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The Role of the Individual in History

Together with the same author’s
‘Materialist conception of history’ this is a brilliant introduction to
historical materialism. Clearly there are limits to the ‘what if’ way of
looking at historical processes, but the reader will no doubt find Plekhanov’s
conclusion that even such over-arching figures as Napoleon or Robespierre did
not fundamentally change the broad course of historical development compelling.
After all Plekhanov is defending the basic materialist conception of history,
i.e. that progress is determined by material forces that manifest themselves in
the activities of millions of people. He explains it well. In doing so he is
illuminating the interplay of accident and necessity in history.

Oliver Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell and the English Revolution

Today marks 350 years since the death of Oliver Cromwell, the
outstanding leader of the English bourgeois revolution of the 1640s.
Without him, with his steadfast courage and determination, the
Revolution would have been betrayed by the big bourgeoisie who
continually sought an accommodation with the Crown. It is no accident
that Cromwell has been described as the Lenin of the English bourgeois
revolution.

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The History of British Trotskyism to 1949 – part 2

This week we publish in 3 parts a history of British Trotskyism by Martin
Upham. This was a PhD thesis on the subject, and while we would not
agree with all the points raised in it, we believe it deserves a wider
audience, particularly for those interested in the history of our
movement. For a more in-depth study of the subject readers are urged to
consult Ted Grant’s book on the the History of British Trotskyism.

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I Stake My Life!

Last month was the 68th anniversary of the brutal assassination of Leon
Trotsky by a Stalinist agent. We commemorate this event by publishing
the transcription of his address to the N.Y. Hippodrome Meeting. The
speech "I Stake My Life!" was delivered by telephone from Mexico City
for the opening event of the Dewey Commission on the Moscow Trials.

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The History of British Trotskyism to 1949 – part 1

Today we publish in 3 parts a history of British Trotskyism by Martin Upham. This was a PhD thesis on the subject, and while we would not agree with all the points raised in it, we believe it deserves a wider audience, particularly for those interested in the history of our movement. For a more in-depth study of the subject readers are urged to consult Ted Grant’s book on the the History of British Trotskyism. 

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Audio File: Marxism and Art

In May this year Alan Woods of the IMT spoke to a meeting of the Socialist Appeal in London on the question of Marxism and Art. Why should socialists be interested in culture in general? At first sight these things might appear secondary with millions of people around the world living in miserable conditions under capitalism. But If you can imagine a world without art, without music, without colour, rythmn and harmony – then you can imagine that life would be near intolerable, when the lives of workers are hard enough as it is. Alan also traces the development of art and class society from the origins of human society, where  art, science and religion were all one, and prized much more than they are today.

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Labour’s crisis – time to act

As we have explained over
the past year or so, the effects of the financial crash and its political
consequences have represented a flash flood in British Politics. After many
years of apparent stability we have entered a period of sharp turns and sudden
changes as the deep underlying problems and contradictions in British society
have broken through the surface of events.

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The Colonial Revolution and the Sino-Soviet Dispute

The initial
trigger for the writing of this document was the Sino-Soviet split, its
importance for the world Communist movement at the time, and its significance
for the forces of genuine Marxism, the Trotskyists. In the first place Ted
declares that the split confirms Trotsky’s brilliant prediction, “That the
theory of ‘socialism in one country’ would lead inevitably to the degeneration
on nationalist lines of the parties of the Communist International.”

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A short history of the People’s Republic of Benin (1974 – 1990)

On the 26th of Ocotber 1972, the then President of the Republic of
Dahomey was deposed in a coup d’etat led by Major Mathieu Kérékou. He deposed a
system in which three members of a presidential council would rotate power.  He overthrew the President Justin Ahomadegbé,
who was placed in house arrest until 1981 alongside the other members of the presidential
governing council who were Hubert Maga and Sourou-Migan Apithy.

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Victory against the blacklist

The blacklist in construction is back
with a vengeance. It is a well known fact that the blacklist has been used
against construction workers for many years especially since the Shrewsbury
strike in 1972.

It was
always difficult to prove, but in 2006 a case involving three Manchester
electricians who were sacked from a job at the Royal Infirmary Hospital in
Manchester (having been elected by the workers on that site as their shop
stewards and safety rep), was heard at industrial tribunal brought by the T&GWU,
now Unite, for unfair dismissal.

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Scab managers threaten tube passengers’ safety

23 passengers, including a child, were trapped in a lift at Elephant and
Castle station for nearly an hour-and-a-half on Friday night.

The passengers’ ordeal, which began
at around 21:30, was prolonged unnecessarily because inexperienced and
inadequately trained managers drafted in to scab on striking station staff had
been left in charge, RMT said today.

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