Category: Spectre of Communism

Right-wingers claim that communism would be a dictatorial hellscape: nothing could be further from the truth. Communism means a society free from money, social classes, poverty and oppression, where people live “from each according to their ability, each according to their needs.” But what would such a society look like, and how do we get there?

Capitalism has created a world of poverty and precarity, in which people must struggle simply to survive, let alone reach their full potential. Socialism and communism will for the first time in history rationalise production, meet all human needs and give space for culture and the arts to flourish in ways never seen before. But this cannot be started while capitalism stands, and there is much work to do on the way!

In this week’s episode of Spectre of Communism, Adam Booth – editor of socialist.net – discusses the economic and social impact of a successful revolution, and explains how society might look as we strive to build communism.

For more information about historical attempts to begin these tasks, we recommend Adam’s article in the latest In Defence of Marxism magazine on the Soviet Economy, available now!

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7 November (in the New Style calendar) marks the anniversary of the 1917 October Revolution in Russia. For communists, the Russian Revolution is the greatest event in human history. But for many right-wing, liberal and reformist critics of Lenin and the Bolsheviks, it was an anti-democratic catastrophe that condemned Russia to murderous dictatorship. It’s time we set the record straight.

The workers and peasants of Russia achieved something that many thought impossible: not only bringing down the hated Tsar Nicholas ‘The Bloody’, but going on to overthrow capitalism itself, and begin the task of building a society free of exploitation, oppression and want. The monumental events of the Russian Revolution are rich with lessons for the struggle for communism today.

The first episode of the International Marxist Tendency’s new podcast, Spectre of Communism, welcomes Alan Woods – author and editor of marxist.com – to discuss this remarkable event.

Alan deals with the historic importance of 1917, the role of the Bolshevik party under the leadership of Lenin and Trotsky, answers the lies hurled against the revolution, and explains what communists today can take away from this incredible struggle.

New episodes of the Spectre of Communism podcast will be available every Tuesday! Listen on your preferred platform here: https://linktr.ee/specom

For those wanting to learn more about the Russian Revolution, we recommend Bolshevism: The Road to Revolution by Alan Woods.

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A spectre is haunting all major podcast platforms… The International Marxist Tendency (IMT) is launching a new weekly podcast, the Spectre of Communism, to coincide with the anniversary of the Russian Revolution (7 November). The first episode will feature Alan Woods, editor-in-chief of marxist.com and author of Bolshevism: The Road to Revolution. Subscribe today, and tune in every Tuesday!

Under the crisis-ridden capitalist system, humanity lurches from one disaster to another: from economic turmoil and soaring inflation; to the inter-imperialist war in Ukraine; to the incalculable suffering inflicted by imperialist-backed Israel on the Palestinians.

Given these circumstances, it is no surprise that an unprecedented number of radicalised workers and young people are being drawn to the banner of communism. 

The IMT’s highly successful ‘Are You a Communist’ campaign testifies to the hunger for revolutionary ideas amongst growing layers of society. They are rejecting the propaganda of the ruling class and seeking a total break with the old order. They are saying: “we are communists, and we want to get organised!”

But what does it mean to be a communist? What is the communist perspective on the most pressing questions facing humanity: like armed conflict, the climate crisis, technological development, inequality, and so on? In what philosophical and historical traditions do we stand? How do we answer typical right-wing objections to communism, like the supposedly insurmountable obstacle of ‘human nature’?

Communist ideas and struggle: on the digital airwaves!

The purpose of this podcast is to arm our listeners with the ideas and arguments necessary to defend the principles of communism, to win others over to a revolutionary perspective, and to help our listeners master Marxist theory for themselves.

If you enjoyed the IMT’s previous podcast series, International Marxist Radio, you will be in familiar territory! Every week we will invite on a different speaker, covering a different aspect of theory, history or analysis. We will also comment on world events, so you can get the communist perspective on the latest developments in the news.

Our first episode will deal with the greatest event in human history: the October Revolution of 1917. For communists, the Russian Revolution is a beacon of inspiration, as the first time in human history when the working masses prevailed over their ruling class.

Under the leadership of Lenin, Trotsky and the Bolshevik party, the Russian workers and peasants brought down the rule of the capitalists and landlords, which had cloaked itself behind the cover of the pro-war Provisional Government of Kerensky after the Tsar was brought down in February 1917. On the basis of a new regime of rule through democratically-elected workers’, soldiers’ and peasants’ soviets (i.e. councils), they began the process of rebuilding society on socialist foundations.

Alan will discuss these momentous events, and the enormous lessons they hold for revolutionaries today. 

Spread the word!

Our first episode will appear on all major podcast platforms: please follow/subscribe if you haven’t already, and give all our episodes a positive review! A short advert is already live.

We will also upload to marxist.com’s YouTube channel.

We’ll also be sharing updates on social media. Give the new podcast a follow on X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok to stay fully up to date!

We are relying on all our comrades, readers and supporters to make this important new IMT show a big success.

Help us get the word out!

Share the advert, teaser and our social media posts as widely as possible, with the hashtag #SpeComPodcast!

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On Saturday 7 October, Hamas forces in Gaza launched an unexpected attack on Israel, triggering an immediate response from the Israeli Defence Force. Fundamentally, this is a conflict between unequal forces, as the Palestinian masses have for decades been the victims of a regime of terror promoted by the likes of Netanyahu and Israel’s imperialist backers in the west.

In this special episode, International Marxist Radio returns before the launch of the International Marxist Tendency’s new podcast in coming weeks. Fred Weston – a leading comrade of the IMT from the editorial board of marxist.com – analyses this sudden turn in events in Palestine and explains how communists around the world should respond.

While bourgeois commentators reel in shock and denounce any and every act of violence by the oppressed Palestinians, they turn a blind eye to the crushing dominance of the Israeli military. 

First and foremost, the task of Marxists is to understand the current situation, which is why we would recommend this recent article, written shortly after Hamas’ initial attack: 

https://www.marxist.com/israel-palestine-no-to-the-invasion-of-gaza.htm

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Today marks 50 years since the coup that overthrew the government of Salvador Allende in Chile. To remember the revolutionary struggles of this period and to emphasise the invaluable lessons contained therein, International Marxist Radio is back for a special episode.

Allende’s Popular Unity government, which carried out a series of major reforms for workers and the poor (but which maintained a naive belief in the loyalty of the state’s armed forces), was brutally crushed by a reactionary military conspiracy, led by General Augusto Pinochet and backed by international imperialism.

Carlos Cerpa Mallat, a leading member of the International Marxist Tendency in Chile, explains how Allende came to power, how the workers were ultimately defeated, and why the events of 1973 show the need for revolution, rather than having illusions in a route to socialism through bourgeois democratic channels.

For more by Carlos on the 1973 coup, we recommend his recent article, which provides a detailed account of the history and lessons of the period, available here in English and here in the original Spanish.
We would also like to draw readers’ attention to two articles by Alan Woods, recently republished on marxist.com. Firstly, Chile: the threatening catastrophe, written two years before the coup, warns of the imminent risk of armed counter-revolution, if the Allende regime failed to mobilise the masses to carry out a socialist programme. Secondly, Lessons of Chile 1973, written in 1979, looks at the history of the Chilean labour movement and explains why Allende was unable to stop the coup, despite the many warnings.

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PODCAST FINALE! Watch a video of the discussion on YouTube, premiering 2 August 15:00 British time: https://youtu.be/ew7oKxdvm5I 

More and more workers and youth all over the world are being drawn to the ideas and banner of communism, much to the anger and anxiety of the bosses, bankers and bourgeois politicians. 

With capitalism at a total impasse, and no end in sight to wars, economic hardship, state violence and oppression, the growing enthusiasm for a revolutionary alternative is hardly surprising. The inspiring legacy and accomplishments of the October Revolution of 1917, and the heroic lineage of generations of communists struggling for a better world, offer a beacon of hope to humanity amidst the chaos and catastrophe of capitalist crisis. 

But what is communism? What does it mean to be a communist in the 21st Century? In our final episode of International Marxist Radio (the official podcast of the International Marxist Tendency), our host Joe Attard and guest speaker Ben Gliniecki (a leading member of Socialist Appeal, the IMT’s British organisation) discuss these questions. 

Looking at the tumultuous events on the world stage, they address the increasing radicalisation of young people in particular, who are only further drawn to communism when the ruling capitalist class and its mouthpieces attempt to discredit it! They also discuss the IMT’s highly successful ‘Are You A Communist?’ campaign, which is drawing big numbers of people into our ranks, helping to build the forces of genuine Marxism. 

If you are inspired by this discussion and want to get involved, reach out and get organised! Start fighting for communism in our lifetimes today! 

Note: while this is the final episode of International Marxist Radio, a new IMT podcast, The Spectre of Communism, will launch in coming months. SUBSCRIBE and keep an eye on your preferred podcast platforms for the new show! 

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MORE about the IMT 

Website (In Defence of Marxism): https://www.marxist.com/ 

Find out how to JOIN: https://www.marxist.com/join-us.htm 

More on Socialist Appeal’s ‘Are You a Communist?’ campaign: https://socialist.net/are-you-a-communist-then-get-organised-join-the-marxists/

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The Roman Republic was a society characterised by great social and political upheaval. This is a period of well-documented and important class struggle, which has many parallels with the situation today. If we are to avoid making the mistakes of history, a close study of the past is absolutely crucial for all Marxists.

This week’s episode of International Marxist Radio welcomes Alan Woods, writer, theoretician and leading member of the International Marxist Tendency, to discuss his latest book, Class Struggle in the Roman Republic. 

This text, the first complete Marxist history of the Roman Republic, is an invaluable contribution to our understanding of a period that spanned over one thousand years. The book tackles the key processes that led to the eventual demise of the Republic and the birth of the Roman Empire. 

Class Struggle in the Roman Republic is available to buy now!

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The Spanish Revolution and Civil War (which began this week in 1936) represent a profoundly heroic period of struggle by the Spanish working class and peasantry. The masses gave their all in the fight against Franco, only to be failed by their leadership. Both the anarchists and the Stalinists at the head of the fight against fascism failed to lead the workers and peasants to victory. Especially the latter consciously sold out the revolution, ushering in a period of reaction and dictatorship that would last for decades.

This week’s episode of International Marxist Radio welcomes Arturo Rodriguez, a Spanish member of the International Marxist Tendency, based in Portugal. Arturo discusses the role of both the theoretical confusion of the anarchists and the counter-revolutionary policy of the Stalinists in the ultimate defeat of the Spanish Revolution.

For more on the role of Stalinism in particular during the Civil War, we recommend Arturo’s latest article, published on socialist.net.

Listeners interested in the topic of this podcast should keep an eye out for Arturo’s forthcoming article on the role of anarchism in the Spanish Civil War.

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David Graeber and David Wengrow’s anthropological opus, The Dawn of Everything, claims to offer an entirely new, radical view of the development of human society (implicitly: one that knocks down Marx and Engels’ historical materialism). This is no small task, but is the book as earth-shattering as the immodest title suggests?

Despite making waves in certain left-wing circles, the book offers a thin gruel. By fetishising the ‘creative’ potential of human ‘free will’, Graeber and Wengrow ignore the material conditions underlying the development of specific forms of society. In doing so, they defend an abstract idealism that has nothing to offer in terms of explaining our past, nor advancing the class struggle to end oppression and exploitation today.

This week’s episode of International Marxist Radio features Joel Bergman, a leading member of Fightback/La Riposte Socialiste, the Canadian section of the International Marxist Tendency. 

The discussion is based on Joel’s recent article in the latest edition of In Defence of Marxism magazine, which is available to pre-order now! http://www.marxist.com/magazine.htm

*Note: at the end of the episode, we incorrectly say that Joel’s article appears in issue 41 of the IDoM magazine, whereas it will actually be in issue 42, themed around The State. Apologies for the confusion!

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