socialist
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The crisis in the SWP-Britain
Since its national conference in January, the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) in Britain, the country’s largest revolutionary organization, has been shaken by the most severe crisis in its history, stemming from the failure of its leadership to properly respond to rape and sexual harassment allegations made against a leading member, and, in turn, from attempts… Continue reading
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The Arab Winter And Revolutionary Illusionists By Hannes HOFBAUER (Austria)
Nearly two years ago an opposition movement has been formed, which was run over by history in a very short time. Different internal and external interests converted social dissatisfaction into a fiercely civil war. Cui bono? The question must be allowed. Continue reading
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Video: The Black Elite and the Legacy of Martin Luther King By Glen Ford
Glen Ford: Black upper class took advantage of legal victories won by MLK and the Civil Rights (inc. transcript) Continue reading
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Capitalism, Crises, and a Socialist Alternative: In Conversation With Michael A. Lebowitz By Rebekah Wetmore and Ryan Romard
The crisis of world capitalism starting in 2007 was the most severe crisis of capitalism since the Great Depression and thus far the recovery, both globally and within Canada, has been weak at best. With this mind, to what extent is the current crisis cyclical and in what ways is this related to a broader,… Continue reading
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Democracy and the Communist Party By Aniket Alam
This paper, rather preliminary note towards a full paper, attempts to look at the troubled history of democracy (both as a concept as well as a practice) and parties claiming affiliation to Marxism-Leninism. Continue reading
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Michael Lebowitz: Socialism for the 21st century — re-inventing and renewing the struggle
First, why don’t workers put an end to capitalism – given its destruction of human beings and the environment (something Marx was so conscious of). In particular, given the declining standards of life for decades in the United States, the economic disaster in Europe and the current crises, how is it that the system is… Continue reading
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Can the Left Save Greece? By Yiannis Milios, Yiannis Baboulias
The crisis exposed what all Greeks knew was there, but found themselves unable to influence: a corrupt, nepotistic political system, reflecting an equally corrupt and untouchable financial elite. Often, they were one and the same, and we knew this. Continue reading
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Venezuela: ‘Learning to Govern Ourselves’ By Rebecca McMillan and Calais Caswell
News of the deterioration of Chávez’s health has Venezuelans increasingly worried. While top government officials and opposition members were meeting behind closed doors in early December to discuss their next steps, other important discussions were taking place amongst grassroots activists on the future of the Bolivarian Process. Continue reading
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Venezuelan Opposition Fails to Make Counterproposal By Javier Biardeau
resident Chavez has insisted repeatedly that the “invitation” to debate is open to all sectors of society, that is, both pro- and anti-Chavez forces. But will the initiative truly strengthen democracy and people’s power in Venezuela? That is the question that guides this interview with Javier Biardeau, Professor of Sociology at the Central University of… Continue reading
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New World Order “Conspiracy Theories”: Diversions and Deceptions By Colin Todhunter
Conspiracy theories just can’t fail, no matter how ludicrous they are. Try to falsify them as you may, the conspiracy theorist will just brush aside your evidence by asserting that you are part of the conspiracy against them and their theories. A paid shill in fact. Circular arguments and twisted logic are the order of… Continue reading
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Latin America and Europe Compared By Asbjørn Wahl
The experiences from having had left political parties in government in Europe in the era of neoliberalism have not been very exciting, to put it mildly. The most recent experiences from such governments in France, Italy and – to a certain degree – also Norway have proved anything from negative to disastrous. Continue reading
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Latin America and Europe Compared By Asbjørn Wahl
The experiences from having had left political parties in government in Europe in the era of neoliberalism have not been very exciting, to put it mildly. The most recent experiences from such governments in France, Italy and – to a certain degree – also Norway have proved anything from negative to disastrous. Continue reading
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Books: The Contradictions of “Real Socialism”
What was “real socialism”—the term which originated in twentieth-century socialist societies for the purpose of distinguishing them from abstract, theoretical socialism? In this volume, Michael A. Lebowitz considers the nature, tendencies, and contradictions of those societies. Beginning with the constant presence of shortages within “real socialism,” Lebowitz searches for the inner relations which generate these… Continue reading
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What went wrong with ‘real socialism’?
Those of us who share Marx’s vision of socialism as a society of freely associated producers therefore have a responsibility to understand and explain what went wrong with 20th Century socialism, why it went wrong, and how we would avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future. Continue reading
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Black Agenda Report November 15, 2012 — Obama's 2nd Term: Ground Hog Day All Over Again, Grand Bargain As Satan Sandwich
15 November 2012 — Black Agenda Report This week in Black Agenda Report Obama’s Second Term: Four More Years of Groundhog Days Continue reading
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U.S. Election: Sawant, Stein, and Post-2012 Left Strategy By Pham Binh
With more than 16,000 votes (a whopping 28 per cent of the vote), the campaign of Socialist Alternative’s Kshama Sawant in Washington’s 43rd legislative district is a bright beacon of hope on the otherwise bleak horizon of the 2012 election for the American left, although you wouldn’t know it by reading the party-line and left-liberal… Continue reading
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The Tremor in the Communist Party of China By Ahmet Devrim
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is holding a new congress, the 18th, due to start on November 8. The CCP is at the helm of the single-party system of the People’s Republic. The nine-member Politbureau Standing Committee (PSC) acts as the supreme body that rules over this vast country with a population of 1.3 billion… Continue reading
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Greece: Turning Despair Into Hate By Shaun Harkin
Greece is in a grueling downward economic spiral with massive political and social ramifications. Aspects of Greek society are literally falling apart at the seams. Across the whole eurozone – the countries that use the euro as a common currency – unemployment is at a record high of 18.2 million people without work in August.… Continue reading
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Austerity and Counter-Austerity in Britain By Roger Annis
Britain is in the throes of a deepening class struggle prompted by attacks on social and democratic rights by the capitalist class. The economic elite is pressing forward with an austerity program of ever-deepening cuts to jobs and social services. A coalition government of Conservatives and Liberal-Democrats has been in power for the past two… Continue reading
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What is the ANC and Where is the Left in South Africa? By Chris Webb
The ANC is a difficult beast to understand. In its contemporary form it is perhaps most adequately described by writer and activist Patrick Bond’s useful “Talk Left, Walk Right” phrase, which describes its strategy of justifying neoliberal or anti-democratic policies using Marxist phraseology and obligatory allusions to struggle heroes. Continue reading
The New Dark Age 