Articles from the Socialist written during the Sparks dispute in 2011-12
 

A speech by Marx to the First International Working Men's Association, June 1865.
Written: between end of May and June 27, 1865; First published: 1898; Edited: by Eleanor Marx Aveling

Although delivered as a speech, this paper remained unpublished until after Marx's death. It reads like a condensed version of Capital Volume 1, and contains Marx's essential arguments about the workings of capital. Although we highly recommend reading Capital Volume 1 for a thorough understanding of capitalist economics, this volume provides and excellent introduction to Marx's ideas.

Twenty years ago, the Tory Prime Minister, Maggie Thatcher was reduced to iron filings by a mass movement led by the Socialist Party, then Miilitant. This pamphlet outlines how we can stop the cuts.

The propertied classes have often accused socialists in struggle against exploitation of 'terrorism' while the terror of capitalist rulers provokes resistance. Trotsky shows that the working class is the only social force capable of changing societ

In the Middle of the Road: The ILP and the Fourth International

Analysis of the Spanish Revolution and Civil War, including the role of the POUM, Stalinists and Anarchists.

Millions of people's hopes were raised when New Labour was elected in 1997. Since then, these hopes have been cruelly dashed. The New Labour government has shown since it came to power that it is firmly on the side of big business. Blair and his ministers have attacked working conditions, the welfare system, free education, public services and are now bringing private companies into the NHS and schools. Despite huge levels of protest, the war and occupation of Iraq continues and has so far cost £5 billion of public money in Britain alone.

As the harsh realities of the government's policies are realised by more and more people, opposition to New Labour is growing. This pamphlet argues that an essential part of making that opposition effective is the building of a new mass workers party.

Lenin's April Theses was written when he arrived back in Russia in April 1917. He argues that the working class, leading the exploited peasantry, should take power and begin to carry out a socialist transformation of society. All other options would end with a brutal counter-revolution.

Now new revolutions are taking place. Millions have risen up across the Middle East demanding democracy and an end to poverty. Imperialism is colluding with the national capitalist classes to ensure that no regime comes to power that threatens their interests. These ongoing revolutions demonstrate beyond doubt that capitalism does not offer a way forward. The main ideas outlined by Lenin apply just as much to Tunisia and Egypt today as they did to Russia in April 1917.

"The document of Comrade Cliff entitled The Nature of Stalinist Russia at first sight gives the impression of erudition and scientific analysis. However, upon careful examination, it will be observed that not one of the chapters contains a worked-out thesis. The method is a series of parallels based on quotations, and its basic weakness is shown by the fact that conclusions are not rooted in the analysis. From his thesis it is not possible to conclude whether Stalinist Russia remains a progressive system (despite its deformations), or whether for Cliff it has now assumed the same reactionary role as ‘individual’ capitalism or fascism. The weakness is sharply brought out by the fact that no practical conclusions emerge. Is Russia to be defended, or is the revolutionary party to be defeatist? Instead of the answer being rooted in and flowing from the analysis, it has to be worked out a posteriori.

"Despite the fact that Comrade Cliff asserts that the Stalinist bureaucracy is a new class, nowhere in his thesis is a real analysis made or evidence adduced as to why and how such a class constitutes a capitalist class and is not a new type of class.

"And this is not accidental. It flows from the method. Starting off with the preconceived idea of state capitalism, everything is artificially fitted into that conception. Instead of applying the theoretical method of the Marxist teachers to Russian society in its process of motion and development, he has scoured the works to gather quotations and attempted to compress them into a theory."

- Excerpt from the text

Local general strikes, demonstrations of 100,000, open splits in the bureaucracy - a new epoch has opened up in the Soviet Union - that of the political revolution. Can Gorbachev's reforms work?

This pamphlet covers these issues and the background to the present crisis. In addition we are proud to re-print the statement made by Esteban Volkov, to the Militant rally in June 1988, demanding the political rehabilitation of his grandfather, Leon Trotsky.