Help us make 2006 a Red New Year
The end of the year is approaching. After a year of intense activity we will be a taking a break for the holidays. The year 2005 has seen an intensification of the class struggle worldwide. In Bolivia the workers could have taken power, in Venezuela there has been a further shift to the left and we saw the nationalisation of Venepal and the CNV, but this radical mood affects even countries like Belgium and Australia, that for some years were considered countries where the class struggle was at a low ebb. There have been two general strikes in Belgium, massive mobilisations in Australia, we've seen the rioting in France, a wave of strikes in Spain, and in Germany, the most powerful economy in Europe, the SPD has suffered a split to the left. The list of countries where the working class is back on the move is endless. This is a confirmation that we have entered a new epoch.
In Defence of Marxism has absolute confidence in the ability of the working class to change society. Unfortunately, there is another side to the situation. Trade union and labour leaders in most countries are not up to the tasks in front of them. When they move, they do so only under the pressure of their own ranks. The workers of the world deserve something better.
Our aim is to build a left opposition in the international labour movement. We try and offer a Marxist analysis to the workers and youth around the world looking for an alternative. We offer in-depth analysis of the crisis of world capitalism on a daily basis. But our aim is not simply to analyse but to intervene and build a force that can change the world.
It is clear that we do not have rich backers. We count on the support of ordinary workers and youth. Running a Marxist website and developing our work on the ground in many countries around the world costs money. To give a few examples; we intervened this year in the Havana Book Fair and in the World Festival of Youth and Students. Interventions such as these, which include sending over both comrades and material such as books and pamphlets, can cost a pretty penny. We also intervened in the relief operations following the devastating earthquake in Pakistan. Our comrades have been hard at work establishing relief camps and coordinating solidarity caravans from across the subcontinent. These are major operations, and although we managed to raise an impressive amount of money to fund them, they still cost a lot of money to organise.
2005 also saw the publication of several books including The Venezuelan Revolution: A Marxist Perspective, and Ireland: Republicanism and Revolution. These two books have been a success, with the first edition of the Venezuela book selling out quickly forcing us to print a second edition. We have more books lined up for publication next year, but we need to raise money to help pay for their publication.
We are now at the end of the year and, taking advantage of the festive season, we are appealing to you to contribute to In Defence of Marxism and make sure we have the necessary financial resources to continue with our struggle to provide a Marxist analysis for the worldwide revolutionary movement, and to spread the ideas of revolutionary socialism around the globe. You can do this by making a donation (no matter how big or small), by buying any of our books from the Wellred bookshop, or taking out a subscription to our new Marxist International Review or to the Socialist Appeal.
Even if you cannot afford a donation, but you agree with our ideas and analysis and the need to put them into practice, please send us any comments you might have about the site and its contents and Join Us in the struggle for a socialist world.
We wish all our comrades and readers a Red New Year 2006!
The In Defence of Marxism Editorial Board,
December 20, 2005
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