Building the revolutionary party in the USA
Georg Lukács – philosopher of revolution?
The decline of capitalism
The real Lenin and the sectarian caricature
Iranians and Israelis against war
The Greek elections and the question of government participation
The Arab Revolution
The Labour Party: past, present, future
Zinoviev and Martov – head in Halle
At Communist University 2011, Ben Lewis launched his new book (a collaboration with Lars T. Lih). For the first time, it makes the important speeches of Zinoviev and Martov to the conference of the USPD in Halle in 1920 available in the English language.
Israel and Arab Revolution
Why bourgeois law isn’t “just”
The economic crisis in Ireland and the left
Explaining the longevity of the Iranian theocracy
On the CPGB’s draft programme
Marxism and other worlds: fantasy and sci-fi
Beyond Chavs: imagining a working class politics for the 21th century
The present crisis and Marxist theory
Where is capitalism going?
What about Russia? Theories of the Soviet Union
The Labour Party’s development 1900-1980 and the mistakes of the left
Frederick Engels and his ‘Origins of the family, private property and the state’: still useful today?
Capital in history
Marx’s critique of political economy
On matriarchy and primitive communism
Speaker: Chris Knight, Radical Anthropology Group. This speech was delivered at Communist University 2011.
EDL, BNP and the left: what fascism is, what it is not, and the tactical blunders of the left
Bourgeois elections: an instrument of deception or an instrument of liberation?
What do Marxists mean by the decline of capitalism?
Lenin Rediscovered: What is to be done? Myth and reality
In the first of three talks at Communist University 2010, historian Lars T Lih talks about Lenin’s famous pamphlet, What is to be done?
Permanent Revolution: Myths and Reconsiderations
Socialism and Democracy – Moshe Machover (part 1)
This is part of 1 of Moshe Machover’s talk, ‘Socialism and Democracy’, held at Communist University 2010.
Socialism and Democracy – Moshe Machover (part 2)
This is part two of Moshe Machover’s talk, ‘Socialism and democracy’, given at Communist University 2010.
The CPGB Draft Programme: what programmes are, how they should be organised, and why they are important
Jack Conrad addresses Communist University 2010 on the nature of communist programmes and the thinking behind the new CPGB Draft Programme.
Iran: why a colour revolution from above would be so dangerous
Hands Off the People of Iran chair Yassamine Mather assesses the current situation in Iran at Communist University 2010.
The CPGB Draft Programme: The transition from capitalism to communism
Jack Conrad speaks to Communist University 2010 on the CPGB draft programme and the vision it outlines for the transition from capitalism to communism
Lenin Rediscovered: ‘The April Theses’ Myth and Reality
In the second of three talks in his series on rediscovering Lenin, historian Lars T Lih looks at Lenin’s April Theses and some of the myths and misunderstandings surrounding it.
Lenin Rediscovered: The changing role of political freedom
Historian Lars T Lih addresses Communist University 2010 on the thorny question of Lenin, the Bolsheviks and political freedom. Taking a historical perspective, he traces the role of political freedom from Marx and Engels onwards.
Primitive communism and the matriarchal family: are they Marxist myths?
Marxism and science
Chris Knight of the Radical Anthropology Group addresses Communist University 2010 on the subject of marxism and science
Why Marx expected the proletariat to be socialist
Historian Marc Mulholland talks about Marx’s understanding of the proletariat at Communist University 2010
The present economic crisis in historical perspective
In the second of three presentations held at Communist University, Hillel Ticktin speaks about the economic crisis in historical perspective.
Grigory Zinoviev in Halle
Ben Lewis addresses Communist University 2010 on the significance of Grigory Zinoviev’s famous four-hour speech held at Halle congress of the German Independent Social Democrats (USPD) in October 1920.
Why the age of bureaucratic centralism and the confessional left wing sect needs to end
A panel discussion with Mike Macnair (CPGB); Moshe Machover (Israeli socialist) and Hillel Ticktin (editor of Critique) held at Communist University 2010.
Capitalism’s crisis: How do we organise?
Capitalism is facing its greatest global crisis since the 1930s. It is quite clear that the ruling class currently has no strategy to deal with the crisis beyond ‘muddling through’.
But what about our side – the working class movement internationally? Clearly, we face a crisis of our own with the workers’ movement and the left are both in very weak positions globally.
What is to be done if we are to overcome this so that the working class can effectively fight back against the crisis and begin to re-articulate a serious international project to positively overcome a declining capitalist system synonymous with war, exploitation and ecological disaster?
This was the topic at the final session of the CPGB’s annual school – the Communist University – which was held in London from august 8-15. Four speakers took part in a panel discussion:
Ben Lewis (CPGB)
Hillel Tickin (Editor, Critique)
Moshe Machover (Israeli socialist and founder of Matzpen)
Chris Knight (Radical Anthropology Group)
The Labour Party: still a bourgeois workers’ party?
There is much debate on today’s far left about the nature of the Labour Party.
Has the rise of New Labour and Tony Blair ensured that the party ceases to be a ‘bourgeois workers’ party? What does that term even mean?
Mike Macnair of the Communist Party of Great Britain tackles these questions by tracing the history of the Labour Party up to the present day.
To read more that Mike has to say on this question, check out two articles he wrote in the Weekly Worker:
Labour: Still a bourgeois workers’ party?
cpgb.org.uk/worker/779/labourparty.php
Making and unmaking Labour:
cpgb.org.uk/worker/780/making.php
This talk was given along with a series of others at the Communist Party of Great Britain’s annual Communist University, held in London from August 8-15.
Marxism and crisis theory
Critique editor Hillel Ticktin opens up his series of three lectures on the capitalist crisis with a discussion of Marxist theories of crisis in order to establish their strengths and shortcomings.
The British National Party and Popular Frontism
What is the nature of today’s BNP? Is its shift to right wing populism electoralism merely a facade for the continued fascist sympathies of leading cadre like Member of the European Parliament Nick Griffin?
Is ‘Unite Against Fascism’ an adequate response to the rise of the BNP or is it a project that has not learnt the lessons of history?
James Turley of the CPGB discusses these questions in talk he gave to the CPGB’s annual school – the Communist University.
For more reading on some of these questions, follow these links:
‘Be Sensible’ – James Turley: cpgb.org.uk/worker/780/letters.php
‘How not to stop the BNP’ – Ben Lewis: cpgb.org.uk/worker/779/hownotto.php
”Obtain without fail and re-read”
Lars Lih continues his series on Lenin with a discussion of Lenin’s reaction to Kautsky’s betrayal of socialism in 1914 by supporting German Social Democracy voting for war credits
Primitive Communism – what we think we know and why
Chris Knight of the Radical Anthropology Group (RAG) discusses primitive communism and what it can tell us about being human to an audience at Communist University 2009.
30 years since the launch of the Leninist faction and our new programme
Jack Conrad discusses 30 years since the founding of the Leninist faction of the ‘official’ Communist Party of Great Britain before its liquidation in 1991.
The faction took up the banner of the CPGB and now organises as the CPGB, publishing the Weekly Worker.