Theory

What is Socialism?

As the horrors of the capitalist system are laid bare, more and more people are looking for an alternative. Today 41% of Americans (and a majority of young adults) have a positive view of “socialism,” but many others still have negative views based on the repressive regimes of the Soviet Union and elsewhere, and there are many different definitions of the word. What does the alternative to capitalism look like and how do we make it happen? Chantal Sundaram looks at different conceptions of socialism outlined in Hal Draper’s classic, “The Two Souls of Socialism.” Continue reading https://wordpress.com/post/marx21us.org/2257

Anti-fascism, Anti-racism, Public Meetings, Theory

Reading and Discussion Group: Fascism and Fighting the Far Right Today.

The growth of the far right is a real threat in the United States and internationally, but it is not inevitable. In this reading group, starting Feb. 14th, we will briefly look back at the nature of classic fascism, before examining both disastrous and successful strategies to fight fascism, how it has transformed, and discussing the far-right in the United States under Trump and after. More, for reading list and links...

Theory

Antonio Gramsci: 130 years since his birth

When we saw Joseph Biden calling for unity at his inauguration, we immediately thought of Gramsci’s line, "The historical unity of the ruling classes is realized in the state." Antonio Gramsci, born 130 years ago, on January 22nd, 1891, lived his life as a revolutionary, from daily agitation in the Turin workers struggles at the end of WWI, through the rise of fascism and his death in Mussolini’s prison. In between, he made fundamental contributions to Marxist theory of strategy and the revolutionary party as elaborated by Karl Marx, Rosa Luxembourg, and V.I. Lenin. In American academia, Gramsci’s important concept of hegemony has often been confusingly used to reject working class activity and concentrate on the articulation of counter hegemony within the domain of culture. Certainly, Gramsci’s intelligent and dialectical cultural writings are useful and enjoyable to read. But, as Leandros Bolaris emphasizes below (translated by Iannis Delatolas), Gramsci’s Marxism was always the "philosophy of action", the theory of the liberation struggle of the working class. When we consider issues like the rise of a new brand of fascism today, the use of social media in spreading false consciousness, or the relation of working class action to the revolutionary party, Gramsci remains a brilliant and useful part of the Marxist tradition.

Covid-19, Español, Health, Theory

Redes de ayuda mutua hacia: Una crítica constructiva

Thomas Hummel, de Marx21 USA, explora el surgimiento de redes de ayuda mutua durante la pandemia del COVID-19, ofreciendo una crítica fraterna de las mismas como estrategia política, y mostrando alternativas socialistas. Publicado originalmente en español aquí en marx21.net. Las organizaciones de ayuda mutua han aparecido a lo largo de todo el país en respuesta… Continue reading Redes de ayuda mutua hacia: Una crítica constructiva

Covid-19, Theory

Mutual Aid Networks: Toward a Constructive Critique

Thomas Hummel explores the emergence of mutual aid networks during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering a comradely critique of mutual aid as a political strategy and putting forward socialist alternatives.  Mutual aid organizations have appeared all over the country in response to coronavirus and the economic shutdown. Very often these organizations are vital, keeping people alive… Continue reading Mutual Aid Networks: Toward a Constructive Critique