The origins of Democratic Centralism
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.
EDL, BNP and the left: what fascism is, what it is not, and the tactical blunders of the left
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.
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)
Fascism and fighting ghosts
Panel debate at Communist University 2008 between Ben Lewis (CPGB); David Isaacson (CPGB) and David Esterson (Permanent Revolution)