Without doubt, we live in the most turbulent period in history, characterised by instability and volatility at every level: economically, politically, and socially. The global economy is in the seventh year of crisis, with no end in sight. Meanwhile, fires are burning across the world, with the imperialist powers locking horns in Ukraine, Syria, Yemen and beyond. But at the same time, mass movements and revolutionary currents are developing everywhere, most sharply in Greece and Spain with the rise of SYRIZA and Podemos.
As Leon Trotsky, the great Russian revolutionary explained, everything the ruling class does to restore economic stability - through cuts and attacks on living standards - only creates even greater instability on the political and social plane. As a result, millions of workers and youth have become radicalised, and are looking for an alternative to the years of endless austerity they have had to endure.
In Britain, the political landscape has fractured, following the earthquake of the Scottish referendum. The ground has collapsed underneath the feet of the mainstream parties, as the mood polarises and radicalises, and people move towards the "insurgents" in search of an alternative. Meanwhile, the Establishment has been shaken to the core as a result of scandal after scandal within the media, the monarchy, the police, and Parliament itself.
There is a questioning in society that did not exist before. As Karl Marx himself wrote in the Communist Manifesto: "all that is solid melts into air". It is therefore more vital than ever that, in this epoch of uncertainty, we are armed with a clear set of ideas that can offer a way of the anarchy and chaos of capitalist crisis. The revolutionary ideas of Marxism provide such a compass.
Socialist Appeal and the Marxist Student Federation invite our activists, supporters, and readers to Revolution 2015 - a weekend of talks, discussions, and debates about revolutionary ideas and socialist alternatives, covering Marxist theory, history, current events, and action. Hosted by the UCLU Marxist Society on the weekend of 26-28th June - book your tickets now!
- 26th-28th June
- UCL, London
- £10 waged / £5 unwaged
- Food and drink on offer throughout the weekend
- Free accomodation available - please get in touch about availability
contact@marxiststudent.com for more info or to book a place. Alternatively, buy your ticket in advance below.
Topics include:
- Political earthquakes: the prospects for World Revolution
- The rise of Podemos
- SYRIZA and the crisis in Greece
- What is Money?
- Marxism and Anarchism
- Police, scandals, and the State
- Reason in Revolt: Marxist philosophy and science
Speakers include:
- Alan Woods - author of Reason in Revolt
- A member of the SYRIZA Central Committee and the Communist Tendency in SYRIZA
- Rob Sewell - editor of Socialist Appeal
- Fred Weston - editor of In Defence of Marxism
- Arturo Rodriguez - founder of the Oxford Podemos Circle
- Adam Booth - editor of www.socialist.net
- Daniel Morley - contributing author to Marxism & Anarchism
Full schedule to be confirmed.