathan Maunders

• Marx, colonialism and the Global South - Counterfire Media Podcast

  

  Chris Nineham talks to American author and Marxist historian on Marx, colonialism and the Global South, and how Marx's ideas were ahead of their time in the fifth episode of Counterfire Media's Podcast

• A Marxist analysis of Eastenders

  

  More than just a sentimentalised view of working class life, Eastenders can often cut through some of the big issues facing working people argues Sofie Mason 

• Stick in the Wheel in Dublin - gig review

  

  Stick in the Wheel are an urban folk group rooted in the tradition but with a hard, forward-looking sound and attitude, reports Josh Newman

• No platform for Alice Weidel in Oxford

  

  The cancellation of Alice Weidel's visit to the Oxford Union is a victory and should help to push for a mass, anti-racist movement, argues Josh Newman

• Germany after Merkel: how the right can be beaten

  

  With the departure of Angela Merkel, centrist hopes for maintaining the status quo are withering, while the left is at a strategic cross roads, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

• Britain is broken: we can't afford the Tories

  

  Campaigners are preparing for a new wave of activity to match the mood on the streets, reports Steph Pike

• The Cry: capitalism ruins families - TV review

  

  BBC One's drama The Cry paints a picture of shame and guilt associated with the family and specifically parenting under capitalism argues Sofie Mason

• Marx and the fight against climate change - Counterfire Media Podcast

  

  Elaine Graham-Leigh and Tom Lock Griffiths discuss the Marxist perspective on ecology and the fight against climate change in the third episode of Counterfire Media's Podcast

• France in 1968: myths, realities and unanswered questions

  

  50 years on from the 1968 crisis, John Mullen gives an overview of events in France, the debates historians are having and the lessons today's anticapitalists should take

• The Brazilian elections and the fight against the far right

  

  The far right threatens to do well in Brazil's elections this weekend amid a polarised climate of reaction and resistence, reports Orlando Hill

• The dialectics of Doctor Who

  

  Although a part of the establishment media, Doctor Who has always had a subversive thread running through it and today is no different, argues Sean Ledwith

• Ontario becomes a testing ground for hyper austerity

  

  Creative organising and resistance are urgently needed as a rampant, austerity-bent Tory government carves its way through Ontario, reports John Clarke

• Orange is the new black - analysis

  

  Beyond the sly humour and emotive character interactions lies a story of deep institutional repression and desire for radical new approaches to justice, argues Jago Corry

• The limits of Keynesianism

  

  A Marxist critique of Keynesian economics and what that means post-financial crisis

• Take the fight to the right and make this time ours - national meeting

  

  It's time to fightback against the smears aimed at sabotaging Corbyn

• Beyond the veil: some context in the controversy over the burqa

  

  The right instrumentalise Islamophobia but use the liberal trope of universal values to cover up a variety of political contexts, argues Floyd Codlin

• Frida Kahlo: artist and revolutionary

  

  Frida Kahlo was a revolutionary and a politically-committed artist whose art condemned the society she revolted against argues Judy Cox

• Solidarity with Bookmarks shows a united left can take on the far right

  

  The huge show of solidarity with Bookmarks bookshop on Saturday shows that the left can unite to defeat the far right argues Isabel Carr

• Interest rates, wages and the UK economy

  

  As he analyses the state of the economy, Michael Roberts finds that the capitalist sector of the British economy has failed to deliver for the needs of the people

• PCS Ballot: the fight for decent pay is hotting up

  

  The labour struggle around a fair, real wage rise in the PCS union is gathering traction, reports Floyd Codlin

• Grenfell: First the injury, now the insults

  

  With survivors and FBU firefighters now in the firing line, Julie Al-Hinai detects echoes of Hillsborough 

• Why Trump won't forget his visit

  

  Chris Nineham argues why it is important that the movements go on to the offensive against Donald Trump in the next few days

• Success for England will mean what we make it mean

  

  As England prepare to take on Colombia tonight, Philosophy Football’s Mark Perryman outlines what we might or might not be able to look forward to

• The real danger behind Trump's antics and why he is not indestructible

  

  Trump's obvious absurdity should not distract us from the very real dangers posed by his presidency and his UK visit

• To celebrate, but also to defend: be on the streets for our NHS this Saturday

  

  Join us in wishing the NHS a happy 70th Birthday and in standing up to defend it tomorrow in London

• May Days review - a fitting tribute to Grenfell and a society fighting back

  

  This staging of a potent poem of our times gives voice to a class realising its own power, finds Cameron Panting

• Marxism and human nature

  

  Mainstream conceptions of human nature are rooted in the historical development of capitalism.  Elaine Graham-Leigh argues that we can only understand nature through the dialectic method

• Socialism: utopian and scientific - an introduction

  

  Engels’ popular pamphlet offers one of the best concise accounts of capitalist development and an accessible introduction to Marx's revolutionary socialism, writes John Rees

• The Storm Clouds Gather: Is there a future for the European Union?

  

  The gathering crisis in European Union should make it clear the EU provides no haven from racism or austerity

• Culture as Politics: Selected Writings of Christopher Caudwell - book extract

  

  David Margolies gives an introduction to a new edition of writings by Christopher Caudwell 

• Karl Marx: before all else a revolutionist

  

  200 years since Marx’s birth and 170 years after the 1848 revolutions, Katherine Connelly reflects on Marx’s revolutionary contribution

• Who was Karl Marx?

  

  The world has changed dramatically since Marx's day, but his ideas could not be more relevant, writes Dragan Plavsic

• Marx200: the Paris Commune and the Marx family

  

  The Paris Commune only lasted from 28 March to 28 May 1871 but it inspired Karl Marx and continues to inspire and inform socialists today argues Judy Cox

• A win for women in Ireland, a reminder of what's holding back the North

  

  After the victory for Yes today, the reactionary politics holding Northern Ireland back is a construct of British imperialism, argues Reuben Bard-Rosenberg 

• University of Bristol students march for mental health services

  

  Students at the University of Bristol demonstrated in huge numbers this Friday to protest inadequate mental health provision, reports Steven Cooper

• Change is coming: be a part of it

  

  The upcoming National People’s Assembly, is a necessary step towards refreshing and refocusing the anti-austerity movement

• Two sides of a city: homelessness and the royal wedding

  

  We cannot turn a blind eye to the class cleansing where homeless people are moved on whilst royal wedding fans camp out unhindered

• Royal wedding alienation

  

  Marx200: Why do working class people get swept up in the orchestrated, costly drama of a Royal wedding? The answer lies in Marx’s theory of alienation.

• The limits of Keynesianism part 5: can the working class make advances within capitalism?

  

  In the final part of our series, Dominic Alexander looks at how working class advancement means moving beyond the confines of reformism

• 'Just do it': the politics of fighting precarity

  

  Richard Allday reminds us that we need to work together; we can’t be socialists on our own

• Be part of a socialist organisation committed to fundamental change

  

  We have a once in a generation chance for change, and must take it

• The limits of Keynesianism part 4: the Keynesian attack on the labour theory of value

  

  In the fourth part of our series, Dominic Alexander looks at the problems with Keynesian critiques of Marx's labour theory of value 

• After Windrush: this racist government must go - Counterfire Freesheet May 2018

  

  Windrush, May 68, Palestine, UCU strike, Marx and more - Counterfire freesheet edition 025, May 2018

• Was Marx an economist? What was his contribution to economics?

  

  In her speech at 'Why Marx Was Right', Susan Newman argues that Marx's analysis of capitalism goes against everything modern economics stands for

• Why Paul Mason is wrong about Marx

  

  On the bicentenary of Karl Marx's birth, Paul Mason writes about the relevance of Marx today. Dragan Plavšić explains where he gets it wrong

• Marx matters more than ever - weekly briefing

  

  There’s still only one thinker who not only explains the horrors of capitalism but also offers an escape route, writes Lindsey German

• The limits of Keynesianism part three: Marx, Keynes and the analysis of the trade cycle

  

  In the third part of our series on Keynesianism, Dominic Alexander looks at cycles, crisis, and why Keynesianism always looks to fix capitalism 

• Marxism in 800 words

  

  As we approach Karl Marx's 200th birthday, Alex Snowdon summarises Marx's key ideas in as few words as possible

• Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Marx on his 200th birthday

  

  On 5 May, leading Marxists are getting together to celebrate Marx’s 200^th birthday. Chris Nineham argues why the event matters so much.

• Windrush and antisemitism: who’s weaponising what?

  

  The Tories are astonishingly trying to turn the windrush scandal into a knock for Labour and Shabbir Lakha argues that it must not stick

• Systemic Islamophobia in Britain has deadly consequences

  

  The political mainstream's cynical use of Islamophobia leads directly to death and heartbreak, argues Maz Saleem

• The limits of Keynesianism part two: the assumptions Keynes makes

  

  In the second part of our series on Keynesianism, Dominic Alexander outlines the economic and philosophical underpinnings of Keynesian thought

• Marx and the national question

  

  Marx's understanding of the fight for self-determination at national level as a step on the road to socialism is useful for us today, argues Chris Bambery

• The limits of Keynesianism part one: John Maynard Keynes and orthodox economics

  

  In the first part of our series considering the merits and pitfalls of Keynesian economics, Dominic Alexander looks at the history of Keynes' contribution

• The Windrush scandal: It's time to deport Theresa May from office

  

  This terrible scandal shows us that racism is driven primarily from the top of society, not the bottom, argues Kevin Ovenden

• A pointless but dangerous display of gesture bombing in Syria

  

  The decision to bomb Syria was a pathetic display of supposed strength by declining imperial powers, argues Chris Nineham

• Brazil: Neoliberalism versus Democracy - book review

  

  The root of the constitutional coup in Brazil lay in Lula and Rousseff’s attempt to marry inclusive democracy with the exclusionary logic of neoliberalism, finds Orlando Hill

• Bloody Friday in Gaza: a great return massacre

  

  An unarmed, civilian protest from a people who have been oppressed for decades, results in bloodshed and massacre.

• When the ruling class can't rule in the old way - weekly briefing

  

  The establishment is losing control, but there is a way out for them, if the left lets its guard down, warns John Rees

• The Face of Modern Racism

  

  With a refugee crisis of epic proportions, we must be part of the solution, argues Sean Ledwith

• Did the West provoke this crisis with Russia?

  

  A US army study, 'Is the Next Global Conflict Imminent?', suggests NATO expansion is the key driver of tension with Russia

• Are we having a party or a moment?

  

  If Corbynism is to be more than a moment, Mark Perryman argues this requires new kinds of left politics

• The Young Karl Marx - film review

  

  This portrait of the most important thinker of the modern age shows a man who was much much more than the popular caricature of a grey beard

• Marx the ecologist

  

  Some criticise Marx as anti-environmental, but understanding his ecology is essential to grasping his critique of capitalism, finds Elaine Graham-Leigh

• Environmental entropy is inescapable in capitalism

  

  No truly effective green politics can do without a coherent argument against the capitalist mode of production, argues Nathan Street

• Alternative models and silent revolutions

  

  After years on the back foot, Labour has shown that ideas of worker-led ownership are back in play

• Studies in Pre-Capitalist Modes of Production - book review

  

  This collection of studies on pre-capitalist societies develops vital debates on the application of the Marxist method to history in general, argues Dominic Alexander

• What does this week's stock market crash mean?

  

  As the stock market plunged this week and fears of a 2007 repeat spread like wildfire, Michael Roberts analyses what the crash could mean

• Frankenstein at 200

  

  Frankenstein was published 200 years ago. It's a horror story but the horrors it described are rooted in capitalism as well as the imagination

• Obituary: A Sivanandan (1923-2018)

  

  Siva’s understanding of race, class and imperialism, and of humanity in general, will continue to inspire resistance to injustice and hope for socialism

• Capitalism and technology: are robots going to take over - video

  

  At a London meeting, Marxist economist Michael Roberts discusses whether or not the robot takeover is inevitable, and would advancement lead to living standards improving or further exploitation

• Marxism, Social Reproduction and Women’s Liberation with Lindsey German and Kate Connelly - video

  

  At an important Counterfire discussion, Lindsey German and Kate Connelly speak on women's oppression and how gender roles are played out within the structure of capitalism

• Rosa Luxemburg on the politics of poverty and homelessness

  

  This winter people are dying needlessly. Rosa Luxemburg reminds us that politics is about more than negotiations between competing states.

• Istvan Meszaros and Marx's theory of alienation

  

  The late Hungarian philosopher explained how alienation can only be overcome by collective action which challenges capitalist relations of production

• How and why I write

  

  The Trumpet of Sedition blog has been running a series of articles by historians on 'How I Write'. John Rees contributes

• Arthur Ransome on the Russian Revolution

  

  100 years on from the October revolution, Judy Cox introduces Arthur Ransome's pamphlet The Truth about Russia

• Marx, Capital and the Madness of Economic Reason - book review

  

  David Harvey’s latest book, using all three volumes of Marx’s Capital, demonstrates the social irrationality of modern capitalism, finds Dominic Alexander

• Robots and AI: utopia or dystopia? - part 3

  

  Michael Roberts suggests that robots will not be taking over the world of work any time soon

• Automation and Basic Income: beyond the hype

  

  Basic Income is not a beyond left and right answer to automation, argues David Bush

• Robots and AI: utopia or dystopia? – part two

  

  Michael Roberts explains why we would never get to a robotic society under capitalism

• Robots and AI: utopia or dystopia? part one

  

  Robots will not end the contradictions within capitalist accumulation, argues Michael Roberts

• Uncertain Futures: An Assessment of the Conditions of the Present

  

  Edmund Berger’s Uncertain Futures provides an important defence of Marxist economic theory, and an analysis of crisis, argues Sean Ledwith

• Lukács, alienation and class consciousness - video

  

  The work of Hungarian Marxist Georg Lukács, who developed one of the most powerful critiques of capitalist ideology, is introduced by Chris Nineham

• Rosa Luxemburg, reform and revolution - video

  

  Rosa Luxemburg is one of the greatest Marxist activists and thinkers of all time. Elaine Graham-Leigh discusses her ideas on reform, revolution, and much else.

• What is Marxism Part 1 - video

  

  In the first of a series of meetings on Marxist theory Lindsey German introduces Marx's critique of capitalism

• Break the wheel: the politics of Game of Thrones

  

  The wildly popular series has attracted a number of interesting attempts to analyse what it tells us about the contemporary state of capitalist culture

• What is Marxism? A guide to revolutionary theory - organised by Counterfire

  

  We need to organise against an establishment that will do anything to stop radical social change. Three forums on revolutionary theory will help us understand how

• The Long Depression: How It Happened, Why It Happened, and What Happens Next

  

  An understanding of capitalist crisis needs to make use of all parts of Marx’s theory, including the declining rate of profit, argues Dominic Alexander

• The Dictator, the Revolution, the Machine: A Political Account of Joseph Stalin

  

  Tony McKenna’s compelling Marxist biography of Stalin disproves the allegation that October 1917 led directly to the dictator’s atrocities, argues Sean Ledwith

• Why you should join Counterfire

  

  We need a dynamic, combative left, fit for the 21st century

• W.E.B. Du Bois: Revolutionary Across the Color Line

  

  This biography reveals W.E.B. Du Bois as a radical and revolutionary thinker who challenged capitalism, imperialism and racism, finds Adam Tomes

• Resisting the erasure of the legacy of Georg Lukács

  

  Right-wing governments can destroy statues, but to destroy the memory and the intellectual legacy of Lukács is impossible - Anita Zsurzsan reports from The Legacy of Georg Lukács: An International Conference

• Georg Lukacs and the actuality of revolution

  

  Hungarian Marxist Georg Lukacs is under attack. We repost a talk given by Chris Nineham at the recent conference in Budapest to defend him  

• Marxism and Women's Liberation

  

  Judy Cox welcomes Marxism and Women’s Liberation as a timely and valuable discussion of the causes and consequences of women’s oppression

• Fantastic march for our NHS

  

  A huge 'Our NHS' demonstration was passionately addressed by Jeremy Corbyn. He must be a part of the movement for change, argues Lindsey German

• Revolution remembered

  

  Event commemorating the Russian Revolution, linking it to today's struggles, was big success for revolutionary left, reports Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

• 5 things Orlando Figes got wrong about the Russian Revolution on BBC Newsnight

  

  Orlando Figes was enlisted by the BBC to trash the history of the Russian Revolution. In the run-up to Saturday's Revolution 1917 event, Chris Nineham corrects some matters of fact

• We can't move forward if we don't understand our past

  

  We need to talk about the Russian Revolution now more than ever, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

• The British state and The City - part 3

  

  The third in a three-part series, in which Chris Bambery takes a look at the intertwined history of the state and the City of London

• 1905: The 1917 Revolution's dress rehearsal

  

  The Russian Revolution of 1917 was led by a working class who, in 1905, had already tasted their own power and experienced bitter defeat

• Medieval Europe

  

  Chris Wickham’s analysis of the European Middle Ages is a rich introduction to the development of Europe up to the 15th Century, argues Chris Bambery

• The British state and The City - part 2

  

  The second in a three-part series, in which Chris Bambery takes a look at the intertwined history of the state and the City of London

• The British state and The City - part 1

  

  The first in a three-part series, in which Chris Bambery takes a look at the intertwined history of the state and the City of London

• Revolution - Russia 1917: One Hundred Years On - event

  

  On 25 February, Counterfire is hosting an event celebrating the 100^th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, taking a closer look at the key questions of the period

• Seeing red: the wisdom of John Berger

  

  Revolutionary writer and art critic John Berger has died, aged 90. Chris Nineham reflects on his life and work 

• Red Rosa. A graphic biography of Rosa Luxemburg

  

  Kate Evans’ graphic biography, Red Rosa, is an entertaining, innovative and perceptive account of Rosa Luxemburg, finds Elaine Graham-Leigh

• Art, Literature and Culture from a Marxist Perspective

  

  Tony McKenna’s cultural essays show the rich possibilities of Marxist analysis for a range of art and literature, argues Sean Ledwith

• E.P. Thompson on how to save the university

  

  Over four decades ago, the Marxist historian called for resistance against the commercialisation of higher education

• 5 novels every revolutionary should read

  

  Some of the best pieces of fiction ever written about revolutionary experience are outlined by writer and historian John Rees

• Can neuroscience change our minds?

  

  Steven and Hilary Rose debunk the ideologically loaded claims of reductionist neuroscience in a short but clear book, finds Elaine Graham-Leigh

• No way to remember anything

  

  An analysis of the 2011 Egyptian revolution reproduces the same mistakes on the left that led to the revolution’s defeat in 2013, argues Kevin Crane

• Wall Street’s Think Tank

  

  Wall Street’s Think Tank shows that the Council on Foreign Relations is a pivotal institution for the US ruling class, finds Dominic Alexander

• Five simple reasons why you should come to Dangerous Times Festival 2016

  

  The left is in a position where it can actually win. It is essential we come together to discuss how to fight for a better world

• The Jews, Israel and the Holocaust - key texts

  

  The Blairites' crocodile tears are about defending empire, writes David Moyles in this introduction to The Jews, Israel and the Holocaust 

• Architect or Bee? The Human Price of Technology

  

  Mike Cooley’s Architect or Bee? put the case that a new organisation of technology could provide social good rather than profit. Orlando Hill welcomes the new edition

• The Communist Manifesto - key texts

  

  The Communist Manifesto is a pamphlet that refuses to die. As incendiary as the day it was published, Paul Vernell unpacks this founding document

• Rosa Luxemburg’s The Mass Strike - key texts

  

  Rosa Luxemburg argued that the majority of people would be won to socialism through struggle, writes Paul Vernell in this introduction to The Mass Strike

• Keep Lukács' work alive

  

  Hungarian writer and revolutionary Georg Lukács contribution to Marxist philosophy was unparalleled. His archives must be kept open and his work remembered

• Trotsky on the United Front - key texts

  

  Trotsky's brilliant polemic on the united front, introduced by Vladimir Unkovski-Korica in our 'key texts' series

• Why theory matters if you want to change the world

  

  Chris Nineham argues that theory is too important to be left in the hands of the enemies of change

• Rosa Luxemburg on parliament and political power - key texts

  

  Vladimir Unkovski-Korica introduces a chapter from Reform or Revolution by Polish revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg as part of our 'key texts' series

• Is Marxism still relevant? Key texts

  

  The 'S' word is back. Here Chris Nineham introduces a brilliant short defence of Marxism by Tony Cliff as part of our 'key texts' series

• Postcapitalism: A Guide to Our Future

  

  Can technology on its own bring about a better society, as Paul Mason’s PostCapitalism suggests, or do we need revolutionary politics, asks Sean Ledwith

• The principles of liberation: how Lenin rescued Marx

  

  Chris Nineham reviews 'Reconstructing Lenin. An intellectual biography' by Tamas Krausz

• Classic texts: a summary of Lenin’s State and Revolution

  

  Can the state be taken over because it is a neutral space or does it have to be overthrown? Paul Vernell looks at Lenin's answer

• Marxism and Feminism

  

  Marxism and Feminism explores the connections between capitalism and women’s oppression through a range of serious and perceptive arguments, finds Lindsey German

• Why Marx's Manifesto is still a revolutionary bestseller

  

  The new Penguin edition of Karl Marx’s The Communist Manifesto was an immediate bestseller. It’s even on sale in Tesco’s. Katherine Connelly explains why this book should be on your shopping list

• Communal Luxury: The Political Imaginary of the Paris Commune

  

  Communal Luxury is an effective account of the 1871 Paris Commune, and how understanding it aids our struggle for freedom within a decaying capitalism, argues John Westmoreland

• Why one Guardian writer should be heading to Tesco’s this May Day

  

  The Guardian May Day article misrepresents Marx and detracts from the critical lessons learned from his life and work argues Susan Newman

• Marx for Today

  

  Buy online: an essential and accessible summary of the foundations of Marx’s thought

• Stopping climate change: what do we mean by system change?

  

  To address climate change, many people agree we have to change the system. But what does ‘changing the system’ mean, and how can we do it?

• Revolution in a day: an introduction to the theory and practice of radical change | London 18 April

  

  A radical day school providing an essential introduction to the theory and practice of radical change

• Gramsci the revolutionary, in his own words

  

  Gramsci is claimed by many different left currents, but a new volume of his letters shows his commitment to revolutionary politics pursued through united mass action, argues Chris Nineham

• The limits of liberalism

  

  Liberal responses to the Paris killings are fuelling a cycle from which both the right and the terrorists will gain, argues John Rees

• Frederic Jameson: The Project of Dialectical Criticism

  

  Robert Tally's study provides a crisp and coherent guide to the thought of a figure future generations, hopefully, will look back on as one of the prophets of their utopia writes Sean Ledwith

• Unfinished Leninism: The Rise and Return of a Revolutionary Doctrine

  

  Leninism, so frequently misunderstood, is shown to be of vital relevance for contemporary politics in Paul Le Blanc, Unfinished Leninism, argues Alex Snowdon

• Organising tomorrow's revolution today

  

  Alex Snowdon provides some answers to the question ‘why build revolutionary organisation today?’

• Movements can make history - but revolutions don’t just happen

  

  Chris Nineham argues that two new Marxist books about social movements reflect a common tendency to downplay the conscious, organised element in the way change happens

• PolyluxMarx: An Illustrated Workbook for Studying Marx’s Capital

  

  PolyluxMarx is an innovative and valuable introduction to Marx’s Capital, finds Sean Ledwith, despite a few disagreements in method and theory

• Marxism and the Oppression of Women: Towards a Unitary Theory

  

  Lindsey German welcomes a new edition of a classic of Marxist Women’s Liberation theory, which opens up rich debates over the nature and origins of women’s oppression

• An Impatient Life: A Memoir

  

  Daniel Bensaïd’s memoir of a life as a socialist in France provides an engaging account of a revolutionary life during the 1960s and after, finds William Booth

• Sylvia Pankhurst: Suffragette, Socialist and Scourge of Empire

  

  The importance and coherence of Sylvia Pankhurst’s lifelong activism is revealed by Katherine Connelly’s grasp of her political commitments, making this book an important new account her life

• The ABC of Socialism: becoming a socialist

  

  The first chapter of our recently republished book 'The ABC of Socialism' by John Rees

• The ABC of Socialism

  

  John Rees introduces a new reprint of his popular book in the preface reproduced here

• The second world war: A Marxist analysis

  

  Chris Bambery at Dangerous Times festival, Rich Mix, East London, 1 June 2014

• The Scottish Lenin: the life and legacy of John Maclean

  

  John Maclean's name remains a byword for radical socialism - he left a lasting impression on the social history of Glasgow and Scotland writes Sean Leadwith

• Towards a Marxist critique of ‘privilege theory’

  A contribution by Tad Tietze to an ongoing debate on Marxism and 'privilege theory' originally published on the US Socialist Worker website. Tad blogs at Left Flank

• Marx on Gender and the Family: A critical study

  Heather Brown’s Marx on Gender shows the importance of Marx’s writing on the issue, while offering some perspectives to be criticised, argues Lindsey German

• Video: what do Marxists say about feminism? Kate Connelly

  Feminism remains a source of debate on the left. What do women's liberation and socialism have in common, and what keeps them apart? Kate Connelly looks at a sometimes difficult history and assesses where oppression comes from

• Video: Terry Eagleton: why Marx was right

  Economic catastrophe has put Marx back on the agenda. Was he right all along? Terry Eagleton makes the case in this video of his talk at Dangerous Ideas for Dangerous Times

• Leninism for Dangerous Times

  What can we learn from Lenin about how we organise to transform society? Paul Le Blanc provides some answers in this text of his talk presented at Dangerous Ideas for Dangerous Times, 31 May 2013

• Video: 'A Marxist History of the World: From Neanderthals to Neoliberals'

  From the dawn of humanity to the greatest crisis to confront the human race, Neil Faulkner introduces his new book. Video by Fourmanfilms

• A Marxist History of The World: From Neanderthals to Neoliberals

  

  This analysis of human history from hominids to the current Great Recession combines the insights of earlier Marxist historians with radical new ideas about the historical process

• Introduction to Lenin’s Left-Wing Communism – An Infantile Disorder

  Marx 101 is a series of meetings to introduce the Marxist classics to activists in the twenty first century. Elaine Graham Leigh concludes the present series with a look at Lenin's Left-Wing Communism

• Introduction to Lenin’s State and Revolution

  Marx 101 is a series of meetings and resources designed to introduce the Marxist classics to activists in the twenty first century. Neil Faulkner begins the series with a look at the Marxist theory of the state

• A Marxist History of the World: Making the future

  Historian Neil Faulkner concludes A Marxist History of the World by looking at what that history can tell us about the possibility for radical social change

• A Marxist History of the World part 106: The Second Great Depression

  Four years after the beginning of the crisis, the neoliberal elite is trapped by the contradictions of the system on which its wealth depends, writes Neil Faulkner

• A Marxist History of the World part 105: The 2008 Crash: from bubble to black hole

  The financial crisis represents the end of an era in which greed and casino-madness had been given free rein by market deregulation and rising debt

• A Marxist History of the World part 104: 2001: 9/11, the War on Terror, and the New Imperialism

  The Al-Qaida terror attacks allowed the great powers to justify new imperialist wars to safeguard the interests of global capital, writes Neil Faulkner

• A Marxist History of the World part 103: 1989: the fall of Stalinism

  The revolutions of 1989 represent great victories for mass action, but they were limited in effect, writes Neil Faulkner

• A Marxist History of the World part 102: What is neoliberalism?

  The ‘free-market’ theory provides a pseudo-scientific justification for the greed and poverty endemic to the system, and the main beneficiaries are the global mega-corporations of neoliberal capitalism

• Marx for Today - review

  

  A new collection of essays helps to rediscover the real Marx, and defends him against recent critics, but questions of strategy remain, argues Tom Whittaker

• A Marxist History of the World part 101: The Long Recession

  By the early 1970s, the levers of state economic management had stopped working and the world economy entered a long period of stagnation

• A Marxist History of the World part 100:1968-1975: the workers’ revolt

  As the crisis of capitalism spread around the world, the working class took centre stage – but the revolt did not result in successful revolution anywhere, writes Neil Faulkner

• A Marxist History of the World part 99: 1968 - the long sleep ends

  The long sleep of the post-war period was brought to an end in 1968, as revolts erupted across the developed world, writes Neil Faulkner

• An Introduction to the Three Volumes of Karl Marx’s Capital

  Michael Heinrich’s newly translated introduction to Capital is lucid and succinct in outlining Marx’s revolutionary economics

• A Marxist History of the World part 98: The Vietnam War

  Neil Faulkner explains how an army of peasant guerrillas managed to defeat US imperialism in a full-scale war

• Leon Trotsky: A Revolutionary’s Life

  Trotsky’s eventful life is a natural story for biographers, but the key thing is to engage with his real politics rather than textbook caricature, argues Peter Stauber

• A Marxist History of the World part 97: Che Guevara and the Cuban Revolution

  The reforms that Fidel Castro introduced after the overthrow of the Batista dictatorship were real, but they were bestowed from above and straitjacketed by poverty, writes Neil Faulkner