The North of Ireland - A Normal State!

Written by Gerry Ruddy Wednesday, 10 March 2010

The North of Ireland - A Normal State! Photo by InformatiqueThere is a lot of talk about normalising the statelet in the North of Ireland. But what has been “normal” here for the past century has been precisely civil unrest, sectarian violence and armed resistance to British rule. The way out of this impasse is to be found in directing discontent towards the road of class struggle.

 

Ireland: The Red Plough – Editorial

Written by Gerry Ruddy Wednesday, 10 March 2010

Right across the British Isles public services are under attack. The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) have called two days of strikes against cuts in redundancy pay. The British Government has put a cap on redundancy and hope to save over £500 million. The union fears it is the beginning of both massive redundancies in the public service and also creeping privatisation of those same public services.

 

Britain: PCS Strike - The phoney war is over

Written by Gavin Jackson Wednesday, 10 March 2010

Britain: PCS Strike - The phoney war is overThis article was written just before the official announcement of the PCS strike ballot result on February 25, which confirmed massive support for action on 8-9th March. We are publishing it together with links to a series of short reports and interviews from the picket lines these past two days. Up to a quarter of a million jobs, possibly more, could be destroyed if government plans are allowed to go ahead. That explains the militant mood that has developed.

 

Marx versus Bakunin - Part Five

Written by Alan Woods Tuesday, 09 March 2010

Marx versus Bakunin - Part FiveAt the Hague congress of the First International Bakunin was finally expelled, provoking the wrath of the anarchists and like-minded people, some of which walked out of the organisation, like the Blanquists. At the same time, the opportunists such as the English trade union leaders lined up with the ultra-left in demanding greater autonomy for the local sections, all of course complaining about the authoritarianism of Marx and the General Council.

 

News on the activity of the International on the Continent

Written by Frederick Engels Tuesday, 09 March 2010

News on the activity of the International on the ContinentA series of short reports by Engels on the activities of the International in Europe. An interesting point is the fact that the sections that supported the General Council, in several places were targeted for arrest and police repression.

 

March 8 in Copenhagen: women’s struggle is a class struggle

Written by Frederik Ohsten in Copenhagen Tuesday, 09 March 2010

March 8 in Copenhagen: women’s struggle is a class struggleYesterday in Copenhagen, to celebrate International Working Women’s Day the Danish Marxists organised a public meeting to launch their new book on the women’s question, with a good turnout and many people showing an interest in the ideas of Marxism on this key question.

 

Burma: 4,000 Workers Go on Strike in Rangoon

Written by Ba Kaung - Irrawaddy Tuesday, 09 March 2010

Further to our article on the movement of the workers in Burma, we republish this report from the daily Irrawaddy.

 

Women’s struggle and class struggle – Part One

Written by Marie Frederiksen Monday, 08 March 2010

Women’s struggle and class struggleOne hundred years ago today, 99 women from 17 different countries attended the Socialist Women's Conference held in Copenhagen in the House of the People. In this first part, we look at the origins of Women's Day, the origin of women's oppression in class society, how capitalism lays the material foundations upon which the question of women's emancipation can be tackled as part of the struggle of the working class for the emancipation of the whole of humanity from class oppression.

 

Marsinah: An Inspiration For the Working Class Struggle

Written by Fatkhul Khoir Monday, 08 March 2010

Marsinah: An Inspiration For the Working Class StruggleMarsinah (1969-1993) was an Indonesian worker who was kidnapped by the army and brutally murdered on May 8th 1993 because of her involvement in the strike action at her workplace. She led a strike with 500 of her fellow workers, knowing full well that under the dictatorship of Soeharto her life was in danger. Marsinah has since become a symbol and inspiration for the workers’ struggle in Indonesia. Let us celebrate International Working Women’s Day and remember Marsinah by rolling up our sleeves to fight for socialism, the only way out of the misery of capitalism.

 

A Monologue: Marsinah Accuses

Written by Ratna Sarumpaet Monday, 08 March 2010

A Monoloque: Marsinah AccusesWe also publish an excerpt from a monologue written by Ratna Sarumpaet (translated to English by Robyn Fallick). This monologue was written in her memory in 1997 and it has since become a tradition to perform the monologue at every May Day celebration. “Marsinah Accuses” has also been performed in many other countries.

 

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International Working Women's Day

From the rice fields to the modern day call centers - Marxism vs. Feminism. Part one.

Written by Sonia Previato Thursday, 10 October 2002
Tomorrow, March 8, is International Working Women’s Day, and to mark this important event we are publishing this article. It was first printed in issue Number 5 of ‘In difesa del marxismo’, the theoretical magazine of the Italian Marxist journal FalceMartello. Although originally written for an Italian audience we believe it is of interest to labour movement activists and youth around the world.

International Working Women's Day - By V.I. Lenin

Written by V.I. Lenin Wednesday, 08 March 2006
"The working woman and the peasant woman are oppressed by capital, but over and above that, even in the most democratic of the bourgeois republics, they remain, firstly, deprived of some rights because the law does not give them equality with men; and secondly - and this is the main thing - they remain in "household bondage", they continue to be “household slaves", for they are overburdened with the drudgery of the most squalid, backbreaking and stultifying toil in the kitchen and the family household." V.I.Lenin, March 4, 1921

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The Latin American Revolution By Jorge Martín[Download] [More Audio]

Argentina: Una política que fortalezca la unidad de la clase trabajadora

Written by El Militante Wednesday, 10 March 2010

Una debilidad notoria del campo obrero y popular en nuestro país es la enorme dispersión organizativa de los sectores más activos, conscientes y avanzados de la clase obrera. Esta es una capa amplísima que incluye a decenas y cientos de miles de trabajadores que actúan y participan activamente en diferentes espacios y frentes de masas (sindicales, políticos, barriales), en un campo ideológico que abarca desde el peronismo de izquierda (aun aquellos que simpatizan con determinadas políticas del kirchnerismo) hasta el marxismo revolucionario, lugar donde se ubica la Corriente Socialista El Militante.

 

Argentina: Proyecto Sur - No construyamos alianzas con pies de barro

Written by Ángel (Corriente Socialista el Militante en Proyecto Sur) Wednesday, 10 March 2010
 

Bolivia: El Estado burgués y la cuestión de los archivos de la dictadura

Written by El Militante - Bolivia Monday, 08 March 2010

A las 8 de la mañana del pasado miércoles 17 de febrero agencias de prensa bolivianas como la Red ERBOL anunciaban el ingreso del fiscal en el Alto Mando de las FFAA para investigar los archivos secretos de la dictadura. Se trataba de la aplicación de una resolución ministerial (0316 del 2009) que tiene como objetivo facilitar el acceso a familiares de las víctimas, autoridades que investigan el caso y personas que demuestren su interés legítimo para acceder a la información militar. Una hora y media después la noticia que el Comandante en Jefe del Alto Mando Militar ha negado el acceso al fiscal y a la Defensora del Pueblo. Anuncian que ellos mismos, los mandos militares, entregaran la información. Hoy (23/2) la noticia que los archivos serán filtrados y no serán hechos públicos. Un balde de agua fría para los familiares de la victimas y el pueblo boliviano que espera desde hace 40 años justicia.

 

¡Alto a los asesinatos y persecución contra el movimiento revolucionario en Honduras!

Written by In Defence of Marxism Saturday, 06 March 2010

Hemos recibido esta denuncia de activistas hondureños del FNRP contra la represión del gobierno de Porfirio Lobo, quien fue puesto en el gobierno por unas elecciones fraudulentas organizadas por los golpistas y donde las masas mostraron su rechazo con una abstención enorme pese a las presiones enormes por parte del gobierno de Micheletti. Esta actitud represiva del gobierno de Porfirio Lobo echa abajo la careta democrática que quiere presumir. La CMI declara su profunda solidaridad con los jóvenes y trabajadores hondureños que están sufriendo de persecución, represión e incluso asesinatos.

 

El poder potencial de la clase obrera - Editorial del N º 51 de La Riposte

Written by La Riposte Tuesday, 02 March 2010

En los círculos capitalistas, nadie es más despreciable que el trabajador. Para ellos es una materia prima a explotar. Lo cuando lo necesitan y lo tiran tan pronto como cesa esa necesidad. A pesar de que el trabajador es la fuente de las fortunas que amasan, los capitalistas creen – o pretenden creer- que les hacen un gran favor contratándoles. Lo presentan casi como un acto de caridad.

Youth for International Socialism

1st US Edition of BolshevismNew from Wellred USA! The first US edition of Bolshevism: The Road to Revolution by Alan Woods. This monumental 500+ page study of the history of growth and development of Bolshevism demolishes the myths of both Stalinist and pro-capitalist historians of the Russian Revolution. Read More

pakistans-other-story-european-thumb.pngThe Pakistan Revolution of 1968-69 was one of the greatest revolutionary movements of the 20th century. It is rich in lessons and Lal Khan's book is an outstanding summing up of these lessons. It deserves most careful study by every revolutionary.Read More

The Crisis of Fundamentalism in Iran: Towards Socialist RevolutionA new book has come out recently, written by Maziar Razi of the Iranian Marxists' Revolutionary Tendency, with an Introduction by Alan Woods. It is a collection of articles on the crisis of the Iranian regime and the perspecti... Read More

International Marxist TendencyThe crisis capitalism has entered globally is having a deep impact on the real living conditions of billions of workers all over the world. With this comes a growing consciousness among ordinary working people and youth that something is seriously wrong with this system, that this cannot be the way human bei... Read More

Reformism or RevolutionThis book by Alan Woods is a polemic against a well-known (in Latin American terms) intellectual Heinz Dieterich. Dieterich claims to have invented a new "Socialism of the 21st Century" and much else into the bargain. He offers a great deal of advice to those involved in the Venezuelan Revolution dressed... Read More

Part of the intention of this article is to combat the kind of senseless anti-Americanism that one encounters all too frequently in left circles. Marxists are internationalists and do not take up a negative stance in relation to the people of any country. We stand for the unity of all working people against oppression and exploitation. What we oppose is not Americans, but American capitalism and American imperialism. The American people and above all the American working class have a great revolutionary tradition. On the basis of great h... Read More

Lenin, Trotsky and the Theory of the Permanent RevolutionWellred Publications is pleased to announce the publication of a new book on Trotsky's famous theory of the Permanent Revolution, written by John Roberts. This work critically analyses and compares Lenin and Trotsky's writings in relation to the theory of the Permanent Revolution and defends that theory against revi... Read More

Russia, from Revolution to Counter-RevolutionThis book, by Ted Grant and with a preface by Trotsky's grandson Esteban Volkov, covers the key developments in Russia since the Revolution right up to the present day. It traces the elimination of workers' democracy, the rise of Stalinism, the advances of planned economy and the eventual collapse of the bureaucratic sy... Read More

Germany, from Revolution to Counter-RevolutionIn 1918-33 revolution and counter-revolution followed hot on each others' heels. The barbarity of the Nazis is well documented. Less well known are the events that preceeded Hitler's rise to power. Rob Sewell gives a picture of the tumultous events - the 1918 revolution, the ... Read More

History of British Trotskyism, by Ted Grant This book by Ted Grant is a unique contribution to the history of British Trotskyism. It begins with the debate on Trotskyism in the British Communist Party in 1924 and ends with the break-up of the Revolutionary Communist Party in 1949 and the beginning of more than thir... Read More

Bolshevism, the Road to Revolution. By Alan WoodsThere have been many books and potted histories of Russia, either written from an anti-Bolshevik perspective, or its Stalinist mirror image, which paint a false account of the rise of Bolshevism. For them, Bolshevism is either an historical "accident" or "tragedy". Or it is portraye... Read More

Lenin and Trotsky, what they really stood for It is now more than thirty years since the publication of the first edition of this work. It was written as a reply to Monty Johnstone, who was a leading theoretician of the Communist Party of Great Britain. Johnstone had published a reappraisal of Leon Trots... Read More

The Iranian Revolution, a Marxist PerspectiveThis book represents an important contribution to our understanding of the Iranian revolution. This work will be particularly useful in the West where it is universally believed that the revolution of 1979 was a movement of Islamic fundamentalists led by the Ayatollah Khomeini to push Iran b... Read More

The History of PhilosophyThis text was originally written by Alan Woods as a part of the book Reason in Revolt: Marxist Philosophy and Modern Science, but eventually the book became too long and this part had to be left out. Therefore this history of philosophy is published here for the first time. With chapters on: Do we Need Philosophy?, The ... Read More

Kashmir's OrdealThe comrades in Pakistan were just about to publish a new book on Kashmir when the devastating earthquake hit a month ago. The comrades have been hard at work on their solidarity and relief operations. Given the current crisis in Kashmir, they have decided to go ahead with the publication of the book. Over the weeks we will pu... Read More

The Irish Republican movement has been struggling for a united Ireland for decades. Today it is no nearer this objective than when it was founded. Marxists understand that a united Ireland can only be achieved on a socialist basis. So long as capitalism dominates Ireland there will be division and strife. Therefore it is time to take stock of the past of the Republican movement and to draw a balance sheet. Only by such means can we build the revolutionary movement urgently needed to prevent a further descent into sectarian chaos and achie... Read More

In the Cause of Labour - A History of British Trade UnionismThere are many narrative histories of the struggles of British workers. However Rob Sewell’s book is different. The purpose of this history of British trade unionism is not only to recite the wrongs inflicted on working people, or simply to describe their heroic struggles. It is an attempt to draw out the lessons of the events that helped ... Read More

The Unbroken ThreadFor over 60 years, Ted Grant has been the foremost figure of Trotskyism in Britain and internationally. In the post-war period, the effects of world boom, the policies of right wing Labour Party reformism and the degeneracy of Stalinism combined to make a massive onslaught against the ideas of Marxism. While Grant's contemporaries ... Read More

Reason in Revolt: Marxist Philosophy and Modern ScienceThis book, by Ted Grant and Alan Woods published in 1995 coinciding with the centenary of Engels' death, defends the validity of the philosophical writings of Marx and Engels. It does this by showing that the scientific discoveries of the twentieth century confirm the very essence ... Read More