The Russian Revolution
Adam Booth provides an analysis of 1917, outlining the key processes during the Revolution, and drawing out the main lessons for Marxists today.
USA: Election 2014 — Big Business wins again
What if they held an election and nobody came? In some ways, the 2014 midterm elections in the USA were very much like this. Just 36.6 percent voted. The main capitalist parties—the Democrats and Republicans—do not deal with real issues related to the lives of the overwhelming majority of the population. This is true bourgeois democracy. That is, democracy for the top 1% or 2%, but not for the rest of us!
Tories demand something for nothing: work for free or lose your benefits!
John McArthur, a 59-year-old North Lanarkshire resident, has for the past three months been staging a one-man protest against the draconian policies of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). John, a former electronics specialist, had been ordered by the DWP to perform six months unpaid work for LAHM recycle – a company which until recently had actually employed him!
International Marxist School 2014: a qualitative leap forward for the Marxists
Over 200 attendees from across the UK and Europe met in London over the weekend of 31st October – 2nd November to take part in the highly successful and incredibly inspiring Marxist Winter School 2014. With energy and enthusiasm in abundance, this was the most successful weekend school organised by the IMT in Britain yet, marking a qualitative leap forward for the Marxists in Britain and internationally.
The struggle against fascism in Ukraine
In this talk at the UCLU Marxist society, Ben Gliniecki – the youth organiser for the Solidarity with the Anti-Fascist Resistance in Ukraine campaign – analyses the latest developments surrounding the crisis in Ukraine, and discusses how Marxists can support the struggles against fascism in Ukraine.
Burkina Faso: One leader after another overthrown by revolutionary masses
The situation in Burkina Faso has been moving at lightning speed since the revolution erupted on Thursday 30th October. Not only did the revolutionary masses overthrew the hated Blaise Compaoré, but also his hand-picked successor, general Honoré Traoré, just a few hours later. The military tops and major imperialist powers have been scrambling to hatch some kind of a deal to pacify the masses and restore some sort of bourgeois normality.
The revolutionary reawakening of Burkina Faso
We publish here an article written last week by Ben Morken of the International Marxist Tendency in South Africa, who reports on the revolutionary events unfolding in Burkina Faso. The situation has developed since this article was written, but it nevertheless provides a useful analysis and background to the events taking place.
Pakistan: grenade attack on comrade Ghufran Ahad’s house
Urgent solidarity action is required for Pakistan Marxists in Malakand. Early on Sunday morning at 5.45am, comrade Ghufran Ahad’s home in the village of Allahdand in the district of Malakand, was attacked by a hand grenade. Fortunately no one was injured but the windows and other parts of the home were severely damaged.
Marx’s Capital: Chapters 23-25 – Accumulation
We continue here our series on Marx’s Capital, looking at the question of accumulation. Capital is dynamic. “Money never sleeps”. For capital to act as capital, it must continuously be in motion – continually seeking to create value from value. It is this overall dynamic of capital towards which Marx now turns his attention in chapters 23-25.
Ukrainian parliamentary elections: if you don’t have anything nice to say
The recent parliamentary elections in Ukraine have been almost unanimously characterised with the ambiguous “Pro-Western camp wins”, while at the same time admitting that the new parliament’s role will be to push through harsh and unpopular austerity measures, on a population already in a dire situation. This assertion also overlooks some significant divisions within the post-Maidan ruling class.
What is Marxism?
In this recent talk to the UCLU Marxist Society, Alan Woods explains the main concepts behind the ideas of Marxism, including dialectical materialism – the philosophy of Marxism – and Marx’s economic analysis.
UK leads the way…in inequality
A new official report from Credit Suisse paints a grim picture of the growing divide in the UK between the rich and the poor. Britain now tops a shameful league of G7 economies on income inequality. Despite years of austerity – with more to come say the Tories – the super-rich in the UK have done very well for themselves.