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Fannie and Freddie nationalised – let’s take over the rest

The Financial Times has hailed the
effective takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by the US government as “what
could become the world’s biggest ever financial bail-out.” Treasury secretary
Henry Paulson has promised he will pump in ‘unlimited liquidity.’ Don’t you
wish the government would grant you unlimited liquidity? When it comes to the
food and fuel bills of the poor and the working class, the British and American
governments find that the cupboard is bare. But now it’s not bare. Predictably
markets all over the world have breathed a sigh of relief. Fannie and Freddie
have effectively been nationalised – and big business thoroughly approves!

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The History of British Trotskyism to 1949 – part 3

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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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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