Understanding a sister’s struggle: “In The Name Of Tradition”
This is a short article about the terrible conditions women face in Nigeria.
News and analysis
The latest news and analysis from The Communist, alongside reports of our activity. For Marxist theory and history, click here.
Socialist Appeal: On the Eve of Our Tenth Anniversary
Ten years ago this April, the Socialist Appeal was launched as the journal of the Marxists in the British Labour movement. We are on the eve of celebrating the hundredth edition of the Appeal, and ten years of tireless work in defending the ideas and principles of Marxism on a world scale.
Britain: sects in a mess – Split in the Socialist Alliance conference
A report of the Socialist Alliance Conference on December 1st which started with words of unity and ended up with the Socialist Party splitting off.
New Law Attacks Civil Rights
In the aftermath of September 11, governments around the world have been attempting to rush through legislation which undermines democratic rights, in the name of fighting terrorism. In the UK, Blair is trying to introduce a new law which will allow among other things indefinite imprisonment without trial of foreign nationals.
Anti-war demonstration in London: One step forward, two steps back
Report of the demonstration against the war in Afghanistan held in Trafalgar Square on Sunday Novemeber 18.
October 13, London anti-war demonstration a big success
The demonstration against the war called by the CND on Saturday 13 October in London was much bigger than expected. According to the police there were about 20,000 demonstrators on the march, but this is a gross underestimation. The organisers claimed around 50,000 participated. When the head of the demonstration had reached Trafalgar Square (about three miles away) the tail of the march had not yet left Hyde Park.
Oppose Imperialist Aggression – Defend Democratic Rights
The Editorial of next month's Socialist Appeal deals with the economic
effects of the current crisis and the build up to a war against
Afghanistan. It also explains how the right wing leaders of the labour
movement are using the pretext of the "war against terrorism" to
prevent any criticism of their policies regarding privatisation with
the curtailing of the TUC and Labour Party Conferences. This is also
the pretext for the introduction of ID cards and other measures against
civil liberties.
The origins of women’s oppression
While middle class feminists regard the oppression of women as an
inherent biological trait of men, Marxism explains that the root of
women’s oppression lies not in biology, but in social conditions.
Marxism sees the liberation of working class women as a part of the
struggle for the liberation of the working class as a whole. While
feminists set women against men, the socialist movement attempts to
forge solidarity between male and female workers in a common struggle
against capitalist exploitation.
Marxism versus feminism – The class struggle and the emancipation of women
For Marxists, the root cause of all forms of oppression consists in the division of
society into classes. For many feminists, on the other hand, the oppression of
women is rooted in the nature of men. It is not a social but a biological
phenomenon. This is an entirely static, unscientific and undialectical
conception of the human race. It is an unhistorical vision of the human
condition, from which profoundly pessimistic conclusions must flow. For if we
accept that there is something inherent in men which causes them to
oppress women, it is difficult to see how the present situation will ever be
remedied. The conclusion must be that the oppression of women by men
has always existed and therefore, presumably, will always exist.
Oldham mobilises against the fascists: Socialist policies needed to fight racism
The events in Oldham have hit the national headlines. Similar explosions of racial conflict have taken place in other towns in Britain. This has brought the BNP and the danger from far-right groups back into the spotlight. Bryan Beckingham, Secretary of Oldham National Union of Teachers, and Alan Creear in Oldham describe the background to these developments.
Where is Britain going? – British perspectives and tasks 2001
This statement by the Editorial Board of the
Socialist Appeal
analyses the situation in Britain today. It looks at Britain within the
context
of world economic and political developments and
analyses how these affect the British trade union movement, the
Labour Party, the youth and outlines the
perspectives for the coming period and poses the tasks of Marxists
today.
Foot and mouth – a disease of the profit system
Over the past weeks the news has been dominated by the story of
yet another crisis in farming. The rapid
spreading of the food and mouth epidemic in Britain is a direct
consequence of capitalist farming
methods.